Finding Scenes and Monologues
The library has many books on acting, as well as books of plays, monologue collections, and individual play scripts. Use the search box on the library homepage to find additional resources. Some keywords that you might want to use when searching include: "monologue" or "acting-auditions."
Listed below are just a few selected resources, including online databases and books available in the library.
- New Play ExchangeNew Play Exchange is the world's largest digital library of scripts by living writers.
- Drama Online
Drama Online is an award-winning digital library of nearly 4,000 playtexts, over 700 hours of video, over 400 audio plays, and over 500 books of criticism and performance practice from leading theatre publishers and companies. UIC subscribes to the Core Collection and Critical Studies & Performance Practice.
- Backstage: MonologuesUse Backstage as a resource to find dramatic and comedic monologues to assist you in preparing for auditions. The Monologuer contains classical and contemporary monologues from plays. Use the filters to find the monologues perfect for you: search by author, gender, and theme.
**Please note: Full-text plays are not available via this resource. When you find a relevant play, search for it by title in the UIC Library Catalog or request it via Inter-Library Loan. Feel free to reach out to a librarian if you need assistance.**
Contemporary Monologues for Women by Call Number: PN2080 .C6483 2014ISBN: 9781780013794Publication Date: 2014-03-06
Contemporary Monologues for Men by Call Number: PN2080 .C6482 2014ISBN: 1854595636Publication Date: 2014-09-02- Monologues for Latino/a Actors byCall Number: PN2080 .M5365 2014ISBN: 9781575258850Publication Date: 2014-06-01
The Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors by Call Number: PN2080 .O24 2013ISBN: 9781783190577Publication Date: 2014-04-29
Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors: Monologues for Women by ISBN: 1474229255Publication Date: 2016-06-30
Technique and Craft
Professional Resources
- Actors' EquityActors' Equity is the labor union representing American actors and stage mangers working in theatre.
- Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA)SAG-AFTRA is the union representing actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals.