Coaching the reader through each stage of the creative journey, this is the first book that shows actors how to write successful monologues, performance-art pieces, and one-person plays. The writing process is explained in easy-to-follow steps, from getting started, to expanding and tightening dialogue, developing character, editing and rewriting, rehearsing the final piece, and playing to audiences. Included are interviews with seasoned pros, techniques for marketing and promoting solo shows, and information about artists' communities, competitions, and grants. Glenn Alterman, an award-winning actor and prolific writer for stage and screen, is the author of Promoting Your Acting Career and several other helpful books for thespians. He lives in New York. Beginning with a brief history of the one-person show, the author, himself an accomplished playwright, screenwriter, and actor, has written a comprehensive manual for anyone interested in preparing and producing their own solo performance piece. Chapters cover how to begin writing your own monolog, different types of solo material, fundamentals of a good monolog, creating characters and rehearsing, and performing and marketing your show. Included are samples of monologs and interviews with performance artists and directors, among them Quentin Crisp, Penny Arcade, Spalding Gray, Danny Hoch, and Kate Clinton. Useful appendixes cover lists of artists' colonies, theaters that accept solo material, publishers, competitions, agents, and tips on applying for grants. Well organized and clearly written, this book can be recommended for public, high school, and academic libraries. -Howard E. Miller, Rosary H.S., St. Louis Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.