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The Actor's Book of Classical Monologues: More Than 150 Scenes from the Golden Age of Greek Drama, the Age of Shakespeare, the Restoration and the 18th Century
A challenging, wide-ranging collection of monologues from history’s greatest dramatic works
From the stately and poetic Greek tragedies to the lively, bawdy Restoration comedies, the classical repertoire is a treasure trove of often-overlooked materials for male and female, young and old. The solo pieces collected here vary widely in mood, style, and level of challenge; they include a generous supply of Shakespeare and his contemporaries; and they’re fleshed out with brief plot synopses and valuable historical material. Stefan Rudnicki, an accomplished actor, director, and teacher, also provides practical tips on preparing each scene for audition or performance. Among the playwrights whose works are included
Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euridipes
Aristophanes
Shakespeare
Tourneur
Kyd
Middleton
Jonson
Sheridan
Dryden
Congreve
…and many others.
From the stately and poetic Greek tragedies to the lively, bawdy Restoration comedies, the classical repertoire is a treasure trove of often-overlooked materials for male and female, young and old. The solo pieces collected here vary widely in mood, style, and level of challenge; they include a generous supply of Shakespeare and his contemporaries; and they’re fleshed out with brief plot synopses and valuable historical material. Stefan Rudnicki, an accomplished actor, director, and teacher, also provides practical tips on preparing each scene for audition or performance. Among the playwrights whose works are included
Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euridipes
Aristophanes
Shakespeare
Tourneur
Kyd
Middleton
Jonson
Sheridan
Dryden
Congreve
…and many others.
314 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
7 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Stefan Rudnicki
1,005 books54 followers"I love recording audiobooks. I didn't know that I would."
When one's passion and profession is storytelling, imagine the wonderful stories one can tell. Stefan Rudnicki is one of the best audiobook narrators around. And it seems that each part of his career has in fact prepared him to be just that.
Rudnicki has narrated more than 300 audiobooks. His career path has taken him to many locations and provided him with varied opportunities--all of which he brings to his current position as an award-winning audiobook narrator, producer, and director. He was born in Krakow, Poland, and has lived in Stockholm, Montreal, New York City, and Los Angeles. He was educated principally at Columbia University and the Yale School of Drama, and has taught at New York University and Dartmouth College, among others. He notes that his work as an educator informs his preparations as an audiobook performer.
Being a skilled actor doesn't hurt either. He has been in 80 stage productions on both coasts and abroad--Yale Repertory Theatre, Circle in the Square, Knightsbridge Theatre, the Edinburgh International Festival, and more--as well as more than a dozen movies.
Are audio performers actors, narrators, or storytellers? Rudnicki considers himself a storyteller first. "All three of these things must be happening, but the storytelling comes first. It's simply a matter of creating a rapport with the story and with the author and, ideally, a rapport with your audience--with your listener. Then comes the acting part, and--whether it's fiction or nonfiction, whether there are multiple characters or a first-person protagonist--there's a performance-acting element that comes into play when you have to turn an author's words into something that has lasting performance value. I treasure that."
He particularly likes the immediacy of recording audiobooks. "I enjoy the fact that I can do a book, send it off, and it's out there fairly soon. Then you're moving on to the next book. You're into another kind of material, a different author, a different genre, a different performance level, and that to me is exciting-- to keep shifting and learning."
Does Rudnicki have a favorite audiobook among the hundreds he has recorded? "I have a few of them--almost by genre. Over the last two to three years, I've been getting assignments and authors whose books are more challenging. I'm getting trickier assignments that casting producers know I can figure out. Currently, the Acts of Caine series by Matthew Stover is one of my favorites, and I've recorded four of them for Audible. They're a genuine hybrid between fantasy and science fiction."
He notes that these books are written by a talented writer who, at times, uses a difficult made-up language. "I've been able to find my pace and flow through it. These books, with their philosophical excursions and diversions, entertain me so much while I'm recording them. I'm incredibly proud of the work I've done with them."
Rudnicki has worked on hundreds of audiobooks in his various roles as producer, director, and narrator. His deep, rich baritone is among the most recognizable voices in audio today, and his ability to speak Polish, Russian, or any number of Eastern European dialects and accents makes him especially valuable to audiobook producers. He has received numerous awards, including a Grammy (Best Children's Album, 1999--THE CHILDREN'S SHAKESPEARE), a Bram Stoker Award, a Ray Bradbury Award, many Audie Awards, and numerous Earphones Awards from AudioFile. Recently, he was nominated for another Grammy as producer of Through the Looking Glass, narrated by Harlan Ellison.
Stefan Rudnicki believes that predicting the future of audiobooks is a difficult task. "I couldn't begin to make a guess what the future of audiobooks will be. Everything from delivery formats to the dynamics of publishing is changing."
What is predictable is that he will remain a fascinating storyteller.
"I want the listener to be
When one's passion and profession is storytelling, imagine the wonderful stories one can tell. Stefan Rudnicki is one of the best audiobook narrators around. And it seems that each part of his career has in fact prepared him to be just that.
Rudnicki has narrated more than 300 audiobooks. His career path has taken him to many locations and provided him with varied opportunities--all of which he brings to his current position as an award-winning audiobook narrator, producer, and director. He was born in Krakow, Poland, and has lived in Stockholm, Montreal, New York City, and Los Angeles. He was educated principally at Columbia University and the Yale School of Drama, and has taught at New York University and Dartmouth College, among others. He notes that his work as an educator informs his preparations as an audiobook performer.
Being a skilled actor doesn't hurt either. He has been in 80 stage productions on both coasts and abroad--Yale Repertory Theatre, Circle in the Square, Knightsbridge Theatre, the Edinburgh International Festival, and more--as well as more than a dozen movies.
Are audio performers actors, narrators, or storytellers? Rudnicki considers himself a storyteller first. "All three of these things must be happening, but the storytelling comes first. It's simply a matter of creating a rapport with the story and with the author and, ideally, a rapport with your audience--with your listener. Then comes the acting part, and--whether it's fiction or nonfiction, whether there are multiple characters or a first-person protagonist--there's a performance-acting element that comes into play when you have to turn an author's words into something that has lasting performance value. I treasure that."
He particularly likes the immediacy of recording audiobooks. "I enjoy the fact that I can do a book, send it off, and it's out there fairly soon. Then you're moving on to the next book. You're into another kind of material, a different author, a different genre, a different performance level, and that to me is exciting-- to keep shifting and learning."
Does Rudnicki have a favorite audiobook among the hundreds he has recorded? "I have a few of them--almost by genre. Over the last two to three years, I've been getting assignments and authors whose books are more challenging. I'm getting trickier assignments that casting producers know I can figure out. Currently, the Acts of Caine series by Matthew Stover is one of my favorites, and I've recorded four of them for Audible. They're a genuine hybrid between fantasy and science fiction."
He notes that these books are written by a talented writer who, at times, uses a difficult made-up language. "I've been able to find my pace and flow through it. These books, with their philosophical excursions and diversions, entertain me so much while I'm recording them. I'm incredibly proud of the work I've done with them."
Rudnicki has worked on hundreds of audiobooks in his various roles as producer, director, and narrator. His deep, rich baritone is among the most recognizable voices in audio today, and his ability to speak Polish, Russian, or any number of Eastern European dialects and accents makes him especially valuable to audiobook producers. He has received numerous awards, including a Grammy (Best Children's Album, 1999--THE CHILDREN'S SHAKESPEARE), a Bram Stoker Award, a Ray Bradbury Award, many Audie Awards, and numerous Earphones Awards from AudioFile. Recently, he was nominated for another Grammy as producer of Through the Looking Glass, narrated by Harlan Ellison.
Stefan Rudnicki believes that predicting the future of audiobooks is a difficult task. "I couldn't begin to make a guess what the future of audiobooks will be. Everything from delivery formats to the dynamics of publishing is changing."
What is predictable is that he will remain a fascinating storyteller.
"I want the listener to be
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 27, 2013
I'm a little disappointed with the selection of Classical scenes; the translations are fluffy, the tragedies represented are obvious and there is only one comedic scene presented. The selection may be good for a high school introduction to the Greeks, but if you're looking for something of a higher caliber, the selection left something to be desired....
The Shakespearean scenes may be on the fluffier side but at least they run the gambit from the bard's portfolio. I found myself craving the meatier parts of Desdemona and Lady Macbeth, but alas, my hunger went unsatisfied. There's quite a bit more included in the Shakespeare contemporaries section that I would have expected and was surprisingly pleased...
The Restoration section mostly deals with the hard hitters like Wycherley and Dryden, but that's really all you need from that time period if you ask my opinion.
This seems like a good overview for both teachers and students alike. There are small introductions to the eras and a light overview to the plays before each section, so you don't necessarily have to drag out supplemental reading to refresh your memory on The Duchess of Malfi. However, because the scenes have to be taken at face-value, some of the juicer pieces are left by the wayside to make room for the more clear and concise pieces. I would recommend this to those who are looking to build their libraries, but if you want the be-all, end-all of scene books, you'll have to keep looking.
The Shakespearean scenes may be on the fluffier side but at least they run the gambit from the bard's portfolio. I found myself craving the meatier parts of Desdemona and Lady Macbeth, but alas, my hunger went unsatisfied. There's quite a bit more included in the Shakespeare contemporaries section that I would have expected and was surprisingly pleased...
The Restoration section mostly deals with the hard hitters like Wycherley and Dryden, but that's really all you need from that time period if you ask my opinion.
This seems like a good overview for both teachers and students alike. There are small introductions to the eras and a light overview to the plays before each section, so you don't necessarily have to drag out supplemental reading to refresh your memory on The Duchess of Malfi. However, because the scenes have to be taken at face-value, some of the juicer pieces are left by the wayside to make room for the more clear and concise pieces. I would recommend this to those who are looking to build their libraries, but if you want the be-all, end-all of scene books, you'll have to keep looking.
Displaying 1 of 1 review