29 Best 「monologues」 Books of 2024| Books Explorer

In this article, we will rank the recommended books for monologues. The list is compiled and ranked by our own score based on reviews and reputation on the Internet.
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Table of Contents
  1. Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors: 54 High-Quality Monologues for Kids & Teens
  2. The Actor's Book of Contemporary Stage Monologues: More Than 150 Monologues from More Than 70 Playwrights
  3. The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2023 (Best 10 Minute Plays)
  4. Great Monologues: And How to Give Winning Auditions
  5. Monologues They'll Remember You By: 80 Unique and Compelling Monologues That Leave a Lasting Impression
  6. The Best Women's Stage Monologues 2023
  7. Monologues for Teens: 60 Original Monologues to Stand Out, Inspire, and Shine (The Young Actor Series)
  8. The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2023
  9. The 100: New and Classic Monologues for Children & Young Adults
  10. Dig / I Need That: 2 Plays
Other 19 books
No.1
100

Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors features 54 original monologues created specifically for actors and acting students ages 7-14 and for the teachers, directors and acting coaches who work with them.These refreshing monologues encompass a broad range of circumstances and emotions perfect for young actors seeking new material to explore – some of which will appeal to slightly younger actors and others of which will excite slightly older actors.Here are some of the features of this book:\n\nA broad range of circumstances and emotions, from comedic to heartfelt to quirky\nEmotional arcs and strong endings to challenge actors and keep audiences engaged\nModern day topics with contemporary language\nConvenient organization from “younger” to “older” as the book progresses\nIdeal for auditions, as short performance pieces or for use in the classroom\n\nThis resource was created by Beat by Beat Press, the same award-winning publisher of Teaching Drama: The Essential Handbook, a #1 best-seller on Amazon which has sold over 35,000 copies and has been translated into 5 languages.\nPLEASE NOTE: This is the only official volume of this title that has been tested and proven in thousands of classrooms around the world. Please check for the Beat by Beat logo before purchasing any similar products online to assure you're receiving the highest quality of material for young actors.\nBelow are sample monologues from the book: SHARINGSome people think I don’t like sharing, but that isn’t true at all. I love sharing. I mean, what’s not to love about being able to go up to someone and say, “Hey, can I have some of that candy?” And then they give you some! Or, “Can I ride your bike for a while?” And then you get to ride their bike! Sharing is awesome. Sometimes you have to be careful, though. Like if someone comes up to me and says, “Can I have one of your cookies?” Well, if I gave them a cookie, then I might not have any cookies left to share with other people and that would be, like, the opposite of sharing. So I have to say no. Because sharing is really important.SCOUTBefore we moved here, we had this big dog named Scout. Mom always said he was a total mutt, but I think he was also part collie. And maybe part golden retriever. But he was definitely at least half mutt. Scout was supposed to be the whole family’s dog, but he was really mine. I mean, after school, it was me he would be waiting for. And when anyone threw his ball, I’m the one he always brought it back to. And at night, it was always my bed he slept in. But before we moved here, my Mom found out we weren’t allowed to have any pets, so we had to give him away to my cousins. I don’t really talk about it, but sometimes I dream about Scout. He’s got his ball in his mouth and he’s looking for me. And I’m saying, “Here, Scout. I’m right here.” But he doesn’t hear me, and he can’t see me, and I’m saying, “I’m right here. Scout. I’m right here.” And then, I don’t know, I guess I wake up . . . I don’t know if Scout dreams about me.

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No.2
100

This unique anthology provides a wealth of material for actors and acting students, and a wonderful overview of the best recent plays for anyone interested in theatre. The more than 150 monologues cover a diverse range of subjects, and offer a variety of dramatic styles and moods. Each monologue is introduced with a short description of the plot, setting, and character type by the leading plauwrights of our time. Featured dramatists include: Christopher Durang, Wendy Wasserstein, Lanford Wilson, Wallace Shawn, Tina Howe, Caryl Churchill, Athol Fugard, Beth Henley, Sam Shepard, David Henry Hwang, Harry Kondoleon, John Patrick Shanley, Larry Shue, Michael Weller, David Rabe, Marsha Norman, August Wilson, Albert Innaurato, Jules Feiffer, Harold Pinter, David Hare, Jose Rivera, Tom Stoppard, John Guare, David Mamet, Charles Fuller, William Matrosimone, Robert Patrick, Miguel Pinero

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No.3
100
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No.5
88

Finding the right monologue can often be a frustrating task. Too frequently, monologue books rely on time-worn staples that have been heard a million times before, or are padded out with aimless, insipid pieces that often aren't even taken from actual plays. In Monologues They'll Remember You By you'll find 80 (40 male, 40 female) fresh, engaging monologues that will allow you to create memorable character portraits of depth and vitality for that all-important moment in the spotlight. Divided into male and female comedic, dramatic, and seriocomic categories, this book also provides a useful guide on how to look beyond age and gender in many of these monologues in order to broaden your performance options. Additionally, each monologue is preceded by a brief summary of the plot, setting, and character profile.Whether a professional or a student actor, you'll find this book an invaluable resource for landing that coveted role or winning that competition.

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No.6
88

The Best Women's Stage Monologues 2023

Lamedman, Debbie
Smith & Kraus Pub Inc
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No.7
83

Monologues for Teens is a collection of 60 original monologues on a wide variety of topics. They are designed to help teenage actors reach, stretch and stand out from the crowd. Each individual piece is gender-neutral and may be performed equally well by both male and female actors. These monologues are clean, thought-provoking, and designed to encourage positive attitudes and behaviors in our youth – and audiences. They are appropriate for film, television, and theater training. Includes a foreword by Emmy Award winner Jean Carol, and a detailed introduction to monologue selection, preparation and performance by the author. Monologues for Teens also includes helpful, behind-the-scenes suggestions on actor training and audition psychology.

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No.8
83

The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2023

Lamedman, Debbie
Smith & Kraus Pub Inc
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No.9
83

Perfect for auditions, drama classes and performances...\nTHE 100 offers a hundred new and classic monologues for children and young adults.\nWritten by award-winning playwright Kirsty Budding, the collection includes a helpful prologue with advice on performing monologues, followed by conveniently organised thematic sections with illustrations to indicate drama or comedy: Fantasy & Fairytales (Fairies, Mermaids, a crazy Harry Potter fan and more!); Greek & Norse Mythology (Thor, Loki, Zeus, Hercules, Hades, Medusa…); Teen Life (exam stress, romance, social media, sibling rivalry, cyber bullying…); Secret Agents & Espionage (meet James Blonde and the agent who trained John Wick!); Comedy (laugh out loud as kids play teachers, dance divas, the Queen of England and more!); Drama (loss of grandparents, moving schools, growing up…), Classic Literary Characters (Oliver Twist, Jo March, Jane Eyre…); Historical Figures (Julius Caesar, Elizabeth I, Martin Luther King Jr...); Christmas (Scrooge, Spoilt Child, Little Elf...) Shakespeare (Romeo, Romeo; To Be or Not to Be…)\nPerfect for auditions, school drama classes and performances, length and difficulty levels range to provide exciting options for children and teenagers ages 5-19. The book is ideal for families with children of different ages, as well as for use in schools with multiple year groups.\nWith a range unheard of in a monologue collection, it’s the perfect resource for a young performer to use again and again on their acting journey.\\n“Playing Thor is awesome! I just love all of it, it’s super funny!” – Harper Scott, age 9\n“I love the ‘Messy Room’ monologue! I think my Mum does too...” – Breanna Kelly, age 15\n“I really enjoyed performing the School Principal monologue – great writing and a funny and relatable scenario!” – Robert Wearden, age 17\n"I admire Kirsty Budding's dry humour and wit in the monologue Almost Twenty. It got lots of laughs when I performed it for a university assignment because everyone could relate to those challenges and frustrations of becoming an adult." - Cecilia Waugh, age 19\n"Kirsty Budding is a name to watch." - Stage Whispers

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No.10
81

Dig / I Need That: 2 Plays

Rebeck, Theresa
Smith & Kraus Pub Inc
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No.11
81

A Brand-new Collection Of Original Audition Pieces Written By And For Actors Of Colour, Featuring Over 60 Pieces For A Range Of Ages And Races.

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No.12
81

All actors and acting teachers need The Ultimate Scene and Monologue Sourcebook, the invaluable guide to finding just the right piece for every audition. This remarkable book describes the characters, action, and mood for more than 1,000 scenes in over 300 plays. This unique format is ideal for acting teachers who want their students to understand each monologue in context. Using these guidelines, the actor can quickly pinpoint the perfect monologue, then find the text in the Samuel French or Dramatist Play Service edition of the play. Newly revised and expanded, the book also includes the author’s own assessment of each monologue.

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No.13
80

The first collection of its kind, The Oberon Book of Queer Monologues chronicles over one hundred years of queer and trans performance.\nCombining classical and contemporary stage plays with spoken word and performance art, this anthology features over forty extracts from some of the most exciting stage works in the English-speaking world. It will be an essential tool for artists seeking monologues for auditions or training; a comprehensive guide through the hidden histories of queer theatre; and a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community.\nCurated by award-winning artist Scottee.

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No.14
80

How many Black British plays can you name?Inspired by both classical and contemporary plays, The Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors gives readers an insight into some of the best cutting-edge plays written by black British playwrights, over the last sixty years. This collection features over twenty speeches by Britain’s most prominent black dramatists. The monologues represent a wide-range of themes, characters, dialects and styles. Suitable for young people and adults, each selection includes production information, a synopsis of the play, a biography of the playwright and a scene summary. The aim of this collection is that actors will enjoy working on these speeches, using them to help strengthen their craft, and by doing so, help to ensure these plays are always remembered.These monologues for men are taken from speeches by Britain's most prominent black dramatists, including Barry Reckord, Lydia Adetunji, Roy Williams, Courttia Newland, Errol John, Ade Solanke, Trevor Rhone, Inua Ellams, Biyi Bandele, and Arinze Kene. Includes a foreword by playwright and director Kwame Kwei-Armah.

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No.15
80
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No.16
79

The Best Women's Stage Monologues 2022

Lamedman, Debbie
Smith & Kraus Pub Inc

Here in this book you will find 70 very diverse monologues written for women. These pieces present great acting challenges, and actors will have the pleasure of sinking their teeth into this sublime material while continuing to perfect their craft in their online or in-person workshops. The monologues all come from plays. Read these pieces, act these pieces. They will seem familiar to you as you hold the mirror up to nature and realize that art is indeed life.

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No.17
79

The Hottest Collection of Comedy Monologues Available! If you've ever searched for a good comic monologue-whether for a professional audition, a class, or a competition-you know how frustrating the hunt can be. We've combed over some of the world's best comic writing to bring you 222 Comic Monologues: Two Minutes and Under. It's all funny stuff here: classic and contemporary works; roles for men and women ages 7 to 100; entertaining voices from writers as varied as Christopher Durang and Langston Hughes, orothy Parker and Steve Martin, Margaret Cho and Molière. You'll find shades of comedy from light to dark: situational humor, word play, absurdity, and surrealism. These monologues are alternately romantic, silly, militant, downright zany-first-rate character work by both new and established comic writers.

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No.18
79

(Applause Acting Series). Lawrence Harbison has selected 100 terrific monologues for men from contemporary plays, all by characters between the ages of 18 and 35 perfect for auditions or class. There are comic monologues (laughs) and dramatic monologues (no laughs). Most have a compelling present-tense action for actors to perform. A few are story monologues and they're great stories. Actors will find pieces by star playwrights such as Don Nigro, Itamar Moses, Stephen Adly Guirgis, and Terrence McNally; by exciting up-and-comers such as Nicole Pandolfo, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Crystal Skillman, Greg Kalleres, Reina Hardy, Daniel Guyton, and J. Thalia Cunningham; and information on getting the complete text of each play. This is a must-have resource in the arsenal of every aspiring actor hoping to knock 'em dead with his contemporary piece after bowling over teachers and casting directors alike with a classical excerpt.

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No.19
79

In her seventh drama book for teens, Rebecca Young demonstrates her wonderful ability to write in the voice of teenage characters and emphasize believable experiences that appeal to young actors. Boyfriend issues, girlfriend issues. Teacher issues, parent issues. Sports issues, band issues. Love, hate, jealousy, betrayal and so much more. Middle school years are some of the best and hardest times a student can go through, and Young captures both the drama and especially the humor of this unique age. The book is fairly evenly divided between monologues for girls, for guys or for either, and the wide variety of topics ensures a good fit with any student's personality. All monologues are between one and two minutes and are suitable for auditions, classroom performance, speech competitions or acting practice.

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No.20
79

The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2022

Lamedman, Debbie
Smith & Kraus Pub Inc

In this book you will find 70 very diverse monologues written for men. These pieces present great acting challenges, and actors will have the pleasure of sinking their teeth into this sublime material while continuing to perect their craft in their online or in-person workshops. The monologues all come from plays. Read these pieces, act these pieces. They will seem familiar to you as you hold the mirror up to nature and realize that art is indeed life.

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No.21
79

Lawrence Harbison has selected 100 terrific monologues for women from contemporary plays, all by characters between the ages of 18 and 35. Perfect for auditions or class. There are comic monologues (laughs) and dramatic monologues (no laughs). Most have a compelling present-tense action for actors to perform. A few are story monologuesand theyre great stories. Actors will find pieces by star playwrights such as Don Nigro, Itamar Moses, Adam Bock, and Jane Martin; by exciting up-and-comers such as Nicole Pandolfo, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Crystal Skillman, Greg Kalleres, Daniel Guyton, and Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig; and information on getting the complete text of each play. This is a must-have resource in the arsenal of every aspiring actor hoping to knock 'em dead with her contemporary piece after bowling over teachers and casting directors alike with a classical excerpt.

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No.22
78

Never before has a monologue book been written completely by people who are actually funny for a living!This incredibly hysterical, cutting-edge collection of monologues will give an actor the extra bang he needs to land the perfect comedic role. Men's Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny features monologues by writers and comics who have written for and/or performed on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing, E! Entertainment, Comedy Central Stage, and many, many more.This book is the answer to the comedic monologue needs of male actors everywhere!

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No.23
78

In this book are 100 one-minute, original, contemporary monologues for adult men and women, with a mixture of dramatic, comedic, romantic, and reflective pieces, in no certain order.There are no setups for any of these monologues--no genders, no age ranges, no locations, and no backstories. This leaves them wide open for the actor to develop and move each character and scene in most any direction the actor chooses. Most of these monologues are subtle, not requiring grandiose physical performances, because delivering natural, believable, conversational dialogue in front of a stationary camera is usually all that's required to showcase an actor's true ability. Often, less is more. Q: Why perform original, unfamiliar monologues? Excerpt: Though something from A Few Good Men sounds like a great challenge, you don't want those people behind the camera at your audition comparing you to Jack Nicholson, or for that matter, to anyone else they've heard the same monologue from a hundred times. You don't want them harkening back to another actor's performance, you want them focused on you. Also, choosing monologues you've already seen and heard performed by other actors can easily lead you to mimic them rather than develop your own character and delivery for the piece. Remember, this is all about you and what you can bring to the scene.Q: Will I need to explain the scene to my audience? Excerpt: The monologues in this book are all original pieces, written as standalones, not requiring the observer to have any backstory explained to them in order to understand what the character is trying to convey in the scene.Q: Why are these monologues only one minute? Excerpt: One-minute monologues allow the actor to get in, show what they can do, and get out, making them perfect for auditions and classroom study. Always leave them wanting more.Q: Why do I need so many monologues? Excerpt: You're not always going to be auditioning, but it never hurts to keep your chops up. The best recipe for success is to continue honing your craft. Practice, practice, practice.Dave Kilgore is a longtime actor, pianist, composer, playwright, and author. He has written multiple books of monologues, scenes, flash fiction stories, and a novel.Published by Scribernaut Press, LLC. Black and white. Paperback is 148 pages.

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No.24
78

I We/us: Monologues For The Gender Minority There Are Many Monologues That Will Share A Wide Variety Of Kinds, Types, Identities, Thoughts, Feelings, Conflicts, Struggles, Revelations And Victories. That's What Good Writing Does. You'll See, Through The Mouths Of These Often Poignant, Insightful Characters, Most Of What You Need To Know To Begin Living In The World Of Folx That Are Proudly Gender Non-conforming--

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No.25
78

Alexander Dumas * Christopher Durang * Beth Henley * Kenneth Lonergan * Donald Margulies * Steve Martin * Nicky Silver * Bernard Shaw * Alfred Uhry * Paula Vogel \nA collection of the greatest scenes and monologues ever written-ranging from Elizabethan to Tony Award-winning plays-this comprehensive anthology spans over five hundred years of theatre. Play the Scene: The Ultimate Collection of Contemporary and Classic Scenes and Monologues by coauthors Michael Schulman and Eva Mekler includes scenes and monologues from classic plays by such notable authors as Edith Wharton as well as the best in contemporary theatre, such as Margaret Edson's Wit. \n* Blight Spirit * Camille * The Chosen * The Graduate * How I Learned to Drive * The Last Night of Ballyhoo * The Lisbon Traviata * This Is Our Youth * Vincent in Brixton * And many more!

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No.26
78

Never before has a monologue book been written completely by people who are actually funny for a living.This incredibly hysterical, cutting-edge collection of monologues will give an actress the extra bang she needs to land the perfect comedic role. Women's Comedic Monologues features 60 monologues by writers and comics who have written for or performed on Chelsea Lately, Carson Daly, The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Stage, and many more.This book is the answer to the comedic monologue needs of female actors everywhere!

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No.27
78

2020 Was Not A Great Year For A Variety Of Reasons, Particularly Because Of Covid-19. This Book Includes Forty-five Short Plays That Show The Lighter Side Of Quarantine, Lockdown, And Social Distancing. The Virus Is Nothing To Laugh At, But These Plays Provide A Bit Of Levity In These Unprecedented And Stressful Times. Laughter, After All, Is The Best Medicine!

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No.28
78

This book is organized a little differently than most published collections of monologues. Each chapter is arranged in several sections:About the PlaywrightList of PlaysPlaywright InformationPerforming the MonologuesThe Monologues

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No.29
78

Spanish classical theater offers one of the most popular and vibrant dramatic repertoires ever produced in the West, with rich roles for both male and female parts. This dual-language anthology provides fresh monologues in both a comic and a tragic vein, in the original Spanish and a variety of verse and prose translations into English.\nThis volume is part of the Diversifying the Classics project at UCLA, which seeks to foster awareness and appreciation of the Hispanic Golden Age and give theater professionals the materials and tools to explore its rich tradition. For more information, visit the UCLA project on the web: http: //diversifyingtheclassics.humanities.ucla.edu.

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