This is Carolyn Gage's second volume of monologues and scenes for lesbian actors. Some of her characters are historical, and not always lesbian: actresses Nance O'Neil and Henrietta Vinton Davis, Alcoholics Anonymous pioneer Marty Mann, lighting designer Jean Rosenthal... and Lizzie Borden's maid! A fascinating companion to her first volume.
Finally! A book for lesbians who are tired of passing at auditions and in acting classes and workshops! Here at last, from one of the most talented and inventive contemporary playwrights, are twenty-five monologues and forty-five scenes by, for, and about lesbians.
LESBIAN & QUEER PLAYS FROM THE JANE CHAMBERS PRIZE edited by Maya E. Roth and Jennifer-Scott Mobley with a preface by Jill Dolan and an afterword by Sara Warner This volume, the first of two, gathers five plays from the history of the Jane Chambers Prize: UNSPEAKABLE ACTS by Mary F. Casey, FULL/SELF by Claire Chafee, THE SIEGELS OF MONTAUK by Meryl Cohn, A LIVE DRESS by MJ Kaufman and FEMMES by Gina Young. THE JANE CHAMBERS PRIZE recognizes plays and scripts for performance written by a woman that present a feminist perspective and significant roles for female performers. This annual award is given in memory of lesbian playwright Jane Chambers who, through her plays and activism became a major feminist voice in American theater. This publication is a collaboration between WTP and NoPassport Press.
"This Historical Dictionary of Lesbian Literature serves two primary functions: to provide further information to those already familiar with the field and to explain it to those discovering it for the first time. A chronology provides a historical perspective, an introduction gives a general yet detailed overview, and the dictionary contains several hundred cross-referenced entries on important writers such as Sappho, Colette, and Mary Wollstonecraft, styles, themes, literary movement, publishers, and outstanding works of the genre. Completed by an extensive bibliography, this book examines the factors influencing the development of the lesbian identity as an interaction between readers and writers of all kinds of literature."--BOOK JACKET.
Drawing on conversations with hundreds of women about their genitalia, the author presents a collection of performance pieces from her one-woman show of the same name.
Fourteen bold, dynamic, and daring women take the stage in this collection of women's lives and stories. Individually and collectively, these writers and performers speak the unspoken and perform the heretofore unperformed. The first section includes scripts and essays about performances of the lives of Gertrude Stein, Georgia O'Keeffe, Mary Church Terrell, Charlotte Cushman, Anaïs Nin, Calamity Jane, and Mary Martin. The essays consider intriguing interpretive issues that arise when a woman performer represents another woman's life. In the second section, seven performers--Tami Spry, Jacqueline Taylor, Linda Park-Fuller, Joni Jones, Terri Galloway, Linda M. Montano, and Laila Farah--tell their own stories. Ranging from narrrative lectures (sometimes aided by slides and props) to theatrical performances, their works wrest comic and dramatic meaning from a world too often chaotic and painful. Their performances engage issues of sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, loss of parent, disability, life and death, and war and peace. The volume as a whole highlights issues of representation, identity, and staging in autobiographical performance. It examines the links among theory and criticism of women's autobiography, feminist performance theory, and performance practice.
All actors and acting teachers need The Ultimate Scene and Monologue Sourcebook, the invaluable guide to finding just the right piece for every audition. The unique format of the book is ideal for acting teachers who want their students to understand each monologue in context. This remarkable book describes the characters, action, and mood for more than 1,000 scenes in over 300 plays. 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 includes the author’s own assessment of each monologue.
A brand-new collection of original audition pieces written by and for actors of colour, commissioned by Tamasha Theatre Company and edited by Titilola Dawudu, with a foreword by Noma Dumezweni. Hear Me Now is a unique collection of over eighty original audition monologues, expressly created by a range of award-winning writers brought together by producer Titilola Dawudu and Tamasha Theatre Company. They're ideal for actors of colour searching for speeches for auditions or training, writers, teachers, and theatre-makers who are passionate about improving diversity. The book provides varied, nuanced stories that expand beyond the range of existing material available – from a cross-dressing Imam, to the first Black Prime Minister, the British Indian girl with dreams of becoming a country music star, or the young Black boy who loves baking as much as football – Hear Me Now is an essential tool for actors of colour to showcase their range, and seeks to inspire, empower, and create a legacy for generations to come.