The Ultimate Audition Book for Teens Volume XII

111 One-Minute Monologues: JUST OM!"#$

By Kristen Dabrowski
Reviewed by Scott Matthew Harris
A collection of original comedic monologues for teenagers, author Kristen
Dabrowskis 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 shouldnt
mind having to say it over and over when youre "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, she gives ti"s to actors on choosing a monologue thats 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, dont hold back+'
Dabrowski takes her own advice, offering a wealth of funny, honest, and
o"inionated material for teenage girls in the 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, the slightly dis"ro"ortional number of female monologues ./01 vs#
male monologues .//1 seems indicative of the authors comfort !one# 2hile Dabrowskis
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 arent valid, but where is the teenage boy who
loves comic books4 5r the one who hel"s his grandfather4 5r the one 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 its a com"lete wash# Several male monologues tackle less 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, @??#A/#