The Insanity Cookbook — Jennifer Parker

"They worked quickly and quietly in the cold autumn darkness, carrying the pieces of their mangled childhood to the bed of the truck..."

Get ready to test your range with Jennifer Parker's insightful anthology, "The Insanity Cookbook." This colorful collection of short stories, monologues, and poetry provides the perfect material for those in search of competition or audition material. Skillfully alternating both humorous and dramatic pieces, this compilation is an ideal addition for high school and college students, coaches, and actors alike.

Over the course of three sections, the writing spans a variety of easily-relatable topics that are sure to bring out the individual and unique skills of its readers. These include such relevant issues as abuse, dementia, risky behavior, heartbreak, death, and obsession. Main characters vary in age from young children to the elderly, providing pieces with points of view that both challenge and excite the reader.

"The Insanity Cookbook" brings together some never-before-published performance pieces, including John Allen Parker's famous poem "Scarecrow," which won him second place in the Creative Expression category for the state of Minnesota in 1975. While some selections are intended for mature audiences, this rich collection, with its varied themes and exceptional pieces, provides a definitive selection for performers of any type.