Douglas M Parker

By the author of the best-selling books: Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors Fantasy Monologues for Young Actors Contemporary Scenes for Young ActorsContemporary Monologues for Young Actors 2 presents 54 original monologues created specifically for actors and acting students ages 7-14, and for the teachers, directors and acting coaches who work with them. Written by award-winning New York City playwright Douglas M. Parker, these refreshing monologues give younger actors the opportunity to have fun while exploring and expanding their acting abilities. Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors 2 offers: - 54 monologues with a wide variety of age-appropriate characters, emotions and situations- Performance pieces ranging from comedic to quirky to heartfelt- Pieces suitable for auditions, performance, or classroom use- Contemporary language and situations that young performers will find easy to relate to- Gender neutral writing, so every monologue can be performed by any actor- A selection broad enough to ensure that both slightly younger actors and slightly older actors will find monologues that appeal to themBelow are two monologues from the book: SECRETS You know the best thing about secrets? Everything. I'm serious. First you get to feel special because you know something that no one else knows. And then you get to feel special all over again when you tell everyone this awesome secret that no one else knows And yeah - I get that once you tell everyone something, it's not a secret anymore. But that's really kind of the point, isn't it? I mean, if you actually wanted to keep something secret, everyone knows I should be the last person you'd tell. Right? So yeah, anyone got any secrets they want to share? . . . Anyone? GOALS My father always tells me, "Sandy, it's good to have goals. First you set a goal for yourself. Then you accomplish it." And I totally agree with him. Like this morning, we had this math test in Mrs. Dugby's class. A really important math test. And I set myself the goal of not taking it. So as soon as they started passing out the test, I raised my hand and I said "Mrs. Dugby, may I be excused from the test?" And she said, "No." So I raised my hand again and I said, "Mrs. Dugby, what I meant to say was can I go to the bathroom?" And she said, "Just be quick about it. We'll wait. " Which didn't really help at all. So I raised my hand a third time and I said, "Mrs. Dugby? I mean I have to go to the bathroom because I feel sick." So she said, "Sick enough to take a make-up test tomorrow after school?" Which also was not helpful. So anyhow, this went on for probably longer than it should have. At least I'm guessing that's what Mrs. Dugby thought because now I have a new goal, which is to figure out how to not go to detention for the rest of the week. Turns out my dad was right. It's always good to have goals.

By the publisher of the best-selling Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors Contemporary Scenes for Young Actors features 34 fun, instantly involving scenes written specifically for actors aged 8-16, and for the teachers, directors and acting coaches who work with them. Contemporary Scenes provides young actors with the material they need to have fun while exploring a full spectrum of emotions, situations and relationships, ranging from the humorous to the heartfelt. With appealing, accessible scenes - written in contemporary language that doesn't talk down to student actors - Contemporary Scenes for Young Actors lets young performers connect with, have fun with and be challenged by every moment, line, character and situation. Suitable for classroom work and performance. This book contains: 34 scenes to challenge and excite acting studentsA broad variety of two and three-person scenesGender-neutral characters to provide ultimate flexibilityEmotional arcs and strong endings to challenge actors and keep audiences engagedA broad range of circumstances and emotions, from comedic to heartfelt to whimsicalMaterial that is ideal as short performance pieces and for use in the classroomAt Beat by Beat Press we're passionate about raising the bar on the quality of resources that are available for young actors and you'll find this book to be no exception. Our resources are used in over 75 countries, bringing joy and rewarding experiences to thousands of young performers every day.

By the author of the best-selling Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors Following the smash success of Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors, award-winning NYC playwright Douglas M. Parker has created a new volume of unique monologues that allows young actors to explore a broad range of characters, emotions and situations. Fantasy Monologues for Young Actors offers 52 fun, accessible and inventive monologues that will tap into every inch of an actor's creativity. Featuring appealing, instantly involving pieces ranging from the comedic to the heartfelt, every monologue is written in contemporary and accessible language. Created specifically for actors and acting students ages 7-14 and for the teachers, directors and acting coaches who work with them.. These monologues feature: A broad range of unique circumstances and emotions: comedic, inspirational, heartfelt, lonely, curious, etc. Gender-neutral, so every monologue could be performed by a boy or a girlEmotional arcs and strong outcomes to challenge your actors and keep audiences engagedModern day topics with contemporary language that really relate to kids todayPerfect for auditions, as short performance pieces and for use in the classroomHere are two sample monologues from the book: FLYINGThere's a scene in Peter Pan where Peter teaches the kids to fly. And the way he does it is, he tells them to think their happiest thoughts. And they do it, and they just start flying. I mean, it tells you right in the book how to do it So I thought - if they can fly, I bet I can too. So I just started thinking about all the things that made me the happiest. Like the day we picked up my new dog, Rex, from the kennel. And the day I beat my dad at chess - which is also known in my house as the day my dad let me beat him at chess. Or the time my sister gave me a birthday present, when it wasn't even my birthday. Or when my mom says she loves me. And by the time I was finished, even though I was still lying in my bed, I was flying so high I thought I'd never touch the ground again. And I could look down and see everyone and everything in my life and they were all looking up and smiling and waving back at me . . . I don't know if there really is a Peter Pan or an island filled with lost boys and pirates and Indians, but it doesn't matter. Because I know one thing for sure . . . I know how to fly. PAIL OF WATER(Your character is either Jack or Jill from the well-known nursery rhyme.)You make one mistake and people never forget it. Seriously. I mean, yeah, Jack or Jill] and me went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. And, yes, one of us fell down and broke his crown and yeah, yeah, the other one came tumbling after. And no - we did not bring back any water. We did not succeed in our mission. And, if I was to be totally honest, we also lost the bucket. But come on. It wasn't like we went up the hill to save the planet from an alien invasion. There wasn't a baby up there about to be eaten by a bear. It was water. We fell down. We didn't come back with a pail of water. Someone else got up out of their chair, got a bucket, climbed up the hill and fetched a pail of water. Big deal. Life will go on. And just to set the record straight, I am perfectly capable of fetching water. I personally have fetched hundreds of pails of water, both before that incident and after. So has Jack or Jill]. It was one time. Sheesh. Maybe it's time we all moved on.

Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors features 54 original monologues created specifically for actors and acting students ages 7-14 and for the teachers, directors and acting coaches who work with them. These refreshing monologues encompass a broad range of circumstances and emotions perfect for young actors seeking new material to explore - some of which will appeal to slightly younger actors and others of which will excite slightly older actors. Here are some of the features of this book: A broad range of circumstances and emotions, from comedic to heartfelt to quirkyEmotional arcs and strong endings to challenge actors and keep audiences engagedModern day topics with contemporary languageConvenient organization from "younger" to "older" as the book progressesIdeal for auditions, as short performance pieces or for use in the classroomThis resource was created by Beat by Beat Press, the same award-winning publisher of Teaching Drama: The Essential Handbook, a #1 best-seller on Amazon which has sold over 35,000 copies and has been translated into 5 languages. PLEASE NOTE: This is the only official volume of this title that has been tested and proven in thousands of classrooms around the world. Please check for the Beat by Beat logo before purchasing any similar products online to assure you're receiving the highest quality of material for young actors. Below are sample monologues from the book: SHARINGSome people think I don't like sharing, but that isn't true at all. I love sharing. I mean, what's not to love about being able to go up to someone and say, "Hey, can I have some of that candy?" And then they give you some Or, "Can I ride your bike for a while?" And then you get to ride their bike Sharing is awesome. Sometimes you have to be careful, though. Like if someone comes up to me and says, "Can I have one of your cookies?" Well, if I gave them a cookie, then I might not have any cookies left to share with other people and that would be, like, the opposite of sharing. So I have to say no. Because sharing is really important. SCOUTBefore we moved here, we had this big dog named Scout. Mom always said he was a total mutt, but I think he was also part collie. And maybe part golden retriever. But he was definitely at least half mutt. Scout was supposed to be the whole family's dog, but he was really mine. I mean, after school, it was me he would be waiting for. And when anyone threw his ball, I'm the one he always brought it back to. And at night, it was always my bed he slept in. But before we moved here, my Mom found out we weren't allowed to have any pets, so we had to give him away to my cousins. I don't really talk about it, but sometimes I dream about Scout. He's got his ball in his mouth and he's looking for me. And I'm saying, "Here, Scout. I'm right here." But he doesn't hear me, and he can't see me, and I'm saying, "I'm right here. Scout. I'm right here." And then, I don't know, I guess I wake up . . . I don't know if Scout dreams about me.

Candy Is dandy But liquor Is quicker. These inimitable lines could only have been written by Ogden Nash, the American nonpareil of light verse and one of the most remarkable figures in American letters. His keen grasp of human nature and a unique style of verse made him, in the mid-twentieth century, the most widely read and frequently quoted poet of his time. For years, readers have longed for a biography to match Nash's charm, wit, and good nature; now we have it in Douglas Parker's absorbing and delightful life of the poet. My garden will never make me famous, I'm a horticultural ignoramus, I can't tell a stringbean from a soybean, Or even a girl bean from a boy bean. Ogden Nash grew up in Savannah, Georgia, went to prep school in Newport, Rhode Island, dropped out of Harvard after his freshman year, and soon after started work as an editor with Doubleday. When he began publishing humorous poems in the New Yorker, and later when he worked at the magazine, he became part of the literary circle that included E. B. and Katharine White, Dorothy Parker, Harold Ross, and S. J. Perelman. He went on to publish more than two dozen books of verse as well as screenplays, lyrics and scripts for the theater, children's stories, and essays. Douglas Parker, who has had exclusive access to family letters and diaries, and permission to quote liberally from them and from Nash's poems, has written a warm and inviting biography of the poet who reveled in pure whimsy and wordplay, but who was applauded by his more serious contemporaries. With 12 black-and-white photographs.

His keen grasp of human nature and a unique style of verse made Ogden Nash, in the mid-twentieth century, the most widely read and frequently quoted poet of his time. For years, readers have longed for a biography to match Nash's charm, wit, and good nature; now we have it in Douglas Parker's absorbing and delightful life of the poet. Intelligent, informative, and engaging.... There is no comparable study not only of Nash's life but also of the role that poetry, especially comic verse, played in modern American literary culture.... A story long overdue in the telling. —Dana Gioia