Suggested Steps for Finding Monologues and Plays
- Find a monologue using the reference works listed below. The most useful books are The Ultimate Scene and Monologue Sourcebook Reference PN 2080 .H6 2007 and Smith and Kraus Monologue Index(s) Reference PN 2080 .S6 1995 & Reference PN 2080 .S6 1999 Plays owned by the library are denoted in the table of contents with a check mark or call number. You can also use the website *Actorama.com to identify monologues.
- Note the name of the play in which the monologue is included.
- Use the Library Catalog to search for plays by title. Request the title in the catalog; it will be delivered to the library within 48 hours. You can also go directly to the Library Annex, OCC - 135 to pick up your items. Please bring the title and call number of the item with you. Also check the I-Share and Worldcat catalogs. Items found in these catalogs can be requested through Interlbrary loan.
How to find Monologues
If you need to find both a monologue and the entire script of the play, you will have to identify the monologue first and then find the play.
Reference Works
The following works give an overview of monologues and indicate if the Library owns the play.
- The Ultimate Scene and Monologue Sourcebook Reference PN 2080 .H6 2007
Over 1,000 monologues and scenes from more than 300 contemporary plays. In the table of contents check marks have been placed next to titles of plays that the library owns.
- Smith and Kraus Monologue Index Reference PN 2080 .S6
In addition to finding plays by the categories in the other sources you may also find them by nationality, geographic area, profession, and situation. The time period of the monologue is defined. Plays will be prior to 1997. In the table of contents the call number for monologues owned by the library have been noted. The name of the play is at the bottom of the entry.
- Actor's Guide to Monologues Reference PN 2080 .G78 1974
Guide for finding monologues for men and women by category: classic or modern, serious or comic, and age of character. Gives name of character, title of play, author of play, act and scene, length, and first line. Note: these will be plays prior to 1974.
- Guide to Monologues Men Reference PN 2080 .G84 1988
Guide for finding monologues for men by category: classic or modern, serious or comic, and age of character. Gives name of character, title of play, author of play, act and scene, length, and first line. Note: these will be plays prior to 1988.
- Guide to Monologues Women Reference PN 2080 .G85 1988
Guide for finding monologues for women by category: classic or modern, serious or comic, and age of character. Gives name of character, title of play, author of play, act and scene, length, and first line. Note: these will be plays prior to 1988.
- Play Index Reference PN 1621 .P5x
Useful for findings plays by subject, author, or title. Particularly useful for locating plays in collections. There is a listing of monologues although there is no breakdown of the type or character. Part two is an index by cast.
- Ottemiller’s Index to Plays in Collections Full-length plays written in English and published between 1900 and 2000. Plays are indexed by title, author, and anthology title.
Use Web Sites
- Actorama.com
Use Actorama to locate monologues by type: comic. dramatic, serio-comic. Click on Monologues and Scenes to get an advanced search that allows for greater specificity. Monologues from plays that are still under copyright (1923-present) will only give you the opening line. You will need to search for the entire play using the methods below.
How to Find Plays
Library Catalogs
Use the catalogs below to locate plays
- C.O.D Library Catalog
Contains items in the C.O.D Library only.
- Do a title search
For example: Angels in America.
This will only retrieve your play if it is the exact title of the book also. Many times plays are located in collections like Twenty Modern Plays by Women. Also plays in translation may have the titles translated different ways. Even English language plays can have different titles. For example, King Lear might be King Lear or the Tragedy of King Lear or William Shakespeare's King Lear. See below for other ways to search.
- Do an author search
For example: Miller, Arthur
You will see individual titles as well as anthologies with titles like, The Collected Works of Arthur Miller.
- Do a keyword search
For example: death of a salesman.
This isn't a true keyword search, but it will look for the phrase at the beginning of the title of a book, within the title of a book, and in table of contents notes. So this search not only turns up titles of individual books that begin death of a salesman, but also Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller's Collected Plays, and Plays for the Theatre: An Anthology of World Drama, which has plays by many different playwrights. Unfortunately, not all books have their table of contents listed, so if you still haven't found your play you will need to use Play Index, which was described above in the section on Reference Works.
- I-Share
Materials at 65 Illinois libraries. You may borrow directly from North Central College, Elmhurst College, Wheaton College and Benedictine. Please check the instructions on how to borrow from these libraries.
- Worldcat
A large number of US and some world libraries.
- Local libraries
Many public libraries collect plays. You will need a public library card; if you have one you can usually use it to borrow from other libraries in that system.
Research the Play
In addition to locating the play and learning and studying your lines you will want to do some research about the playwright, the setting of the play, and the characters in the play. This research will add immensely to your ability to interpret the character and bring him/her to life. Consult the Research Guide on Theatre Appreciation for suggestions on researching plays.
Ken Orenic, Reference Librarian
630.942.2338
orenick@cod.edu
Sept. 2012
Print
Send