About the Book:

In this thoughtfully curated collection, actors preparing for an audition or searching for quality scenes to hone their chops will find a wealth of contemporary material from American and British plays. Almost all of the works are from the year 2000 to the recent 2014 Broadway production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, chosen by professional acting teacher, director, and casting director J.V. Mercanti.

Along with covering the basics of how to match the best monologue to the actor and how to approach the rehearsal and performance of a piece, In Performance: Contemporary Monologues for Men and Women Late Thirties to Forties provides a synopsis of the plays, character descriptions, and lists of questions specific to each monologue that will direct the actor toward shaping a complex, honest, and thoughtful performance with a strong emotional connection, a clear arc, and playable actions. There is also a brief lesson on appropriate rehearsal behaviour and preparation.

What people say:

"Mercanti runs the reader through an intellectual and emotional gauntlet before the first monologue appears, offering advice for getting the most out of the pieces that come later. Breaking down monologues as part of a larger journey, encouraging analysis and exploration, even giving tips for how to handle yourself during the audition – Mercanti covers it all with the practiced hand of someone who knows what casting directors want." — San Francisco Book Review

About the Author:

J.V. Mercanti is the Head of Acting for the Musical Theater Program at PACE University in New York City. He served as the casting director on the Broadway revivals of Romeo & Juliet with Orlando Bloom and Cyrano de Bergerac with Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner. Prior to that, he spent many years as a casting associate for Roundabout Theatre Company working on numerous Broadway, Off-Broadway, and West End productions.