The Best Men's Stage Monologues and Scenes, 2012

Every year, there are new editions of books of monologs and scenes, or of new plays, and none of them really offer up any surprises. This slim volume of men's monologs stays true to that party line, with editor Harbison (The Best 10 Minute Plays; The Best Women's Monologues) picking a few obvious choices: The Mountain and Hurt Village by Katori Hall; The Motherfucker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis; two selections from The Hallway Trilogy by Adam Rapp; and works by José Rivera, Carson Kreitzer, and Jacquelyn Reingold added for flavor, it seems. These old guard plays are presented along with some honest-to-goodness new playwrights, which is refreshing. The stated goal here is to serve "younger performers (teens through 30s)," but there is little here that is appropriate high school fare. Many of the monologs point to an angst and world-weariness best accomplished by twenty- and thirtysomethings who have already seen everything.This collection of women's roles features quite a few monologs that are beyond stellar, with a balance of hastily slapped-together pieces that seem intended for women who are only casually sane. Harbison, who previously worked with Samuel French Inc. acquiring new plays for the publisher, seems to be under the impression that any scene where a woman talks for about a page means it is a great monolog, but he may just be working with what the off-Broadway scene gave him this year, which is sad in and of itself. There are still great pieces buried in the collection. Cut by Crystal Skillman offers up a good monolog and scene, as does Merridith Allen's Sex Curve. Katori Hall's Hurt Village and The Mountaintop, David Lindsay-Abaire's Good People, and Carson Kreitzer's Flesh and the Desert also stand out as diamonds in the rough.