In this thoughtfully curated collection, teen actors preparing for an audition or searching for quality scenes to hone their chops will find a wealth of contemporary material from American and British plays. Almost all of the works are from the year 2000 to the recent 2014 Broadway production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time , chosen from the point of view of a professional acting teacher, director, and casting director. Along with covering the basics of how to match the best monologue to the actor and how to approach the rehearsal and performance of the piece, the book provides a synopsis of each play, a character description, and a list of questions specific to each monologue that will direct the actor toward shaping a complex, honest, and thoughtful performance that has a strong emotional connection, a clear arc, and playable actions. There is also a brief lesson on appropriate rehearsal behavior and preparation. ''This collection includes twenty-nine monologues each for male and female teen parts all taken from contemporary plays (within the past twenty years). Many of the monologues represent minor characters in the play they come from good practice in taking every role seriously, not just the leads. Each monologue is accompanied by a synopsis of the play it comes from, description of the character, given circumstances at the beginning of the monologue, and a list of questions to help the young actor understand and flesh out the character. Apparently edgy contemporary theater is not my thing, so few of the monologues held much appeal to me, but the brief introductory material covers a wealth of information. It goes over how to select and prepare the monologue, what to expect the day of the audition, and even practical tips on how to behave professionally at rehearsals once you have secured a part. It is written in the tone of a seasoned professional mentoring someone less experienced, but still a professional. This is a great reference for any teen (or new adult) seriously looking to work in theater.'' --Randy-Lynne Wach, San Francisco Book Review ''Thoroughly 'teen friendly' in organization and presentation, ''In Performance: Contemporary Monologues for Teens'' is strongly recommended for the personal reading lists of aspiring teen actors, as well as a core addition for highschool theatre department supplemental studies curriculums, community theatre reference collections, and community library Theatrical Arts instructional resource shelves. --MBR Bookwatch JV Mercanti (New York City) is currently the director of acting for the musical theater program at Pace University's School of the Arts. He served as the casting and associate director on the recent Broadway revival of Romeo and Juliet with Orlando Bloom. He also cast the Kevin Kline revival of Cyrano de Bergerac , co-starring Jennifer Garner. Prior to that, he spent many years as a casting associate for Roundabout Theatre Company, working on numerous Broadway, Off-Broadway, and West End productions. Most recently, he directed the premier of “ World Famous ” at Theater for the New City. JV is currently developing a new country-and-western adaptation of The Seagull , titled Songbird , with book by Michael Kimmel and music/lyrics by Lauren Pritchard. His MFA is from Rutgers University, BA from NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Studies. JV spent two years teaching acting and directing at the University of Miami. His monologue book series, In Performance, is published by Applause Books. He is currently the artistic director of Apothecary Theatre Company. Visit: www.jvmercanti.com