tell it like it isn't

atyp is exclusively devoted to young people. We are driven by the idea that the arts can inspire

creative, courageous and confident young people wherever they are and whatever they want to be.

We believe that the arts have the power to transform lives, enrich communities and ultimately impact

upon the future of our nation. Our work is motivated by the need to improve access for all young

Australians to share their stories and participate in the arts regardless of economic or geographical

barriers.

Our Vision: to be the leading Australian youth theatre company, inspiring and nurturing imagination,

confidence and creativity in young people across the country.

At the heart of our company lies collaboration between professional artists and young people. Working

together we create inspiring theatre that engages with contemporary social issues and provides a

space for young people to celebrate their creativity and Rise Up and Act!

Above all, atyp inspires young people to make great theatre.

Tell it Like it Isn’t

atyp production February 2011

Teacher's Resource Kit

This Resource Kit has been designed as a classroom tool to assist with the preparation,

evaluation and analysis of the Australian Theatre for Young People (atyp) production:

Tell it Like it Isn’t.

The notes and activities have been divided into three components:

Before you see Tell it Like it Isn’t

The Performance: Behind the scenes of Tell it Like it Isn’t

After you see Tell it Like it Isn’t

They are designed for students from Years 11-12, however some of the activities could

be adapted for younger year groups. NSW BOS Syllabi have been used as a guide for

this resource kit. It is recommended before using the recommended websites in this kit

that teachers first visit the sites to assess suitability of content for your particular school

setting.

We hope you find these activities useful and that they enhance your creative arts

experiences in the classroom.

Heather Clark

Education and Outreach Manager

Australian Theatre for Young People

Before you see Tell it Like it Isn’t:

Theatrical Form: Monologue

Getting Started: Inspiration

The Play: Director Notes

In Rehearsal

Theme: First Love

The Performance: Behind the scenes of Tell it Like it Isn’t:

The atyp creative team

Interview with Co - Directors

Interview with Designer Adrienn Lord

Interviews with the cast

Interviews with the writers

Get Involved!

After you see Tell it Like it Isn’t: Written Responses:

First Impressions

Design Elements

The Elements of Drama

Review

After you see Tell it Like it Isn’t: Practical Responses:

Stream of Consciousness

Staging a Monologue

Exploring Themes

Pacing and Punctuation

Introduction

Table of

Contents

Theatrical Form: Monologue

The monologue is a unique theatrical form that is used by playwrights as a means of

revealing a character‟s innermost thoughts and feelings. Although the monologue

generally stands alone without needing the surrounding context of a play, there are

variations on the form. The dramatic monologue is a form associated with the poetry

of Robert Browning and Alfred Tennyson in the 19th Century. The soliloquy is a form of

monologue used within the context of a play and most famously employed by

Shakespeare. More recently, the monologue has emerged in popular theatre in

productions such as Eve Ensler‟s Vagina Monologues; Love, Loss, and What I Wore

by Nora and Delia Ephron and Angela’s Kitchen by Paul Capsis.

Before you see


BRAINSTORM:

1. A monologue is a means of revealing a character‟s

innermost thoughts and feelings. Discuss what other forms of

art, literature and music have the same purpose. You may

talk about journals, songs on the radio, blogs etc.

PRACTICAL TASK:

Stream of consciousness (Part A)

1. Write or type continuously for 10-15 minutes on any topic of

your choice. The point of this exercise is to write whatever is

in your mind, with no concerns about grammar or

punctuation. Even if you don‟t know what to write, write

that. As one of the writers says, “Not everything you write will

be gold.”

2. Reread your work, highlighting your favourite words, phrases

and/or sentences.

3. Cut out the highlighted parts and rearrange them into a new

piece. This can be abstract or with meaning. Paste the

rearranged work on a fresh sheet of paper.

REFLECTION:

1. What did you notice when you wrote out your own personal

interior monologue?

2. When selecting your favourite parts, did the writing retain the

essence of your interior thoughts and processes?

3. Keep this work for an activity after the performance.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Classroom Activity

Getting started: Inspiration

Where do you begin when starting a

new writing project? In the Fresh Ink

program, Lachlan Philpott offered

stimuli to get the writers to think about

what they connected to at the age of

17- songs, art, politics, stories about

love.

The Play: Director’s Notes –

Lachlan Philpott

Almost all young actors who come to

atyp will negotiate the complex needs

of Drama for their HSC. Sustaining a

solo performance for more than six

minutes is tough especially when you

have two or three markers sitting in

front of you marking your work.

Any Drama teacher will tell you the

issues start much earlier. The first one is

finding decent material - a monologue

that hasn‟t been done to death but

still works, a monologue which you can

connect to as an actor which also

ticks the markers‟ rubric.

I have always felt that there is

something odd about Australian

teenagers spending hundreds of hours

preparing a seven minute rendition of

an ancient southern belle or a snooty

English lord. In the absence of a strong

range of other options, however what

choice is there?

This Fresh Ink project aims to address

some of these issues. We have

commissioned twelve emerging

Australian writers to create real,

relevant and challenging eight minute

monologues about seventeen year

olds to be performed by seventeen

year olds.

This project was at the heart of the

Fresh Ink 18-26 program in 2010 which

focussed a group of really talented

emerging writers on creating a range

of new writing and required them to

constantly ask the question „what is

the role of the writer?‟ As the director

of this program I was encouraging

them to look beyond the personal as a

stimulus for their writing and instead

examine the world around them to see

where they could engage in others

lives. The drive of the Fresh Ink

program reflects a personal concern I

have about the need to re-engage

writers as storytellers in contemporary

culture. By this I mean that the written

word has meant that in many

circumstances nobody needs to listen

to the story teller as they did in more

traditional cultures and as a

consequence the writer has become

less important than the writing. The

Fresh Ink program goes against many

other writing programs by placing the

writer at the centre of the program.

For the HSC monologues project Fresh

Ink writers: Jasper, Jo, Nakkiah, Phil, Tim

and Zoe began by visiting schools in

March 2010 to chat with HSC Drama

students and teachers to get an idea

of what was expected in the HSC .

Each of the writers felt a strong desire

to challenge a commonly voiced

assumption from students which was

that it was somehow not „acting‟ if the

role they chose to portray in their HSC

was somebody their age who was

voicing an experience close to their

own. I would suggest that this is closer

to acting in the true sense.

The process of developing the

monologues has been driven by this

aim and has been structured as a

series of consultations, readings and

drafts. I acknowledge and thank the

writers for their perseverance and their

mentors for nurturing.

At our Fresh Ink National Studio in

December 2010, writers from across

Australia came together at Bundanon

and their primary task was to produce

a monologue to add to the pool of

work created for this project. Some of

these monologues are included in the

performance you see and we are

excited to include the work of Chris,

Finn, Jess and Sarah.

I hope that HSC students see a

performance that offers a new way of

seeing their HSC IP.

This project has been complicated to

realise. The balance between

considered refining of new writing,

working with emerging actors and

creating the right show for the target

audience has required careful

thought. If experiencing the

performance makes a difference to

HSC Drama students, then the care

has been worthwhile.

Classroom Activity

DISCUSSION:

Brainstorm what you connect with now, at your age. Create areas

in the classroom – music, art, politics, stories about love, films,

websites, facebook pages, youtube clips etc. Each student has a

booklet of post-it notes that they can write on and stick to the area

of discussion. Speaking is allowed in this activity.

-

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

PRACTICAL TASK:

Students move to one particular area (i.e. music). It‟s not necessary

to have equal numbers of students in each area. Each group then

creates a still image to reflect the responses that have been written

down. Each person in the group says a line (improvised) from the

physical stance they‟re in. Each group shows their still image to the

class silently, then a second time including their sentence.

REFLECTION:

Does everyone in the class connect with the same types of music,

film etc? What surprised you in the still images? What did you

connect with in the still images that you viewed? What are your

expectations for Tell it Like it Isn’t? Think about the staging of 11

monologues, sound, lighting as well as some of the themes that may

be explored.

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

In Rehearsal:

Our cast members rehearse two evenings a week. They are all under 26 and some of

them are school students. Evening rehearsals allow our young actors to work and

attend school during our season.

Classroom Activity Have a look at the picture below of the cast in

rehearsal: What do you think is happening in this scene?

PRACTICAL TASK:

Recreate the moment from the picture, improvise

what you think will happen next in the scene.

Theme: Love

Tell it Like it Isn’t brings up issues of first love. It makes us ask questions such as: Why do

we fall in love? What are the shades (e.g. dark aspects and light aspects) of love?

How do we process the feelings associated with love? What is unique to a “first love”

experience?

Classroom Activity BRAINSTORM:

As a class brainstorm the different types of love (e.g. unrequited,

familial, romantic etc.)

Discuss images, symbols and colours that you associate with

these types of love.

PRACTICAL TASK:

The following activity is called Silent Conversation

1. Write each of these types of love and their associated

symbols on separate pieces of butcher‟s paper.

2. Place each sheet of paper on different tables around the

room.

3. Walk around the room silently, with your own pen or texta,

write your own comments on each sheet. You may return to

each sheet, comment on other people‟s comments or make

suggestions yourselves. Leave at least 15 minutes for this

activity.

REFLECTION:

1. Read out loud the comments made on each sheet. Discuss

some of the “silent conversations” that have arisen.

2. How have these “conversations” changed or expanded your

ideas about the theme of love?

Tell it Like it Isn’t atyp Creative Team: Artistic Director Fraser Corfield

Co-Director Lachlan Philpott

Co-director Luke Kerridge

Designer Adrienn Lord

Production Mgr Liam Kennedy

SX Design Ekrem Mulayim

Costume Design Jasmine Christie

Stage Manager Jonathon Ware

LX Design Chris Page

Administrator Drew De Mullich

Tell it Like it Isn’t atyp Cast At the Australian Theatre for Young People we make theatre by young people, for

young people. Our cast members range from 16 to 26 years of age.

Rosie Connolly 17

Felix Dupuy 22

Joshua Forward 21

Laura Hopkinson 17

Sophie Irvine 18

Danny Kim 21

Adam Marks 19

Kyle McLeavy 18

Gabrielle Nemeth-Taylor 19

Patrick Richards 18

Julia Rorke 16

The Performance:

Behind the Scenes of


Behind the scenes:

Co-Director – Lachlan Philpott

This is an unusual

production in that you

have been involved from

the conception of the

ideas right through to the

production. What has that

been like for you?

It has been really exciting because it is an

opportunity to explore collaboration in a

number of ways; emerging writers

collaborating with each other and mentors to

make new text, emerging writers and actors

collaborating together with a range of artists

to realize the texts in performance which when

brought to stage should create a meaningful

project for the audience which has a purpose

beyond entertainment.

The name of the show, “Tell it Like it Isn’t” could

provoke the audience to think that it’s a

production that twists the truth, is that your

intention?

I did not choose the name! This sometimes

happens in theatre companies.

Our Artistic Director Fraser chose the name

and we have thought about it a lot…how do

you make a name like that work to represent

a series of monologues which have no

immediate relation except for the way they

have been produced.

I struggled with the name a lot but then I was

on the treadmill at the gym and watching

channel V and realized that this is what pop

stars do. They sing songs with lyrics which do

exactly that - tell it like it isn‟t. Some pop stars

like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga sing lyrics that

somehow perforate a cultural psyche: lyrics

about love or anger or a silly facial expression

and they tell it like it isn‟t. Only problem is,

sometimes people think it‟s how it is.

So we decided to explore this idea a bit in the

play which accounts in some way for the

musical content.

How did you pull together such a wide range

of different scripts?

The writers used their own range of experience

and a fair serve of imagination. We offered

stimuli to get them to think about what they

connected to at 17- songs, art, politics stories

about love and first times.

Many of the works were produced at the Fresh

Ink National Writers studio. For the studio, each

of the writers bring along a song and an

object they connected to at 17 which they

could share with the group. This offered a

starting point for some of the writers.

How do you direct essentially quite individual

pieces and give them a sense of cohesion?

Luke and I have worked with the actors and

creative artists to find links between the

monologues. Some are thematic- the idea of

light or love as an example, some are physical

motifs running through the pieces such as AFL

or driving, some are sounds connections

identified by Ekrem sound designer].

A director‟s job is to find such links and then

figure out how they can support the text and

the way that actors realize it.

Is there an overarching theme or direction to

the pieces?

That is probably different for each audience

member and I would suggest that it should be

that way. We all read theatre differently. It is

one of the things that makes it exciting.

What have been the challenges in directing 11

individual performances?

Monologues can be challenging to direct

because they are by nature quite artificial.

People don‟t often speak their thoughts or

narrate a story aloud and often we find

ourselves asking questions like;

“Who is she/he speaking to?” or

“Why have they chosen to tell the audience

that?”

The rehearsals have been focussed on finding

the mood of each piece and testing what

works for the staging of it. Some work best with

nobody on stage but the actor, others work

better with the support of the ensemble or

sound.

Some rely on the actor emoting, others are

best pulled right back.

This process takes time. From a directorial view

point too it is about balancing the needs of

the actor, a tight rehearsal schedule, a small

production budget and the need to serve the

needs of the audience. Most important in this

project (although all I have previously said is

very important) is attempting to maintain the

integrity of the words the writer wrote in the

first place.

How do you want the audience to respond to

the work?

Honestly.

What advice would you give to aspiring young

directors?

We need fearless directors who have genuine

commitment to realising Australian plays.

If that sounds like you- make sure you want to

direct for the right reason- directors aren‟t

dictators, they are leaders and they need to

lead the collaboration and to do so, they

need to get it. Try doing everything in the

theatre at least once; learn how lights work,

what a stage manager does, how to design

and what it feels like to be directed as an

actor. Write something and see how it feels to

let go of it.

I would also recommend immersing yourself in

all types of arts- they bleed into each other

and never forget the audience…they matter.

Co-Director – Luke

Kerridge

The name of the show,

“Tell it Like it Isn’t” could

provoke the audience to

think that it’s a production

that twists the truth, is that

your intention?

The show had been

christened before I was involved, so it was a

great invitation to link the name to the content

of the monologues. Lachlan and I talked a lot

about pop music – how some artists (think Katy

Perry or Taylor Swift) sing about love and life in

a way that reflects a fiction rather than the

true experience. This has inspired some of the

musical content in the show. I suppose I also

link the name to the somewhat artificial nature

of monologues – creating a context in which

these characters can believably speak their

private thoughts to the audience in an

authentic way.

How did you pull together such a wide range

of different scripts?

Great consideration was given to which scripts

would make up the show as we had a wide

range of fantastic pieces to choose from,

unfortunately too many to include! We

wanted it to be a group consensus so we

talked to the actors about their thoughts on

each piece and involved the entire creative

team in selecting the ones that best made up

a show. We wanted to offer the audience a

range of characters and situations whilst also

creating a cohesive piece.

How do you direct essentially quite individual

pieces and give them a sense of cohesion?

That has been the biggest challenge of

creating this show. We worked with the

themes that run through multiple pieces and

expanded on some of these in the transitions

and musical elements of the show. The

challenge also informed how we went about

creating the show. It was very important to

Lachlan and I that it be a collaborative

process; from our initial conceptual meetings,

including the selection of the pieces, we

involved the entire creative team. My feeling

was always that a united team vision would

help balance the inherent disparateness of a

show comprised of monologues. I believe a

rehearsal process is clearly visible in the final

production so it was important to build a

collaborative approach in from the outset.

Is there an overarching theme or direction to

the pieces?

First Love. First Heartbreak. Shadow and light.

Presence and absence. Speaking up.

Speaking from the heart.

What have been the challenges in directing 11

individual performances?

Retaining the unique world of each piece

whilst placing them in the context of the larger

show. Determining when the rest of the

ensemble can support the text and when the

best way to support the writing is to leave it to

just one performer. For the performer, a lot of

imaginative work needs to be done to access

the world of the character, as they don‟t have

anyone else on stage to help him or her

create it!

How do you want the audience to respond to

the work?

Honestly. Hopefully it‟s a fun experience that

opens up some theatrical possibilities for their

own work.


directors?

See as much theatre as you can. Study books,

films, plays, art – any storytelling form – to

develop an appreciation of the craft of

storytelling.

And then I would probably pass on some of

the best advice I have been given – to „follow

your pulse‟. Good theatre is born of good

ideas and the idea should be one that gives

you goose bumps when you think about it.

And to begin. Not to wait for the perfect

circumstances to create work but to start with

what you have right now. A lot of learning will

happen on the job!

Behind the Scenes:

Set Designer – Adrienn Lord How do you initially approach the design for a

production?

The key to any design is the script. Everything

comes from the words on the page. The

challenge is that within a good script there are

a billion stories and attempting to tell them all

will inevitably end in a muddled mess of mixed

messages. With that in mind, I always try to

understand all the stories as best I can from as

many viewpoints within the script. I try to see

each moment from every character's point of

view, and the view of the world around them,

then how it all fits into our world, and finally,

what I personally think. Once I have an

understanding of the complexities, the visual

response is completely instinctual, but not

always easy to find. The only way forward is to

experiment, experiment, experiment. More

often than not, the most brilliant idea actually

doesn‟t work when translated into a physical

form, but seeing it is the only way to know why.

The key is to find the very simple and potent

good idea within it.

How do you create a design for essentially

quite individual pieces and give this

production a sense of cohesion?

My key for Tell it Like it Isn’t was to work to the

commonalities, the experiences of youth and

love. The details of each specific monologue

tells itself clearly, with little to no need for

design support in a narrative sense. The main

duty of this set is to provide an emotional

context into which the pieces fit. As such, I

have endeavoured to create a pocket of

isolation in an urban environment, a place

where a person can go to take a breath from

the pressures of their lives and share an

intimate moment.

Co-director Luke Kerridge mentioned that the

pieces explore the ideas of shadow and light.

Have you incorporated that into your design

and in what ways?

I haven't. The idea of light and shade is

expressed beautifully in the performance and

lighting of the piece. To restate the theme in a

physical sense would only distract from

something wonderful. As such, the best thing I

could do was to give it space to be explored

by those whose crafts suit it best.

What are the unique challenges in designing

for this piece?

Above all, the venue. The configuration of the

space provides only a small amount of fully

viewable performance space. Finding an area

where all the ideas of the all of the pieces

could be physically expressed took a lot of trial

and error to resolve.


designers?

If you‟re curious; explore, learn and discover. If

you‟re excited; do it right away. If you‟re

scared; confront it, and it will always be easier

than not. Above all, find your own answers.

There are no truths in theatre, only honesties.

Rosie Connolly – 17 years old Why did you audition for Tell it Like it Isn’t? I was getting bored during the holidays and I really liked the idea

of working monologues together to create a unified piece of

theatre. I was also really interested to work with young writers and

see what type of theatre was coming from them.

How do you approach preparing a monologue?

I like to start by reading the monologue and getting a sense of

the world of the character. A monologue, for me, is a tiny

moment in the whole life of a character so I think it's important to understand where

they have come from and where they are going. I also like to learn my lines as quickly

as possible because I find it easier to work and make choices if you don't have to

work with a script in your hand.

Because preparation for a monologue can be quite solitary, how have you worked

with the other actors in the production?

The whole process has been quite collaborative, with a lot of group discussion about

all the monologues which is really useful. Also, the ensemble works to enhance the

meaning and ideas of each piece as we perform, so it's almost like eleven short

group scenes instead of eleven monologues.

What are the differences between the preparation for a monologue and the

preparation for a play with several characters?

With a monologue, the entire shape of story takes place within one moment and

within one person, so it's much more important to have a sense of the structure and

where you're heading in a monologue. Plays are also much more focused on

relationships and playing off other characters, where most monologues are either to

the audience or to only one person, so it's a different type of relationship that you

have to prepare.

What techniques do you use to develop your own internal monologue?

Trying to visualise the world around my character and how she would interact with

the people and places within it.

What are the most challenging aspects of this type of performance?

Sustaining interest and focus throughout the entire piece because you have no one

to play off or create ideas with - it all comes from you.

What advice would you give to HSC students preparing a monologue for their IP?

Choose a piece that really interests you but you don't completely understand or

know how to play straight away - you're working on it for a year so you want

something you'll be able to play with for that long.

Cast Interviews:

Cast Interviews: Sophie Irvine – 18 years old

Why did you audition for Tell it Like it Isn’t? I was looking to get experience and get back into stage stuff

after high school.

How do you approach preparing a monologue?

Basically learning the monologue is the most important thing for

me, it‟s tricky but once you have the monologue memorized,

you have freedom to experiment and try new things that will

eventually benefit your performance.

Because preparation for a monologue can be quite solitary, how have you worked

with the other actors in the production?

One of the greatest things about this production is the fact that it‟s a ensemble

piece, were all working together and its really lovely to have people with you on

stage while you do your monologue and to have people to bounce ideas off.

What are the differences between the preparation for a monologue and the

preparation for a play with several characters?

I suppose with the monologue there is a real importance of knowing your character

and knowing the situation he/she is placed in, because the story only comes from

you, it‟s essential you have a real feel for the character. And of course you HAVE to

know your lines because there are no real prompts from other peoples dialogue.

What techniques do you use to develop your own internal monologue?

References and ideas from other media such as a song or a movie or a image always

help me also constantly writing notes and ideas, it‟s important that you bring the

character to life in your head as much as possible.

What are the most challenging aspects of this type of performance?

I suppose it‟s very high energy but this production has been extremely challenging in

the best way possible, it pushes you be in tune with other performers but also work on

your own method as an actor.

What advice would you give to HSC students preparing a monologue for their IP?

Probably pick a monologue that you really love, because doing anything you don‟t

love for a long space of time can be extremely frustrating. Also, dedicate yourself.

Practicing and getting your teacher‟s help, whenever they‟re available, will

guarantee you will be satisfied by the end of the HSC. You do only have one shot at

it.

What advice would you give to young actors who would like a career in the arts?

I‟m really not the person to be giving out advice but just gaining experience,

practicing and experiencing all forms of your art will not only help you to perfect your

craft but it will also give you the drive to pursue it. I

nterviews:

Writer Interviews:

Vanessa Bates – First Light

How did you come up with the idea for your monologue? One of my relatives was nearly killed while rockfishing and told

me about it. One of his friends was washed into the ocean but

luckily survived. It was terrifying. I liked this story, the stakes, the

sense of human survival and I wanted to juxtapose this with the

idea of „first love‟ and the whole notion of being swept away by

a force you couldn‟t control.

What was the process involved in developing your character?

It seemed clear the character would be male and it reminded

me of young men I had known and their sometimes surprising

capacity for deep emotional communication. I just tried to make this character true,

make the character who survived the event the same character who had decided

the time was right to admit he was in love. Both things take courage.

What was the most challenging part of the process of scriptwriting?

Making the deadline! Seeing all the brilliant monologues at the atyp National Studio

and realising I would be amongst them. And there was some seriously great work

done there.

What advice would you give to aspiring scriptwriters?

Read scripts. Practise writing. Watch plays. Make your deadlines.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of collaborating with the actors and

directors?

Lachlan is fairly firm in his editing directions. “Too long. Cut it.” I think that‟s good.

Zoe Hogan - Principal

How did you come up with the idea for your monologue? My monologue is inspired by the frustrations faced by a very

particular age group – you‟re not a kid but you‟re not grown up,

you‟re spoken to like a child, but you feel like an adult.


I had a very clear image of a girl, sitting in a chair, raising her

hand, then sending forth a tumult of words. Everything else

followed from that image.


Sharing my first draft before I wanted to! Just letting it go.


Write in your own voice – don‟t try and copy anybody else.


directors?

Seeing what lines and ideas interest them – because it‟s never what I expect.

Jasper Marlowe - ACL

How did you come up with the idea for your

monologue? As a teenager I had a knee reconstruction. It was

difficult but after a few months of physio I (hesitantly)

went back to playing soccer. Amongst a team you

never want to appear weak or fragile so the way you

deal with that is by playing harder and sometimes

more violently than everyone else. This solution to

appearing vulnerable (especially amongst young

men) was fascinating so I tried to create a character

that dealt with that.


I wanted the audience to sympathise with Damien but also be completely horrified.

This required lots of re-drafting and culling of ideas that didn‟t contribute to him as an

empathetic character.


Writing violence was hard. It‟s such a serious subject matter and I didn‟t want it to

come across as contrived or sensational. I found by drawing on my own personal

experiences was helpful in making it genuine and true.


Read and write obsessively.


directors?

Witnessing how much an actor and director can bring to your words.

Chris Summers – Burnt

How did you come up with the idea for your monologue?

We were given the brief of writing a monologue about „first

love‟ for someone of Year 12 age, and encouraged to think

about „first love‟ as laterally as possible. I took the easy road

and wrote about a high school romance! But I didn‟t want it to

be as straightforward, or naturalistic, as just a character in a

slowly souring relationship. So I started to think about how I

could capture that sensational, all-consuming, uniquely

adolescent magic that is „first love‟. And it came to me that a

really exciting and theatrical way would be to take that love

out of our recognisable world. I decided that my character‟s

first love wouldn‟t be with someone he went to school with, or was friends with, or

even really knew – my character was to fall in love with a monster.


No matter how wonderful or terrible or fantastic or psychotic a character of mine is,

they always have to have a grain of truth to which I can say: I understand you. That‟s

my first step with any character – discovering how I relate to them and why they are

important to me. I spent some time going back over teenage „romance‟ stuff I‟d

written (read: angsty poetry / LiveJournal entries), reconnecting and even reconciling

with my scorned teenage self! I took out the bits that I wanted to use, and slowly

began to flesh out the rest based on conversations and other people I knew. But

really, this monologue isn‟t so much about a character as it is about a character

feeling compelled to tell their story because of their experiences with other

characters. I‟m deliberately vague about a lot of the character detail, because I

want that detail to be filled by what they say, and do, in the narrative. I think that also

presents some exciting potential for actors / audiences – they too can fill in the gaps,

and decide who these characters are for themselves.


For this monologue, I think it was finding a balance between a recognisable,

naturalistic world and the magical, more poetic, abstract world. In early drafts it

probably tilted too far one way, but I think I managed to get it close to right for the

final draft. Having a number of characters in the monologue was tricky too – I had to

make sure that they weren‟t cluttering the piece and making it too difficult on the

poor actor either!


directors?

We wrote the first drafts of the monologue at the atyp Fresh Ink camp up at

Bundanon in December. It was really exciting knowing that, all week as we wrote, the

actors were arriving to perform them for us on Friday night! They did a fantastic job

with little to no rehearsal. It was great to have all of us writers and actors and directors

sharing, and performing, the work together – collaboration is the heart of theatre.

Although with that said, since then, it‟s really been out of our hands! It‟s going to be a

lovely surprise seeing the monologue on opening night, because I haven‟t seen it

since that very first reading in December.

Sarah Hope - Elissa Louisa Smith Loves William Cornelius

Bennett Forever

How did you come up with the idea for your monologue? One of the requirements for the National Studio was to

bring along an object that other writers would find inspiring.

During one of our group sessions we shared these objects

with another writer and I was given a long stemmed pewter

rose. I began to imagine different situations that would

involve the pewter rose. I then became particularly

interested in how a school girl might experience and

respond to a romantic gesture in a public environment such

as school.

What was the process involved in developing your

character?

After the initial concept for the piece was put to paper it was important to consider

what the rest of my character‟s world was like in order to develop her story. This

required me to think about what the character‟s home life was like and how she

interacted with others around her such as her brother and best friend. Developing the

dynamics of her relationships had a major impact on the monologue and further

development of the character.

During master classes we were given activities that assisted us in gaining a thorough

understanding of our characters. For example: we were asked to write a list of

locations that our characters would typically be found in and in a different list,

locations that our characters were unlikely to be. It was then interesting to consider

how our characters would react if they found themselves in a location from the

second list.


I sometimes have trouble finding the confidence to write my ideas down. This is why

support and advice from other writers is invaluable.

During the development process initial ideas will often change and develop. I often

find it a challenge to either take out chunks of the piece entirely or change

something so that the action is different but the feel of the piece is kept the same. At

the same time it is important to remember the differences between writing for stage

and writing for other mediums such as literature. These are skills I am still developing.


directors?

Working with the actors and directors helped me reflect on the piece from a different

perspective. The experience of seeing how an actor and director interpret the piece

adds a new light on what works structurally and how the character may be

perceived and considered for further development.

Jessica Bellamy – Little Love

How did you come up with the idea for your monologue?

All of what I write is inspired in some way by the work of W.B. Yeats – in this case, it was

the poem “When You Are Old” which is referenced directly in the text.

At atyp National Studio, we were asked to bring in a song that spoke to us when we

were 16 years old. I brought in “Bound to Ramble” by the John Butler Trio. The lyrics

about “walking blindly” really touched a chord, and set me off on a trajectory of

wondering about blindness and love connecting. I was also fascinated by the idea

of short, fleeting love being just as powerful and memorable as something lengthy or

prolonged, hence the idea of “little love”.


I enjoy writing the voices of teenage characters, particularly teenage boys. I thought

about Adam‟s physical and inner self and let the words shape him as I went. Where

the character really emerged was in the re-drafting.


Finding a compromise between the heightened poetry of some of Adam‟s insights,

and the fact that he is in many other ways quite casual and colloquial in his speech

and choice of subject.


Read and see lots of plays. Eavesdrop on public transport and write down what you

hear. Make a playlist for everything you write to help you through what can be a

difficult process. Proudly declare yourself as a writer, because not only is it a very

special thing to be, but by naming yourself in such a way, it forces you to actually do

some writing so you‟re not a liar.


directors?

Considered and insightful feedback from Lachlan Philpott, and beautiful staging

ideas that I wouldn‟t have considered otherwise.

Finn O’Branagain – Pink Fireworks


I thought about how I felt when I was in high school, and how my friends and I

behaved. I thought about the teenagers I know today. And I kind of smooshed a

person out of that! When I start, I often have a clear sense of the character‟s voice.

The rest of the character flows from that. I guess we are what we say.


Deciding what to put in and what to leave out. Finding the most important bits that

the story needs.


Write every day. It doesn‟t matter what it is or if it is good, just keep your hands

moving. One of the most liberating things that has been told to me is that „not

everything you write will be gold‟. Allow yourself to practice. You don‟t have to show

anyone your first draft! You will find the gold when you sift through it later.


directors?

Hearing the words aloud. Having the opportunity to feel them living outside of my

own head. To see how other people hear them, and what they think. It‟s pretty

special, and I feel very lucky to have been able to do this project.

How do you audition for an atyp show? All atyp auditions are advertised on our website www.atyp.com.au and in our e-

newsletter. Once they are advertised call atyp to book an audition time 02 9270 2400.

atyp‟s productions provide students with the opportunity to work alongside

professional directors and creatives in staging a show, providing an opportunity for

them to learn from people who are actively working in the industry.

Advice to aspiring young writers from our playwrights:

Sarah Hope - Elissa Louisa Smith

Loves William Cornelius Bennett

Forever

Chris Summers – Burnt

Get Involved !

Have the courage to start. This

might include research as well as

writing. Once you begin, things will

become clearer and your ideas

will develop. I often have to

remind myself that getting stuck

while writing is a part of the

development process. During

these times it is important to ask

the right questions of yourself, your

character and your story. This

requires experimenting with

different processes in order to

discover what works best for you

and your individual approach to

writing.

Always think about the ‘truth’ in

what you are writing. That doesn’t

mean you should ‘write what you

know’ – in fact, quite the opposite.

It means that whether you are

writing a naturalistic drama about

dysfunctional dynasties or a

futuristic farce set on Mars, you

should always be able to find

some kind of honest, personal

connection to it. Never feel limited

by what you know, but always feel

grounded by what you feel.

http://www.atyp.com.au/

Initial reaction

What was your initial reaction to the performance? What sticks out in your mind?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Would you recommend the performance to a friend? Why / why not?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Design Elements Costumes

Describe the costumes. How was costume used to portray character? Was the use of

costume successful? Why / why not?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Lighting

Describe the lighting. How was lighting used to set the scene and define the space?

Was the use of lighting successful? Why / why not?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Set

Describe the set. Why do you think the designer created a playground for the set?

Was this approach successful? Why / why not?

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Sound and Music

How was sound and music used to create atmosphere?

After you see


Written Responses

Identify a moment where the sound/music affected you as an audience member.

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

The Elements of Drama: Comment on how the performance used the elements of drama:

Tension: Where were the moments of

tension in the overall performance?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Which moment held the most tension

for you?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Recreate the tension in the moment as

a tableau.

Focus: Tell it Like it Isn’t is a collection

of monologues with all actors on stage

all the time. How did the director draw

the audience's focus to the action he

most wanted you to see?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Identify a moment that was really

successful?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Space

How did the actors use the stage

space?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

How did the set reflect the theme of

“first love”? What was the most

interesting aspect of the use of space?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Movement

How was movement used to portray

each character? How effective was

the use of unified movement? Why?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Symbol

Can you identify any symbols/motifs

used in the production?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

What were the most successful symbols

used?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Mood / Atmosphere

Describe the mood of the piece.

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

What sort of feeling did you have at

the end of each monologue? Did it

change? Why/Why not?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Where were the high points in the

performance?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

How did you feel at the end of the

performance?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

What devices were used to create

mood throughout the performance?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Draw a mood map of that shows the

emotional journey of the overall show:

Character / Role

The show has 11 actors. How did the

cast portray character?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

How successful was this?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Identify 2 characters that stood out in

your mind? Why were they so

memorable?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Actor-Audience Relationship

What was the role of the audience in

the performance?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

How did the characters relate to the

audience?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

The Co-Director, Lachlan, says that he

wanted to create characters that Year

12 students could relate to. Did you

identify with any of the characters?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Was this successful? Why/ Why not? _____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Reviews: A review is an important part of theatre criticism. It gives an account of the

production with the writer's opinion of the success of the performance. Become an

atyp theatre critic! Use the scaffold below to write a review of Tell it Like it Isn’t.

Send it to [email protected]

We'll publish well written reviews on our website.

How to write a review:

Remember to:

- Paint an accurate picture of the production for someone who has not been

there

- Give a personal opinion about the success of the performance

You may wish to approach your review writing by following guidelines:

1. State the details of the production, where, when, by who.

2. A synopsis of the overarching plot of the monologues (without giving away

the ending!!!)

3. Background of the show, importance of the production (including the

background of the scriptwriting process).

4. Information about the style and genre of the piece.

5. Analysis of the mood and atmosphere created by the cast/designers.

6. Analysis of the choices of the director.

7. Analysis of the performances of the actors.

8. Analysis of set, costume, lighting and design aspects and how these relate

to the themes of the show.

9. Your personal opinion supported by examples to justify your opinion.

10. Recommendation and / or overall rating.

Remember to make it concise and clear.

Try to write your review in 300 words.

We look forward to receiving your reviews!

mailto:[email protected]

Classroom Activity

After you see


Practical Responses

PRACTICAL TASK Stream of consciousness (Part B)

For this task you may use the work completed in the

activity Stream of Consciousness (Part A) or you may like

to start the process again starting with a stream of

conscious response to the production Tell it Like it Isn’t.

Take the pasted rearranged words and by adding

words, sentences and/or phrases, give the piece

meaning. You should end up with a new piece of

writing.

Work in pairs and perform your piece for one another.

REFLECTION: Give your partner feedback using the

following questions:

What worked?

What could there have been more of?

What if..... (give suggestions for the writing).

Staging a monologue There can be a tendency for actors, when performing monologues, to be restrained

in movement. The following activity encourages students to bring movement into

their piece and to take the focus from “acting” and add elements of surprise to the

piece. Students may use the piece they‟ve written or a pre-written monologue.

Classroom Activity BRAINSTORM: In class, come up with a list of things the

actors must do during their monologue (e.g. repeat one

action five times; stage a small accident; spontaneously

sing at some point; look up for at least 10 seconds etc). List

about ten different actions the actor must perform. Be

imaginative.

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

PRACTICAL TASK: In pairs, students incorporate the

elements in each of their monologues. Perform them for

the class.

REFLECTION: What happened to the performances when

these elements were incorporated?

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Exploring themes:

Tell it Like it Isn’t explores the theme of “first love” from a range of different

perspectives. Characters tell their stories, reflect on how they‟ve been changed by

relationships and reveal their desires. In Little Love, by Jessica Bellamy, we see a

character change his personal point of view. Think about what might cause a

change in ideals and point of view.

Classroom Activity

Read the following three quotes from Jessica Bellamy‟s

Little Love.

Adam:

Bat eyes is a loser. Massively. Cares about work only, nothing else.

We love to talk about her. Bat Eyes No Friends – half blind, half

not...

I stop walking. Surprised. Didn’t know tears could come out of bat

eyes, especially Bat Eyes No Friends...

She lets me follow her home, right into her room. It’s a rainbow.

Velvet cushions, silk bedspread, curtains made of organza. Flowers

– crisp and fresh and sweet.Tinkly things and water sounds. A

chugging fan. A leather desk. Things to touch and smell and hear

– everywhere.

Bat Eyes and me. Short, and little. New Stars. New poems. But still,

love.

Read the passages as a class.

PRACTICAL TASK:

In small groups, create a series of four still pictures that represent

Adam‟s shifting view of Bat Eyes. Try to reflect his transformation in

a non-literal way.

REFLECTION:

Referring to the quotes above and the monologue as a whole,

why does Adam change his mind about Bat Eyes? Why is he

surprised by the Bat Eyes‟ tears? The description of Bat Eyes‟

bedroom uses imagery that involves all of the senses. What effect

does this have on the audience?

Does this monologue change the way you view people who are

different to yourself? Should it? Why/Why not?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Pacing and punctuation:

A number of the writers enjoyed hearing their written words come to life as they

worked with the actors. In an actor‟s tool kit, comes the ability to play with the written

word and give voice to it. In a monologue with virtually no punctuation, like Boot by

Joanna Erskine, the actor has licence to play and create different moods and

meanings through vocal shifts.

Classroom Activity

Read the following excerpt from Boot by Joanna Erskine. Read

silently by yourself.

...and I have to say

pull over

pull over Julia

and she ignores me

says

hey Mike want to know how fast I can go and he says

whatever

and Katie says just drop us home Julia

and Zoe ways take the next left at that Shell

but instead

Julia floors it

and Zoe and Katie are yelling

stop it stop it

but Julia just laughs

again

and

goes faster

and faster

and faster

and faster and starts to swerve left

and right

and left

and right

into the

tree...

PRACTICAL TASK:

In small groups read the excerpt in a variety of ways:

Change tempo (fast, slow, extremely slow/fast).

Change tone (high, low).

Play with options for punctuation.

Add pauses. Make them as long as you can.

Change how you say words (clearly articulated, drawling,

syncopated).

REFLECTION:

Discuss how the changes in delivery of the lines affect the

character.

tell it like it isn't

Documents

form of monologue

young people atyp production

confident young people

isnt atyp production

young australians

dramatic monologue

inspiring theatre

unique theatrical form