I Stand Before You Naked

by  Joyce Carol Oates

Collection / Anthology, Dramatic Comedy  /  6f

This extraordinary collection of dramatic monologues by one of America's foremost women of letters rivals Talking With in dramatic intensity, language and sheer weirdness. The evening begins and ends with the title poem, a haunting evocation of woman on the edge of madness and vulnerability.

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I Stand Before You Naked

by  Joyce Carol Oates

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I Stand Before You Naked

  • Cast Size

    Cast Size

    6f
  • Duration

    Duration

    90 minutes
  • Suggested Use

    Suggested Use

    • Monologues
    • Competition or audition material
  • Audience

    Target Audience

    • Adult

Additional Info

This extraordinary collection of dramatic monologues by one of America's foremost women of letters rivals Talking With in dramatic intensity, language and sheer weirdness. The evening begins and ends with the title poem, a haunting evocation of woman on the edge of madness and vulnerability. There is humor here, but mostly the monologues are gripping portraits of the pathetic, the strange, and the horrifying.

Though I Stand Before You Naked is a collageplay, it should be performed in the following sequence, with a dramatic high point at Darling I'm Telling You and a resolution of sorts at Pregnant. The first and final pieces are performed by the entire cast.

I Stand Before You Naked
Little Blood-Button
The Boy
Wife Of...
The Orange
Nuclear Holocaust
Darling I'm Telling You
Wealthy Lady
Good Morning! Good Afternoon!
Slow Motion
Pregnant
I Stand Before You Naked

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Keywords

Adolescence, Aging, Current Events, Feminism, Friendship, Illness/Health, Love, Marriage

Considerations

Performing Groups

  • College Theatre / Student
  • Community Theatre
  • Professional Theatre
  • Reader's Theatre
  • Shoestring Budget
  • Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups

Cautions

  • Caution Intense Adult Intense Adult Themes
  • Caution Strong Language Strong Language
  • Caution Nudity Nudity/Partial Nudity

License details

  • Minimum Fee: $90 per performance
    $55 per short play individually

Production

Details

  • Time Period: Contemporary, 1990s
  • Duration: 90 minutes
  • Features / Contains: Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes

Music

  • Musical Style: N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal Demands: N/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size: N/A (Not a musical)

Casting

6f
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Cast Attributes

  • All Female
  • Ensemble cast
  • Reduced casting (Doubling Possible)
  • Expandable casting
  • Flexible casting

Casting Notes

The original production of this collection used a cast of 6, each performing one or two monologues and all performing the title piece. Other productions may choose a larger or smaller cast. There are a total of ten monologues to be performed by individuals and one monologue to be performed by the ensemble. Plus one recorded male voice.

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Authors

Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates grew up in the countryside outside of Lockport, New York, where she attended a one-room schoolhouse in the elementary grades. As a small child, she told stories instinctively by way of drawing and painting before learning how to write. After receiving the gift of a typewriter at ag ...

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I Stand Before You Naked premiered at the American Place Theatre. It was directed by Wynn Handman.

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