(Applause Acting Series). Kids of today face a different world and a different set of challenges then did the children of even 15 years ago. Playing with a Purpose features a collection of monologues that reflects these new attitudes and circumstances. Highly diversified in its view of the family and the child's place in the world, the monologues have been chosen from several sources: from contemporary playwrights and screenwriters; from YouthPlays, a new company that specializes in publishing cutting-edge plays for the youth market; and from such conservatories for young actors as The...

(Applause Acting Series). While contemporary American culture may be fixated on youthful sex appeal, the truth is that the most complex and interesting characters in dramatic literature have been (and still are) those over 40 years old. Whether it's Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or Halie in Buried Child or Eve in The Good Body, the richest characters are those over 40, whose wealth of experience often helps little when it comes to making the difficult decisions. This volume will mine the deep and fertile vein of world drama (with an emphasis on lesser-known contemporary work) as it...

(Applause Acting Series). While contemporary American culture may be fixated on youthful sex appeal, the truth is that the most complex and interesting characters in dramatic literature have been (and still are) those over 40 years old. Whether it's James and Mary Tyrone in Long Day's Journey into Night or Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman or Polly Wyeth and her sister Silda in Other Desert Cities, the richest characters are those over 40, whose wealth of experience often helps little when it comes to making the difficult decisions. This volume will mine the deep and fertile vein of world...

A play about Van Gogh's life from the time he worked in the coal mines as an apprentice preacher through the time of his father's death. It's about family relationships, genius, passion and its toll both on the passionate artist and those around him.