[The_Return]

As an aspiring actor, I've been starting to get into reading more plays - both to find characters I'd like to play/monologues I'd like to have in my repertoire, and to keep as familiar as possible with the convention of theatre.

I've been reading a few lately, but my local library doesn't have much, neither do many local bookstores, and I think I'm going to have to start ordering some in. Do you guys have any suggestions?

I haven't read very many...here are a few that I've read and enjoyed:

- Shakespeare. It goes without saying that I adore the immortal Bard. Sadly, I haven't read a lot of his work. The only ones I've read full are The Tempest, Macbeth, King Lear and bits-and-pieces of Hamlet, Othello and Romeo & Juliet. Need to check out the rest for sure.

- Samuel Beckett's "Endgame". Sheer brilliance.

- Just finished "Happy Birthday Wanda June" by Kurt Vonnegut. Wonderful little piece of theatre...15-20 years down the road, I'd kill for the chance to play Harold.

- Sophocles' Oedipus trilogy. Classic stuff in every sense of the word.

- Recently I read through a collection of 3 short plays by James Leo Herlihy (Midnight Cowboy). Very strange, but cool stuff. Might try to memorize Terrible Jim Fitch, just for the challenge.

- Ibsen's A Doll's House was really interesting...should check out some more of his work.

Currently, I'm working through Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill. Just finished Act I, seems great so far.

I have a collection of stuff by Sam Sheppard sitting by my bed, but I haven't dug into it yet. He really seems like my style though, so I'm looking forward to it immensely.

Some other plays that I really love (I've actually been in these ones) are Thornton Wilder's Our Town, and Bang Bang You're Dead by William Mastrosimone. They both have a really special place in my heart.

A few others that I'm looking to check out:

No Exit - Jean-Paul Sartre
Anything by Harold Pinter
The Adding Machine – Edgar Rice
Sophistry – Jonathan M. Sherman

So, I've been rambling on and on...any suggestions for some stuff to look for?