Comments on: What playwrights produced bodies of work rife with monologue material?

Question: What playwrights produced bodies of work rife with monologue material?

GPF — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:56:16 -0800

What playwrights produced bodies of work rife with monologue material?

I'd like to find some monologues - perhaps, but not necessarily, for auditioning. I'd like to do this by reading several plays by the same dramatist - thus trolling for material while also learning a particular author's style. If I could get my hands on -- and head around -- a complete body of work, I would be thrilled for the challenge.

I'm aware of some obvious venerable veterans, but do you have any less-trodden, modern recommendations?

Bonus points for probable availability at public or academic libraries.

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:58:04 -0800

Besides Shakespeare?

By: GPF

GPF — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:05:54 -0800

Yes, besides Shakespeare. Mr. Willy qualifies as an "obvious venerable veteran." "Less-trodden, modern recommendations" would be most helpful. :)

By: still_wears_a_hat

still_wears_a_hat — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:12:59 -0800

I'm sure you've thought of Shaw ... does Stoppard count as less-trodden? Probably not. How about Martin McDonagh?

Though maybe he's not so appropriate for auditions.

By: still_wears_a_hat

still_wears_a_hat — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:16:33 -0800

Or Yasmina Reza?

By: Koko

Koko — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:18:00 -0800

Mamet?

By: expialidocious

expialidocious — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:28:53 -0800

Does Samuel Beckett count as obvious and venerable? How about David Mamet?

For someone completely different, try Maria Irene Fornes.

By: alkupe

alkupe — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:38:59 -0800

eric bogosian . Drinking in America is all monologues.

By: minervous

minervous — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:52:43 -0800

Mark Dunn, especially for women. (Audition friendly.)

Mac Wellman, the above mentioned Fornes, Caryl Churchill, Charles Mee and Will Eno for avant-garde and lesser-known work. (I can't recommend Will Eno enough, actually; he's amazing.)

Teresa Rebeck is a great writer to get a grip on. Her collected works were published recently and makes for great reading, (though she's a bit overdone with respect to audition material).

If you're interested in getting a great overview of cutting-edge off- and off-off-Broadway New York work, try the Plays and Playwrights series, published by the New York Theatre Experience. Reading through any given year of the series will introduce you to all kinds of playwrights and all kinds of work. Also highly recommended.

Finally, troll through the website of New York's Signature Theater Company. They're a highly esteemed Off-Broadway company that produces entire seasons dedicated to the work of one playwright. You can use their past seasons as reading guides, if you like.

By: minervous

minervous — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:13:03 -0800

Er, "trawl through the website..." not "troll..."

By: obliquicity

obliquicity — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:46:00 -0800

Anna Deavere Smith.

By: thebrokenmuse

thebrokenmuse — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:58:46 -0800

My favorite monologue I have ever done was from "Picasso at the Lapine Agile," by Steve Martin. He has several monologue's in that show despite it being really short.

By: McLir

McLir — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:53:59 -0800

Paddy Chayefsky (particularly in the script for Network) wrote amazing speeches with strong verbal musicality.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:15:06 -0800

Mamet?

No.

By: twistofrhyme

twistofrhyme — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:49:42 -0800

eric bogosian.
and, go canada:
daniel macivor has written several award-winning one-man shows that are sublimely smart & funny: "here lies henry", "monster", "cul de sac", and "house" are 4 good ones. his plays for larger casts tend to have good monologues too.
karen hines' "the pochsy plays" i think there are 3 in total, maybe 4. all solo shows for a woman, all dark and funny and weird and smart.
diane flacks' "by a thread" and "random acts". playful with a dark side, and funny.

By: np312

np312 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:55:14 -0800

John Patrick Shanley has great female monologues. "Savage in Limbo," "Women of Manhattan," etc.

By: h00py

h00py — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:53:05 -0800

He's been around for a while so he may fall under the category of of venerable veteran, but Alan Bennett has written some extraordinary monologues (Talking Heads)

By: Mocata

Mocata — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:56:51 -0800

Beckett, Pinter, Mamet

By: GPF

GPF — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:46:31 -0800

Thanks for the recommendations. Plenty to get started and keep busy for a good while.

Any others out there?