His clients rave:

“He saw more in me than I saw in myself.” – Kyra Sedgwick

“A great and resonant canyon of thanks to Philip Carlson for his invaluable work with a generation of young talent – including me.” – Billy Crudup

“Philip Carlson is one of the wisest people on the subject of building a career that will last. Luck didn’t have him representing New York’s top character actors; wisdom, intelligence, patience and loyalty did. He was, and is, as good as it gets.” – Tim Blake Nelson

“Philip Carlson was my ‘Guide in shining armor!’ Smart, honest and hardworking, this book is his thinking and experience on a shelf.” – Idris Elba

“I was so fortunate to have found Philip when I did. I can’t imagine a better introduction to the world of acting and the business of getting there.” – Liev Schreiber

Read more

Read more

By the author of the best-selling Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors!

Following the smash success of Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors, award-winning NYC playwright Douglas M. Parker has created a new volume of unique monologues that allows young actors to explore a broad range of characters, emotions and situations.

Fantasy Monologues for Young Actors offers 52 fun, accessible and inventive monologues that will tap into every inch of an actor’s creativity. Featuring appealing, instantly involving pieces ranging from the comedic to the heartfelt, every monologue is written in contemporary and accessible language. Created specifically for actors and acting students ages 7-14 and for the teachers, directors and acting coaches who work with them..

These monologues feature:

• A broad range of unique circumstances and emotions: comedic, inspirational, heartfelt, lonely, curious, etc.
• Gender-neutral, so every monologue could be performed by a boy or a girl
• Emotional arcs and strong outcomes to challenge your actors and keep audiences engaged
• Modern day topics with contemporary language that really relate to kids today
• Perfect for auditions, as short performance pieces and for use in the classroom

Here are two sample monologues from the book:

FLYING

There’s a scene in Peter Pan where Peter teaches the kids to fly. And the way he does it is, he tells them to think their happiest thoughts. And they do it, and they just start flying. I mean, it tells you right in the book how to do it! So I thought – if they can fly, I bet I can too. So I just started thinking about all the things that made me the happiest. Like the day we picked up my new dog, Rex, from the kennel. And the day I beat my dad at chess – which is also known in my house as the day my dad let me beat him at chess. Or the time my sister gave me a birthday present, when it wasn’t even my birthday. Or when my mom says she loves me. And by the time I was finished, even though I was still lying in my bed, I was flying so high I thought I’d never touch the ground again. And I could look down and see everyone and everything in my life and they were all looking up and smiling and waving back at me . . . I don’t know if there really is a Peter Pan or an island filled with lost boys and pirates and Indians, but it doesn’t matter. Because I know one thing for sure . . . I know how to fly.

PAIL OF WATER

(Your character is either Jack or Jill from the well-known nursery rhyme.)

You make one mistake and people never forget it. Seriously. I mean, yeah, Jack [or Jill] and me went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. And, yes, one of us fell down and broke his crown and yeah, yeah, the other one came tumbling after. And no – we did not bring back any water. We did not succeed in our mission. And, if I was to be totally honest, we also lost the bucket. But come on. It wasn’t like we went up the hill to save the planet from an alien invasion. There wasn’t a baby up there about to be eaten by a bear. It was water. We fell down. We didn’t come back with a pail of water. Someone else got up out of their chair, got a bucket, climbed up the hill and fetched a pail of water. Big deal. Life will go on. And just to set the record straight, I am perfectly capable of fetching water. I personally have fetched hundreds of pails of water, both before that incident and after. So has Jack [or Jill]. It was one time. Sheesh. Maybe it’s time we all moved on.

Read more