About the Book:

Attention all actors. Master teacher Jerry Blunt selected the best audition speeches ever written and they're all under one cover. An Audition Handbook of Great Speeches contains 129 of the greatest speeches by the greatest playwrights of every theatrical period – from farce to tragedy, from classical Greek and Shakespeare to modern realism.

Special features of An Audition Handbook of Great Speeches include meaningful descriptions of the cultural seedbeds of each period that produced the plays and their authors. New actable (non-academic) translations of The Greek, of Molière, of Northern European, and of Russian playwrights. All of this offered as audition and study material for that crucial part of every player's life – the solo performance. The biggest book value on earth for anyone in the theatre.

What people say:

"Jerry Blunt's An Audition Handbook of Great Speeches is an essential compilation of great soliloquies, monologues, and speeches with which every actor and actress should be intimate. It is the book for which we've all been waiting and will be required reading in our programs." — Sanford Robbins, Director of Training for Professional Theatre Training Program, University of Delaware

"Here at last is a useful and inspiring approach to the great speeches. The Greek translations are compelling and so actable – what a relief from the stodgy old academic translations. It's packed with information. As a vocal coach, I recommend this to all actors who are serious about the theatre." — Jan Gist, Professor of Voice and Speech, Cal State University, Resident Voice and Speech Coach at The Old Globe

About the Author:

Jerry Blunt (1907-1992) helped found the drama department at Los Angeles City College (LACC). A former chairman of the drama department, he was a popular teacher for 42 years. His students have won Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Pulitzer Prizes.