What do you think?
Rate this book
Laughing Wild
Excellent condition from my personal collection. Read once. Slight dog ear on front and back cover, but tight binding and clean pages. No markings.
72 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1996
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 25, 2016
I'd love to see this performed. Just to see how the actors would get it right. Durang's notes suggest it's pretty easy to get wrong. The ending is surprisingly poignant. A wacky, ranting, two-handed journey to empathy. Durang inspires me. I love going back to him.
April 27, 2021
Fascinating!
June 5, 2024
A very confusing read in the modern day with many references to 1980's pop culture. It is supposed to be an existential comedy, and while it is funny and often thought provoking, it seems like it would be very hard to do a theatrical adaptation.
July 9, 2013
this play proves that reading a play text does not do it justice. this play is meant to be seen, not read. it did not jump off the page well for me.
December 14, 2017
4 stars for Act 1. 0 stars for Act 2.
June 18, 2021
This play is flat-out hilarious, and also pretty poignant, even now a few decades after the fact. Memorizing the monologues, though, is a bitch and a half - At least it has been for me because there's not a lot of consistent rhythm to the words, but that's what makes it challenging and fun, because when you get a good chunk of it down it feels awesome, and because of the arrhythmia it somehow makes it stick even better in my head because instead of memorizing a pattern, you're forced to memorize the entire beat all at once. Fantastic! As someone who is just now getting back into acting after a couple of decades hiatus, this is exactly the kind of confidence building challenge that I needed to make me feel like I'm progressing.
March 2, 2024
This play was written in the late 80’s and updated about ten years later. The cultural and political references are so dated, however, that I can’t see any way to stage it today.
It’s an absurdist play, and has some absolutely great comic monologues ((it’s mostly monologues), but overall it lost me by the end of it.
The author has pages of notes to actors HOW to act the work. He also included a diatribe against the New York Times, theater critic, Frank Rich, for making it nearly impossible for a playwriter to succeed without the blessings of a favorable review.
It’s an interesting read, and actors will find some of the monologues useful for auditions. I doubt anyone’s ever going to see it staged, however.
It’s an absurdist play, and has some absolutely great comic monologues ((it’s mostly monologues), but overall it lost me by the end of it.
The author has pages of notes to actors HOW to act the work. He also included a diatribe against the New York Times, theater critic, Frank Rich, for making it nearly impossible for a playwriter to succeed without the blessings of a favorable review.
It’s an interesting read, and actors will find some of the monologues useful for auditions. I doubt anyone’s ever going to see it staged, however.
August 5, 2019
I performed a Monologue from the “Man” character in this book for an audition. I love the frantic elements to this script and the contradictions in the characters. A little dated, but it explores the assumptions made about strangers in our everyday life.
The second act is a little dry.
The second act is a little dry.
March 9, 2021
One of my favorite plays and one of my all time favorite monologues. So deep and vulnerable, humorous and well written. Such a pleasure to read and perform it.
February 28, 2023
I absolutely love act 1, and I think it is a really good monologue to pick for performing.
November 4, 2024
Terrifically absurd and hilarious. I’d love to revive this🫣
August 9, 2013
Wonderful play. Hilarious, a bit dark. Great stuff. Durang is master of the absurd.
September 28, 2013
Great. Also emotionally wrenching yet simultaneously hilarious. Sometimes hard to relate to and understand because of severely outdated pop culture references though.
July 26, 2022
After studying it I think it’s an interesting read, but I’m assuming it’s funnier when you understand the references
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews