Play the scene The ultimate collection of contemporary and classic scenes and monologues

Acting teacher Schulman (Lee Strasberg Theatre Inst.) and actress/playwright Meckler have assembled an excellent collection of (mostly) contemporary scenes and monologs, drawn from the likes of Steve Martin, Paula Vogel, George Bernard Shaw, and Margaret Edson. All of the scenes are for two characters, divided equally between those for one man and one woman and those for two men and two women. There is a similarly equal distribution of monologs for either sex. Taken individually, the scenes and monologs are full of the trials and tribulations of modern (and, occasionally, not-so-modern) life; they provide ample opportunity for the display of technique but not laugh-out-loud comedy, which is a mistake. As a whole, however, this collection deserves a place on the already groaning shelves of scenes and monologs because there is unique material here. Schulman's introduction should become a permanent part of every actor's toolbox and of every director's memory. Recommended for public and academic libraries.-Larry Schwartz, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Moorhead (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.