MONOLOGUES

Monologue – text presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience

Soliloquy - when a character speaks to himself or herself, relating thoughts and feelings, thereby also sharing them with the audience

First Person - a narrative device whereby the narrator is speaking for and about themselves, a literary style in which the narrator recounts his or her own experiences or impressions 

Focus - To concentrate attention or energy

MONOLOGUES

The student will:

Prepare a slate for a monologue

Choose an appropriate focus for a

monologue

Explore/discover the objective,

obstacle, and tactic for a monologue

Successfully memorize a monologue

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

Warm-UpPhysical

Stretch it out!

Vocal

Topeka topeka topeka. Bodega Bodega Bodega. Topeka Bodega. Topeka Bodega. Topeka Bodega Topeka.

A monologue is an excerpt of a longer piece written for

stage or film. It’s a sample of your work to show agents,

casting directors, producers, directors, etc. what you can

do as an actor. A good monologue plays up your strengths;

it shows what you can do, who you can play, and who you

are.

Nothing is more important than choosing the right monologue

for your type and skill level. Remember, monologue

auditions are your moment to shine.

WHAT IS A MONOLOGUE?

Interior monologues involve a character externalizing their thoughts so that the audience can witness experiences that would otherwise be mostly internal.

Dramatic monologue involves one character speaking to another character.

Active monologue a character is using their speech to achieve a clear goal.

Narrative monologues simply involve a character telling a story and can often be identified by the fact that they are in the past tense.

TYPES OF MONOLOGUES

Search online or through books of monologues from plays.

While searching keep the following questions in mind:

FINDING A MONOLOGUE

Is it well-known?Try to seek out material that has not been overdone. Consider your audience, what might they enjoy hearing?

Is it logical? Look for a monologue that makes sense out of context. You want to choose something that your audience will understand while you are performing it.

What is the Content?Choose the right monologue. Not only must it show off your strengths and skills as an actor, but it must show that you are the right actor for a part.

How long is it?Keep your pieces short. 90 seconds is ideal, two minutes is the absolute limit. Most directors can see what they need to see immediately. Remember, you’re showing them a sample of your work; 1-2 minutes is plenty

Read: Read the play that the monologue came from to get a better sense of the character.

PREPARING A MONOLOGUE

Memorize/Rehearse: Know your monologue well enough that you can perform it without being nervous. Once you begin, you are your character, and you should only be nervous if your character is nervous.

Move: Movement is always more interesting than standing in one place. Don't avoid gesturing or even a little acting during the monologue. However, you shouldn't perform in costume or with props.

Focus: Determine the focal point for the monologue.

Analyze: Complete a character analysis to develop knowledge of the character’s internal and external characteristics based on information given in the play to improve the believability of the performance.

OOT: Determine the objective, obstacle, and tactic for your character in the monologue.

Monologues are typically prepared for auditions. When auditioning, you will need to prepare an introduction or “slate”.

PREPARING A SLATE

When slating, you should be clear and confident. Typically in an audition, this is the only time you should make eye contact with anyone observing the audition (director, judge, producer, etc)

To slate usually means to state your full name, along with the title, author of the piece(s) you will be performing.

Example:“Hello, my name is Sally Sue. I will be performing Gemma’s monologue from Junk, by John Doe.”

Forgetting your lines is every actor’s nightmare. In the business, this is called “going up” on your lines and it happens to everybody at some point or another. If you go up during a performance, do not panic. Either improvise a few lines until you get back on track or pause a moment to gather yourself, but stay in character. Your composure and confidence can sell you on the rare occasion your memory lets you down.

PERFORMING A MONOLOGUEOnce you are in place to present for your monologue, begin with your slate.

After slating, take a moment to “get into character” and then begin your monologue.

Trust the work that you have done in rehearsing the monologue. Be confident, be clear, stay in character.

Once you have completed your performance, say “Thank you” and exit with pride in what you have just done.

Essential Questions

WHAT MUST YOU DO AS AN ACTOR TO PREPARE FOR A MONOLOGUE PERFORMANCE (6 THINGS)?  WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL SLATE?

Project Choices

GIVEN MONOLOGUESSELECT AND PREPARE (SLATE, FOCUS, CHARACTER

ANALYSIS, CHARACTER TRAITS, OOT, MEMORIZATION, REHEARSAL) A ONE MINUTE GIVEN MONOLOGUE FOR

PERFORMANCE.

CHOICE MONOLOGUESSELECT AND PREPARE (SLATE, FOCUS, CHARACTER

ANALYSIS, CHARACTER TRAITS, OOT, MEMORIZATION, REHEARSAL) A ONE MINUTE CHOICE MONOLOGUE FOR

PERFORMANCE.

ORIGINAL MONOLOGUES COMPOSE AND PREPARE (SLATE, FOCUS, CHARACTER

ANALYSIS, CHARACTER TRAITS, OOT, MEMORIZATION, REHEARSAL) A ONE MINUTE ORIGINAL MONOLOGUE FOR

PERFORMANCE.