Jane Martin: Collected Plays, 1980-1995

This has a lot of great scenes and monologues for female actors. The writing is terrific. I really enjoy it.

This is a "must-have" for any lover of contemporary theatre. My copy was stolen from my backpack! They left everything else, but took my Jane Martin!All of her(?) works are finely crafted and shaped. Through this volume, I was exposed to her popular "Keely & Du" (breathtaking), while at the same time discovering a new favorite in "Vital Signs."I've successfully used several monologues from "Vital Signs" and they continue to provide me with one of the most lethal weapons in an audition setting: fresh pieces.I highly recommend this book -- especially to actresses!

Theater for people who thought they did'nt like theater. Jane Martin is a rare non-pretentious (Her identity is unknown) yet artistically challenging playwright. This collection is a mix of short and long pieces of theater with a common thread for you to ponder. The dialogue is quick, smart, crude and fall over funny. Feminine issues are explored with refreshing honesty and inclusiveness. I recomend this to all lovers of theater and playwrights who wish to examine the subleties of timing and audience reaction. Most important perhaps is the fact that these plays engage an audience to the extent that previous "theater haters" start to loose their prejudices. If Jane Martin plays were played next to movie theaters people might actually begin to reverse the affects of the "Titanic" plague. "Criminal Heart" "Vital Signs" and "Cementville" are must reads. When you're done you'll be seeking out live performances and in for a whole new experience.