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Wozworld Guides to Research

Finding Monologues and Scenes at Cook Library

Use this guide to discover library tools to help you select scenes and monologues

Tools for Finding Monologues and Scenes

Cook Library has two different types of resources that are useful in locating scenes and monologues for

acting students.

The Play Index is a set of books in the library’s Reference collection that index plays by topic or cast

analysis.

The library also keeps a number of scene and monologue suggestion books in the Permanent

Reserve Collection at the Circulation Desk on the third floor of Cook Library.

Note: Both of these tools will guide you to lists of suggested plays and scenes – the actual text of the

monologue or scene is not always included in these books. In some cases, you will need to search for the

complete text of the play you need by using the library catalog.

Finding a Scene or Monologue Using the Permanent Reserve Collection

Step 1. Go to the 3rd floor library Circulation Desk and locate the reserve list binder.

Step 2. Turn to “T” section and find the page titled “Theater Department – Monologues and Scenes on

Permanent Reserve.” Examine the list of monologue and scene books kept on reserve and select one to

use.

Step 3. Request a title by giving the call number and title to the Circulation Desk staff member; they will

bring the title to you for a two-hour checkout period to use the book in the library. You need your TU

OneCard to complete this step.

Step 4. Depending on your need, use either scene or monologue indexes at back of the book to select a

play. First select a play genre (comedy, drama, etc.), then look for character type (age range, gender) to see

a list of recommended plays and scenes. The image below shows some suggestions for comedy scenes for

two male actors in the 20s.

Go to the play annotation section of the book to read about the monologue/scene and the play, itself. The

annotation will provide act/scene/line information and tell exactly when the scene/monologue begins and

ends within the play. Some titles will include the full text of the scene/monologue as well.

Prepared by Lisa Woznicki Revised: 10/23/2018 Page 2 of 2

Step 5. If the book you are using does not include scene/monologue full text, go to the library catalog to

search for the play by title.

Finding a Monologue or Scene using The Play Index Reference Volumes

Step 1. Go to the Reference Collection (3rd floor) and look for volumes of The Play Index under call number

REF PN1657.A11.P5 and select a year to investigate.

Step 2. Look at either the Cast Analysis section (plays grouped by gender & number of characters) or the

Subject/Title/Playwright listing (plays grouped by subject headings) for titles.

Look at the indexes for character attributes, such as gender

or try the subject index to find a monologue or scene focused on a particular topic

Step 3. Turn to Subject/Title/Playwright listing and look under the playwright’s last name to find a brief

description of the play and publication information for single copies or anthologies which include this title.

Step 4. Look up the noted titles in the library catalog to see if Cook Library owns a single copy of the play or

an anthology which includes it.

Want to browse and check out some books to take home?

Beyond the Permanent Reserve Collection, if you wish to see more monologue and scene books and check

them out of the library, visit the fourth floor library stacks and look under the PN2080 call number area.