About the Book:

Whether auditioning for graduate programs or professional productions, In Performance: Contemporary Monologues for Men and Women Late Twenties to Thirties is an indispensable collection of monologues for today's aspiring young actors. Not only are there dynamic monologues from contemporary stage plays, but J.V. Mercanti is a smart director, casting director and acting coach who includes helpful tips on auditioning and questions about the plays for actors to answer on their own.

Along with covering the basics of how best to match the monologue to the actor and how to approach the rehearsal and performance of the piece, this handy guide provides a synopsis of each play, character descriptions, and a list of questions specific to each monologue that will help actors develop complex, honest, and thoughtful performances with a strong emotional connection, a clear arc, and playable actions.

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.