Great one-man plays?
Great one-man plays?
aces25
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/13/04
#2re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/28/08 at 11:39pm
I Am My Own Wife is the best.
Read it now.
WRECKS is okay, but kind of slow. A TERRIFIC premise, but mediocre execution.
I've never read or seen CONFESSIONS OF A MORMON BOY, but its supposed to be great.
Bobby Maler
Featured Actor Joined: 1/8/07
#2re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 1:06am
Sure, there are many. "Fever" by Wallace Shawn is one of my favorites, also "Freak" by John Leguizamo, and "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life..." by Lily Tomlin. Also check out Eric Bogosian's work.
#3re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 1:13am
I haven't read/seen any of these, but some (semi-)famous titles include:
THOM PAIN: BASED ON NOTHING
THE SANTALAND DIARIES
AN ALMOST HOLY PICTURE
MARK TWAIN TONITE!
BARRYMORE
THE TRICKY PART
#4re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 1:55am
SHIRLEY VALENTINE is one of the few one-character pieces that I consider to be an actual "play."
Of course, it is a one-WOMAN play, so I'm not sure if falls under the heading of this thread.
What great ones do the less will prattle of
Updated On: 9/29/08 at 01:55 AM
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#5re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 7:12am
The Santaland Diaries - David Sedaris
Krapp's Last Tape - Samuel Beckett
Medea Redux/Iphigenia in Orem - Neil LaBute
#6re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 8:46amHow about a one-man musical? HERRINGBONE is being performed this fall in Princeton with B.D.Wong - and hopefully will find its way to NYC.
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Bobby Maler
Featured Actor Joined: 1/8/07
#7re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 12:23pm
Ooh yeah, I second Shirley Valentine. That's great. Another fun One woman show that's done a lot is Theresa Rebeck's Bad Dates.
Thom Paine is a little esoteric..but totally original. Give us a better indication of your tastes/ what you're looking for.
nickatnight
Understudy Joined: 3/13/04
#9re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 12:34pmone-man or one-woman plays are half of a good idea...
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#10re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 12:41pmPounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead by Eric Bogosian and Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll by Bogosian.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#11re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 12:42pmThe Only Worse Thing You Could Have Told Me...played in 1995 off Broadway written by and starring Dan Butler. Greg Louganis replaced him during the run. This was also directed by the brilliant Randy Brenner. I think it should be revived...
regnad kcin
Leading Actor Joined: 8/26/05
#13re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 12:50pm
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned "Belle of Amhearst" about Emily Dickinson. It may forever be linked to Julie Harris wonderful performance, but it is a very good play.
Actually the author of it, William Luce, has made something of a career of writing one actor plays about famous people. He also wrote plays about Isak Dinesen, Lillian Hellman, and I believe that he wrote the aforementioned Barrymore.
"A coherent existance after so many years of muddle" - Desiree' Armfelt, A Little Night Music
"Life keeps happening everyday, Say Yes" - 70, Girls, 70
"Life is what you do while you're waiting to die" - Zorba
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#14re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 12:57pm
One woman plays:
NEAT and PRETTY FIRE by Charlayne Woodard.
#15re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 1:40pm
I second BELLE OF AMHERST
AT LIBERTY
any of the TALKING HEADS monologues...
2blocksfrombway
Understudy Joined: 2/8/07
#16re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 1:54pmI saw a really entertaining one man play at the Stoneham Theatre in Boston last year called ANTOINE FEVAL. It's about this naive guy in turn of the century England who gets hoodwinked by this serial burgler into assisting him with his robberies. The naive guy is obsessed with Shelock Holmes, so he thinks the robber is a brilliant detective trying to track down the burgler. (Sorry, my synopsis was not very good and doesn't do the play justice.) :) but the play was very funny and entertaining. The actor (Tom Sourada, I had to look it up in my program) was brilliant! His physical comedy and loving connection to the audience really enhanced the material. I was blown away by his performance. (I think it was originally done at some fringe festival by a British comedian. Edinborough maybe?)
NYC_or_Bust
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/8/05
#17re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 2:03pm700 Sundays
I adore the black band holding on the Phantom's mask. ~ Jenna2
perfectliar
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/1/04
Vespertine1228
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/30/05
#19re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 9/29/08 at 5:44pm
Fully Committed by Becky Mode is a popular one among community and regional theaters. It's about a guy trying to make all the reservations at a fancy restaurant. It's very funny with the right actor in the part. I'd definitely check that out.
Also, if Another American: Asking and Telling was ever published, check that out too. It's one man performing various interviews with gay people who were in the military. Really great. It has the same structure as I Am My Own Wife where one guy plays the interviewer and the subject and a bunch of other people.
Rockyrocks666
Swing Joined: 10/25/17
#20re: Great one-man plays?
Posted: 2/24/18 at 9:11am
BLEACH by Dan Ireland-Reeves
AWKWARD CONVOSATIONS WITH ANIMALS IVE F**KED by Rob Hayes
Two great one-man shows by British writers
Emmaloucbway
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/16/11
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