One on One: Playing with a Purpose

One on One: Playing with a Purpose (Monologues for Kids Ages 7-15). Edited by Stephen Fife, Bob Shuman, Eloise Rollins-Fife, and Marit Shuman. Applause Acting Series. Softcover. 248 pages. Published by Applause Books.

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 Playground, the Los Angeles-based training center run by Gary Spatz, the leading acting coach for performers ages 6 to 16.

“Playing with a purpose” is an idea that arose from Fife's work with young actors over the course of several decades. The included monologues have been chosen and arranged to allow for a young actor's development. From “Getting Started: Simple Situations and Circumstances” to “Intermediate: Adding Elements of Character” to “Advanced: Character Counts,” each chapter includes pieces that will test the young actor's ability, while making use of the lessons presented in each.