Product Description

This one-of-a-kind anthology features thirty-six hilarious short plays by major American playwrights and emerging new voices, all guaranteed to send readers and audiences into peals of laughter.

From the surrealistic wit of Steve Martin's "The Zig-Zag Woman" to the biting political satire of Steven Dietz's "The Spot," from Christopher Durang's wonderfully loopy "Wanda's Visit" to Shel Silverstein's supremely twisted "The Best Daddy," there's something in here to make everyone laugh. There are plays for casts of all sizes, from monologues to large ensembles, with diverse and challenging roles for actors of every age and type. Even the titles are funny: Mark O'Donnell's "There Shall Be No Bottom (a bad play for worse actors)," Elaine May's "The Way of All Fish," and Alan Ball's "Your Mother's Butt." A bonanza for theatergoers, performers, and comedy fans, Laugh Lines will bring down the house.

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Love it        Rating:

I love this series of play collections - I own pretty much all of the books by these editors. I use them all the time to find good contemporary material I can perform for class and auditions. This is my most recent read, and there was some really fun stuff in it. I created a monologue from a character's dialogue in one of the plays, which I used for an acting showcase, and I got a LOT of laughs - dare I say the most laughs of the night. Anyway, these are enjoyable to read, fun to draw material from, and interesting to perform. Recommended.

great for audition pieces        Rating:

I got this book for my son, who is an acting student in a conservatory program. His summer assignment was to find a comic and dramatic monologue and this book has been invaluable. He has recommended it to several of his classmates, because the quality of the pieces is so strong. Shengold and Lane did an amazing job finding comic works. Bravo!

love it        Rating:

From the surreal to the silly, this collection is sublime. Shengold and Lane have delivered yet another delightful anthology. Highly recommended!
S. Harden

Well, *I* think they're very funny...        Rating:

... and so do a number of my students, to whom I've recommended this book as they look for material. Sure, I have my favorites among them -- and they don't ALL work for me -- but I think Shengold and Lane have done a real service by collecting off-beat and very hip material. I look at scene anthologies all the time, and this one is among the freshest and sharpest I know. If you're an actor looking for comic material, I recommend it highly!

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