Reference Books - TH141 - Acting One - LibGuides at Millikin University

Using Reference Books to Find a Monologue

There are several reference books in the library’s collection that can be helpful for finding a monologue.

These books fall into three main categories:

Monologue Reference Books- Use these to help you identify plays with monologues you may want to use
Playwright/Author Reference Books- Use these to help you identify authors you may be interested in
Play Reference Books- Use these to help you identify specific plays you may be interested in

Monologue Reference Books

Exceptional Monologues 1 for Men and Women by Roxane Heinze-Bradshaw (Editor); Katherine DiSavino (Editor)
Call Number: REF. PN2080.M6 E93 2010
ISBN: 9780573697975
Publication Date: 2010-03-22
Includes: Male Comedic Monologues, Female Comedic Monologues, Male Dramatic Monologues, and Female Dramatic Monologues. Call numbers are noted for those owned by Staley Library.
Exceptional Monologues 2 for Men and Women by Roxane Heinze-Bradshaw (Editor); Katherine DiSavino (Editor)
Call Number: REF. PN2080.M6 E934 2011
ISBN: 9780573699351
Publication Date: 2011-06-14
Includes: Male Comedic Monologues, Female Comedic Monologues, Male Dramatic Monologues, and Female Dramatic Monologues. Call numbers are noted for those owned by Staley Library.
The Smith and Kraus Monologue Index by Karen Morris (Editor)
Call Number: REF. PN2080 .S6 1995 (Ready Reference Area)
ISBN: 188039975X
Publication Date: 1995-05-01
An index to monologues, categorized for male and female roles and for: Contemporary-Dramatic, Contemporary-Seriocomic, Contemporary-Comic, Classic-Dramatic, Classic-Seriocomic, Classic-Comic, Ethnic/Nationality, Time Periods, Geographical Area, Professions, & Character Types/Situations. Call numbers are noted for those plays owned by Staley Library.
The Ultimate Monologue Index by Karen Morris (Editor)
Call Number: REF. PN2080 .S6 1999 (Ready Reference Area)
ISBN: 1575251833
Publication Date: 1999-05-01
Newest edition of the Smith and Kraus Monologue Index. An index to monologues, categorized for male and female roles and for: Contemporary-Dramatic, Contemporary-Seriocomic, Contemporary-Comic, Classic-Dramatic, Classic-Seriocomic, Classic-Comic, Ethnic/Nationality, Time Periods, Geographical Area, Professions, & Character Types/Situations. Call numbers are noted for those plays owned by Staley Library.
The Ultimate Scene and Monologue Sourcebook by Ed Hooks (Editor)
Call Number: REF. PN2080.H66 U485 2007
ISBN: 9780823099498
Publication Date: 2007-10-16
Covers over 300 plays. The first part of the book summarizes the plot of each play covered and provides a short analysis. The rest of the book consists of sections describing the following in those plays: Male Monologues, Female Monologues, Male/Male Scenes, Female/Female Scenes, Male/Female Scenes, Three-Person Scenes.

Author/Playwright Reference Books

American Playwrights since 1945 by Philip C. Kolin
Call Number: REF. PS350 .A53 1989
ISBN: 0313255431
Publication Date: 1989-01-23
Each author receives a lengthy entry, with assessment of their reputation, a list of their plays, a list of interviews with and essays about them, a summary of production history, and a survey of secondary sources.
American Women Playwrights, 1964-1989 : a research guide and annotated bibliography by Christy Gavin
Call Number: REF. PS338.W6 G381993
ISBN: 082403046X
Publication Date: 1993-03-01
For each author is listed selected plays, sources of biographical information, and sources of reviews.

Play Reference Books

Masterplots lists date of first publication, 500 Plays puts the production date in parenthesis and also has a “20^th century” section, The Crown Guide lists the date in the paragraphs, Banned Plays lists the date of writing or first production.

1/2/3/4 for the Show by Lewis W. Heniford
Call Number: REF. PN6120 .H46 1995
ISBN: 0810829851
Publication Date: 1995-10-24
Title index is organized by cast size and gender, for example: One-Male Plays, One-Female Plays, Three-Male-One-Female Plays, etc. Also includes an author index.
500 plays : plot outlines and production notes by Theodore Shank
Call Number: REF. PN6112.5 .S4
Publication Date: 1988
Describes plots of 500 plays, with notes on casting (for example: "6 women, 2 young charmers; 2 intermediate age; 2 older). Organized by nationality (American Drama, Russian Drama, etc.) and then by era (Twentieth Century, etc.)
Banned Plays: censorship histories of 125 stage dramas by Dawn B. Sova
Call Number: REF. PN2042 .S68 2004
ISBN: 0816040184
Publication Date: 2004-03-01
125 plays are covered. Includes a summary and information on original production, characters, filmed versions, censorship history, and list of further reading.
Broadway Musicals: Show by Show by Stanley Green; Kay Green
Call Number: REF. ML1711 .G735 2008
ISBN: 9781557837363
Publication Date: 2008-11-01
Organized by year and indexed by Show Title, Composer/Lyricist, Librettist, Director, Choreographer, Major Cast Members, and Theatre. Each entry includes basic information about the musical (cast, songs, director, producer, lyricist, composer, etc.) and a summary.
Masterplots II, Drama Series by Christian Hollis Moe (Editor); R. Kent Rasmussen (Editorial Coordinator); Christina J. Moose (Editorial Board Member); Dawn P. Dawson (Editor-In-Chief)
Call Number: REF. PN6112.5 .M37 2004
ISBN: 1587651165
Publication Date: 2003-09-01
Arranged by Play Title. Each entry includes information about the author, genre, time period, and locale of the play, a list of principal characters, and a thorough plot summary, with analysis of themes and meanings, dramatic devices, and critical context. Also includes notes on the first production and a list of further reading.
Play Index
Call Number: REF. PN2021 .P53
Publication Date: 1949-2007
Each volume includes: Author, Title and Subject Index; Cast Analysis; List of Collections Indexed. The author entry for a play is the most inclusive and contains: author, title, and publication information, a brief plot description, and a description of the number of acts and scenes, size and composition of the cast, and the number of sets required.

TH141 - Acting One: Reference Books

Using Reference Books to Find a Monologue

Monologue Reference Books

Author/Playwright Reference Books

Play Reference Books