All of the monologues are written by Glenn Alterman. Surprisingly, even though it was released in 1993, the monologues in this book are still used in today's market. I went in to an audition and they actually handed me "Gwen." It is a dramatic monologue where the wife tells off her alcoholic husband.
The full book title is "2 Minutes and Under: Character Monologues for Actors." It includes 70 monologues: 35 for men and 35 for women. Having a variety of dramatic and comedic monologues for people of all ages, it also includes "serio-comic" monologues. The description doesn't make sense to me. After reading a serio-comic monologue, I have decided that means, "off-beat comedy."
The grammar is lacking, but the monologues have intensity. A person could argue people do not speak like textbooks. A serio-comic monologue "Stanley" reads, "A beautiful saint in a long gold gown. And she'd be slowly floating way up to heaven to be with all the angels."
Wow, that was funny (sarcasm). It is supposed to be a man's monologue, but I think anyone could use it. In addition, it is older and probably not as frequently used in auditions; it makes an appearance of being well-read or extremely serious about acting. This can be an advantage since most people want the newest, best monologues everyone goes out and buys.
This is a useful book if you are an actor. However, the fifteen year difference is a long time. Get if you want. It provides unique monologues by today's standards, and has a wide variety of monologues. The writing is great and should provoke emotion.
Quirky Books
Woman by Susan Pomerance
