John Patrick Shanley is an American playwright, screenwriter and director, and one of the most-produced writers in American theater. His play Doubt: A Parable won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, and his screenplay for Moonstruck won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1988.
For actors, Shanley is a constant companion: Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Savage in Limbo and The Dreamer Examines His Pillow are scene-study staples, and his monologues are used in auditions everywhere. This page covers his life, his plays, his films and our interview with him.
“Doubt requires more courage than conviction does, and more energy; because conviction is a resting place and doubt is infinite – it is a passionate exercise.”
John Patrick Shanley, preface to Doubt: A Parable
John Patrick Shanley at a glance
| Born | October 3, 1950, The Bronx, New York |
|---|---|
| Known for | Doubt, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Moonstruck |
| Major awards | Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play (Doubt, 2005); Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (Moonstruck, 1988) |
| Education | New York University, educational theatre (1977) |
| Also | Screenwriter and director; former U.S. Marine |
Early life and education
Shanley was born on October 3, 1950, in The Bronx, New York City, and grew up in a working-class Irish-American family. The tough, funny, wounded Bronx characters of his early plays come straight out of that neighborhood.
He went to Catholic schools, including St. Helena’s and Cardinal Spellman High School, an experience that later fed directly into Doubt, which is set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, he studied educational theatre at New York University, graduating in 1977.
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John Patrick Shanley plays
Shanley’s breakthrough came in the 1980s with a run of raw, funny, romantic plays about people trying to say what they feel. These are the plays actors work on most, in the order they premiered.
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
Danny and Roberta, two damaged people, meet in a Bronx bar and spend one violent, tender night together. It is one of the most-used two-handers in acting class, and it launched Shanley’s career.
Roles to knowDanny, Roberta. Read the monologue.
Savage in Limbo
Five 32-year-olds in a Bronx bar take stock of their dead-end lives and wonder whether they can still change. Full of big, funny, desperate speeches.
Roles to knowDenise Savage, Linda Rotunda, Tony Aronica, April White, Murk. Read the monologue.
The Dreamer Examines His Pillow
Donna confronts Tommy, the would-be artist who is now seeing her younger sister, and then confronts her own father. A wild three-hander about love, art and family.
Roles to knowDonna, Tommy, Dad. Read the monologue.
Women of Manhattan
Three women on the Upper West Side, Rhonda, Billie and Judy, talk through love, marriage and the men who keep disappointing them.
Roles to knowRhonda, Billie, Judy.
Italian American Reconciliation
In Little Italy, Huey decides he cannot move on until he wins back the ex-wife who shot his dog, and enlists his best friend Aldo to help. A big-hearted romantic comedy.
Roles to knowAldo, Huey, Janice, Teresa, Aunt May. Read the monologue.
Doubt: A Parable
In a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, Sister Aloysius becomes convinced that Father Flynn has behaved improperly with a student, and sets out to prove it without proof. It won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play.
Roles to knowSister Aloysius, Father Flynn, Sister James, Mrs. Muller. Read the monologues.
Outside Mullingar
Anthony and Rosemary, neighbors on two farms in the Irish Midlands, have circled each other their whole lives. A gentle, funny love story about taking a chance before it is too late.
Roles to knowAnthony Reilly, Rosemary Muldoon, Tony Reilly, Aoife Muldoon.
Prodigal Son
A violent, gifted 15-year-old from the Bronx lands at a New Hampshire prep school, and two teachers must decide whether he is a star or a disaster. Shanley’s most autobiographical play.
Roles to knowJim Quinn, Carl Schmitt, Alan Hoffman.
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Screenwriting and directing
Shanley’s screenplay for Moonstruck (1987), starring Cher and Nicolas Cage, won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for a Golden Globe. He made his directing debut with Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, which he also wrote.
In 2008 he wrote and directed the film of Doubt, with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis. All four actors were nominated for Oscars, and Shanley was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Writing style and themes
Shanley’s characters are working-class New Yorkers and Irish Americans who talk fast, fight hard and say out loud what most people only think. His plays are about love, faith, family and the fear of being known, and they swing from comedy to heartbreak in a single speech.
That directness is why actors love him. His dialogue is built for the voice, and his monologues give an actor a complete emotional journey in two or three minutes.
Monologues and our interview
John Patrick Shanley monologues
Eight monologues from Doubt, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Savage in Limbo, The Dreamer Examines His Pillow and Italian American Reconciliation, with age ranges and running times.
We had the honor of interviewing Mr. Shanley on the We Are Actors Podcast. Watch the full interview and clips below.
John Patrick Shanley FAQs
What is John Patrick Shanley’s most famous work?
Doubt: A Parable is his most famous play: it won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. On screen, he is best known for writing Moonstruck.
Did John Patrick Shanley win an Oscar?
Yes. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Moonstruck in 1988, and was nominated again for adapting Doubt for the screen.
What are John Patrick Shanley’s best plays for actors?
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Savage in Limbo, The Dreamer Examines His Pillow, Italian American Reconciliation and Doubt are the plays actors use most for scenes and monologues.
Did John Patrick Shanley direct films?
Yes. He directed Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and the 2008 film of Doubt, both from his own scripts.
Is there an opera of Doubt?
Yes. Shanley wrote the libretto for an opera of Doubt with composer Douglas J. Cuomo, which premiered at Minnesota Opera in 2013.
