This year Smith and Kraus has decided to combine its annual best monologues and best scenes anthologies. The scenes included in this book are either for two men or for one man and one woman. The latter are scenes in which the male role is predominant.Here you will find a rich and varied selection of monologues and scenes from plays that were produced and/or published in the 2008–2009 theatrical season. Most are for younger performers (teens through thirties), but there are also some excellent pieces for men in their forties and fifties, and even a few for older performers. Some are comic (laughs), some are dramatic (generally, no laughs). Some are rather short, some are rather long. All represent the best in contemporary playwriting.Several of the monologues are by playwrights whose work may be familiar to you, such as Don Nigro, A. R. Gurney, Sam Bobrick, Terrence McNally, Adam Rapp, Steven Dietz, Itamar Moses, Stephen Belber, Keith Reddin, Naomi Iizuka, Michael Weller, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Richard Vetere, Bruce Graham, Jacquelyn Reingold, Sam Shepard, and Nicky Silver; others are by exciting up-and-comers like Octavio Solis, Lydia Stryk, Michael Vukadinovich, Liz Flahive, John Kolvenbach, Sylvia Reed, Barton Bishop, Padraic Lillis, Michael Golamco, and Lucy Thurber. The scenes are by master playwrights, such as Itamar Moses, Noah Haidle, Aguirre-Sacasa, and Silver, and by exciting new writers, such as Saviana Stanescu, E. M. Lewis, Jonathan Rand, Kolvenbach, Golamco, Larry Kunofsky, and Susan Bernfield.Foreword vii Monologues According to Goldman. Bruce Graham 2 Aloha Say the Pretty Girls. Naomi Iizuka 3 American Tet. Lydia Stryk 5 And the Winner Is. Mitch Albom 7 Back Back Back (2). Itamar Moses 9 Baggage. Sam Bobrick 13 Billboard. Michael Vukadinovich 15 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2). Jeffrey Hatcher. 16 Duck Hunter Shoots Angel. Mitch Albom 18 Equivocation. Bill Cain 19 Essential Self-defense. Adam Rapp 21 Fault Lines (2). Stephen Belber 22 50 Words. Michael Weller 25 From Up Here. Liz Flahive 27 Good Boys and True. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa 28 Henry and Ellen (2). Don Nigro 30 A House with No Walls. Thomas Gibbons 33 Human Error. Keith Reddin 34 Irena's Vow. Dan Gordon 36 Kicking a Dead Horse. Sam Shepard 38 King of Shadows. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa 39 Last of the Boys (2). Steven Dietz 41 A Light Lunch (2). A. R. Gurney 44 Love Song. John Kolvenbach 49 Lydia (2). Octavio Solis 50 Margo Veil. Len Jenkin 52 Marilyn Gets Ice Cream. Don Nigro 54 On an Average Day (2). John Kolvenbach 56 The Ones That Flutter. Sylvia Reed 59 Perfect Harmony. Andrew Grosso and The Essentials 60 Re-Sourcing (2). Laura Shamas 61 Runes (2). Don Nigro 63 Sedition (3). David Wiltse 67 Some Men (2). Terrence McNally 72 Something Intangible (2). Bruce Graham 75 Spare Change. Mia McCullough 76 Still the River Runs (3). Barton Bishop 77 Stretch. Susan Bernfield 80 There or Here. Jennifer Maisel 81 Three Changes. Nicky Silver 83 Three on a Couch. Carl Djerassi 84 The Tutor. Allan Havis 85 Two Thirds Home. Padraic Lillis 86 A Very, Very Short Play. Jacquelyn Reingold 89 The Vows of Penelope Corelli. Richard Vetere 90 Where We're Born. Lucy Thurber 92 Year Zero. Michael Golamco 93 Scenes Aliens with Extraordinary Skills. Saviana Stanescu 96 And the Winner Is. Mitch Albom 98 Back Back Back. Itamar Moses 101 Check Please: Take 3. Jonathan Rand 109 Fat Kids on Fire. Bekah Brunstetter 112 Good Boys and True. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa 115 Heads. E. M. Lewis 118 Margo Veil. Len Jenkin 122 On an Average Day. John Kolvenbach 124 Perfect Harmony. Andrew Gross and The Essentials 130 Saturn Returns. Noah Haidle 132 Stretch. Susan Bernfield 136 Three Changes. Nicky Silver 139 What to Do When You Hate All Your Friends. Larry Kunofsky 144 Year Zero. Michael Golamco 146 Rights and Permissions 149