ANDREW BISS

I was delighted to see today that "Monologues They'll Remember You By" got off to a roaring start on Amazon, hitting the #1 spot on Hot New Releases for Acting and Auditioning! It's a very gratifying result, especially after all of the effort that went into putting together a book that I could truly feel confident in and stand behind 100%. But of course, writing a book and marketing a book go hand in hand, and no matter how good the product you're offering is, if your target audience don't know about it, it isn't going to sell many copies.  So even though the hard work put into creating the book is over, the hard - and in some ways harder - work that goes into promoting it has only just begun. But with an auspicious start like this, I'm more than motivated to roll up my sleeves and start spreading the word!   

Yes, the day has finally arrived: ‘ Monologues They’ll Remember You By ’ is officially released! It’s been a long journey, I have to say: The search to compile the best monologues within my body of work; the task of selecting what to include and what to omit; creating introductions to each piece, defining the setting, tone and character; and writing the introduction to the book itself, along with other supporting materials. But it was all worth it in the end, and I’m proud and confident to put this book before the buying public, safe in the knowledge that what I’m offering is a truly valuable and unique resource for any actor. One of the things that really sets this book apart is that not only does it contain a large array of monologues you won’t find anywhere else, it also provides a guide on how to approach your monologue search from an entirely new perspective. Though the monologues included are separated into male and female monologues (40 male, 40 female) of varying age ...

I’m happy to report that a monologue from my play “ Suburban Redux ” has just been published in the new anthology “ Audition Monologues for Young Men: Selections from Contemporary Works .” The monologue is taken from the character of Tristram, a rather shy, awkward young fellow who’s struggling with feelings of self-worth. Published by Pioneer Drama Service , one of the largest play publishers in the United States, the collection is edited by Gerald Lee Ratliff and Patrick Rainville Dorn. This marks the fourth collection of Mr. Ratliff’s that I’ve had the honor of having my work included in, and my first with Pioneer Drama Service. The collection is an ideal tool for auditions, workshops, and acting classes, and includes a detailed guide on how to choose a monologue, develop the character, and audition with confidence It’s available now at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Waterstones , Pioneer Drama Service and other fine retailers.

I received word today from The Royal Court Theatre that one of my monologues that had been chosen for their online GRIT Project earlier this year has now been selected to be performed at the theatre as part of an evening of works that will represent the culmination of the GRIT Project. The monologue (an abridged version of “A Small Act of Vandalism”) will be performed alongside other short pieces as a rehearsed reading by the Royal Court Front of House staff. The night, hosted by a compere, begins at 7.30pm on Tuesday, June 2nd and will be held in the Royal Court Bar & Kitchen. I’m very pleased indeed to have a piece of my writing performed at The Royal Court Theatre and only wish I could be there in person to see the show. GRIT was announced in December 2014 and was an open call to writers of all ages and experiences to submit a play about everyday resistance, revolution and defiance, in response to the work on both Royal Court stages. The Royal Court Theatre is the ...

I was recently informed that a monologue from my play “ Suburban Redux ” has been selected for inclusion in a new monologue collection to be published by Pioneer Drama Service, Inc. The new monologue anthology, “Audition Monologues For Young Men 2016,” is scheduled to be published in the spring of 2016 and will be edited by Gerald Lee Ratliff. This will mark the fourth collection of Mr. Ratliff’s that I have had the honor of having my work included in, and my first with Pioneer Drama Service. The monologue in question for this particular book comes from the rather shy, awkward character of Tristram. Pioneer Drama Service is an Englewood, Colorado-based publisher of plays and musicals, and is one of the largest play publishers in the United States.

Which almost sounds like a headline from the Evening Standard , doesn’t it. Except for the fact that a small act of vandalism would hardly be considered headline-worthy in a city the size of London. No, it’s actually in reference to my short one-person play A Small Act of Vandalism , which I’m happy to report has been selected by the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre in London to be included in its annual new writing event, the Write Now Festival. The show takes place on Saturday 17th May at 5pm and 7:45pm at the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre , in South East London. I’m very excited to be included in the festival, and especially glad to have this particular piece finally receiving a public performance. It touches on a subject that isn’t discussed nearly enough, so hopefully this engender some thought and discussion afterwards. The theme given for this year’s Write Now Festival was/is ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’. And if you’re in the area and considering going along to see the festiva...

It’s taken a while, but the original play script of Suburban Redux is finally available in the Kindle Store. This is the expanded, full-length continuation of my popular one-act play Cuthbert’s Last Stand , which is also available on Amazon. Suburban Redux received its debut production through Unwashed Grape Productions (under the title “Cuthbert's Last Stand - Uncut!”) at Théâtre Ste-Catherine, in Montréal, Canada back in 2006, before going on to a highly successful run at the Lowry Lab Theater in Minneapolis, MN in 2011, produced by Gadfly Theatre Productions . Back then, GTP was a start-up company and Suburban Redux was chosen as its premier production. I'm happy to see that they've gone from strength to strength since that time. The play also has a number of its monologues published in various audition monologue anthologies scattered around the country, so anyone coming across one of them and wanting to read the entire script can now do so. Also, for those who...

It’s been a long time coming, but Cuthbert’s Last Stand is finally available for purchase at Amazon’s Kindle Store. This is the original one-act play version, although I intend to release a short story version of the script in the coming weeks. Cuthbert’s Last Stand was one of my early successes as a playwright, and the play has remained popular to this day, largely due to several monologues from the play having been published in various monologue anthologies, such as 60 Seconds to Shine, Volume 1 , More Scenes and Monologs from the Best New Plays , and The Ultimate Audition Book, Volume 4 . With a running time of around 30 minutes, the length of the play was fairly standard for a one-act at the time that I wrote it. Since then, however, the meteoric rise in popularity of the 10 minute play has made it seem almost tome-like and quaintly anachronistic. But I suppose that’s quite fitting for a play I often describe as a contemporary comedy of manners. I’m currently preparing fo...