111 One-Minute Monologues Book Review

The Ultimate Audition Book for Teens Volume XII  111 111 One-Minute Monologues: JUST OM!"#$ By Kristen Dabrowski

Reviewed by Scott Matthew Harris A collection of original comedic monologues for teenagers, author Kristen Dabrowskis 111 111 One-Minute Monologues: JUST OM!"# is !i""y and funny, although somewhat more hel"ful to girls seeking authentic material# $n her brief introduction, Dabrowski writes that as a "rofessional actor, she can em"athi!e with the difficulty young actors have in discovering monologues# After all, she reasons, most "lays are written for adults# She advises, %A monologue should be immediate, active, and fun# &ou &ou shouldnt mind having to say it over and over when youre "racticing, auditioning, or "erforming it#' Since each of the monologues in the book is no more than a minute or so long, her advice is well(taken# Additionally, Additionally, she gives ti"s to actors on choosing cho osing a monologue thats right right for them ) i#e# trusting your instincts, making it active, deciding what you want, who you are talking to, how you feel about that "erson, etc# *inally, she encourages young actors to make strong decisions, saying %commit to your choices, c hoices, dont hold back+' Dabrowski takes her own advice, offering a wealth of o f funny, honest, and o"inionated material for teenage girls in the o"ening o" ening half of the book# o"ics covered in the %*emale Monologues' section run the gamut from tongue("iercing and SA scores to  babysitting, regional accents, and the dreaded bad yearbook "hoto# -nfortunately, -nfortunately, the slightly dis"ro"ortional number of female monologues ./01 vs# male monologues .//1 seems indicative of the authors comfort !one# 2hile Dabrowskis voice is very real in the first section, the %Male Monologues' section at times seems a bit forced, with many of the monologues covering more stereoty"ical to"ics such as weight( lifting, s"orts, eating, etc#  3ot that these boy(centric issues arent valid, but where is the teenage boy who loves comic books4 5r the one who hel"s his grandfather4 5r the one o ne who wants to form a band4 $t seems as though Dabrowski could have a""lied a little more imagination to hel" readers with a & chromosome#  3ot that its its a com"lete wash# Several male monologues tackle less traditional traditional to"ics, and one entitled %3ice' is actually a funny res"onse6se7uel to a female monologue from earlier in the book# he whole section 8ust could have used a little more of this ins"iration# 5verall, teenage actors would do well to check out this book for a comedic monologue# 9irls may 8ust have an easier time finding one# Smith and Kraus :ublishers, ;anuary , "a"erback, ? "ages, @??#/#