The Actor’s Scenebook: Scenes and Monologues from Contemporary Plays

Here is wonderful, up-to-date material for scene study, selected from the best plays from recent theater seasons.

More than 20 monologues for both men and women, carefully chosen to display the widest range of dramatic ability, are essential for auditioning actors. A large selection of parts for woman provide exciting opportunities to sharpen acting skills in roles that brought accolades from New York's toughest critics. More than 80 scenes in all, many previously unpublished, allow every actor, professional, amateur or student, to choose from either smart, sassy, often outrageous comedy or deeply moving drama--a unique, balanced collection of the most successful contemporary plays.

Having taught acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and at The Actors Studio, Michael Schilman now teaches at his own workshop in New York City. He has also written and directed a number of plays for Off and Off-Off Broadway theatre. He is director of The British-American Acting Academy, a school with braches in New York and London, dedicated to the synthesis of the best of British and American acting techniques. He is also chairman of the theatre department of The Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts. In addition to his theatrical career, he is a clinical and research psychologist who has held assistant professorship at Fordham and Rutgers universities. His Ph.D. is from the City University of New York.

Eva Mekler is both a playwright and former actress who has performed on and off Broadway. Trained in psychology, with master’s degree from New York University, she devides her time between her work as a clinician and writing. She is also editor of The new Generation of Acting Teachers.