Theater: "The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2025"

Everyone knows that theater is a collaborative art but I wonder if people realize how much that first rehearsal process can impact the final script. I'm not talking about ad libs or line cuts. I'm talking about substantial additions to the text. For instance, the monologue from Click (2023) that's included in the anthology The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2025 came about because James Dean Palmer, the director of the premiere production at The Tank NYC, felt that the play was running a little short in terms of time and that the character Del could benefit from a little beefing up. What resulted was this paranoid rant riffing on Cat People, and how the two movies -- both the original and the remake -- represent a kind of female danger for the character. It was a fun piece to write (and actor Mohammad Saleem did a great job performing it) and now perhaps other actors can revive it as an audition piece. I'm very thankful to Debbie Lamedman at Smith & Krauss for giving this little excerpt from Click a chance to connect with a fresh group of actors and audiences.

Photo Credit: The book cover design is by Nicole Jaffe. You can purchase a copy of The Best Men's Stage Monologues 2025 at Amazon.