Transcript Monologues - hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca

Monologues
Tips for Writing and Performing
Drama 11/12
A monologue is an extended uninterrupted
speech by a single person.
 It is common in both drama and written
fiction
 When the speech is directed to another
person/people, it is called a monologue
 When the speech is directed to the person
him/herself it is called a soliloquy
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Other types of monologues include
 Dramatic
Monologues (usually poetry)
 Stand-up comedy (think Jay Leno at the
beginning of the tonight show)
 Certain songs in musical theatre (when they
reveal the characters thoughts)
 Villain Speeches (think Joker, Grinch)
 Rants (a la Rick Mercer)
Need Inspiration for your
Monologue?
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stream of consciousness, timed writing
write to a specific theme, i.e.; guilt, pride, obsession, fear, etc.
think of a specific location, or time period
write to music
write without editing yourself - first thoughts
change your point of view - perspective of a dog, a bird, God
imagine life through the eyes of a real person, in a fictional
event
a reporter on the scene
turn at random to a page in the dictionary, point to a word and
use it it as your first word in the monologue
write about a painful memory - these often have emotional
triggers
Tips for performing your monologue
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Analyze the character.
 Think
about the character: What is he/she
like? Their background, fears, likes and
dislikes. Name, age, home, culture.
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Analyze the scene:
 At
what points does the emotion or tone
change? Are they always talking to the same
person/object. Make notes about this
Break the monologue into sections and
work on transitioning between sections.
 Memorize your monologue. Practice it over
and over again.
 Practice it for someone else. Make
adjustments based on their feedback
 Use a prop if appropriate but make sure it
doesn’t take away from your speech
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Project your voice in the space. Block out
your audience, but make sure they can
hear you.
 Act as if your surroundings are real and
really there. Ex: if you are supposed to be
watching someone, “track” them with your
eyes, even if they are actually invisible.
 Move around as appropriate. Don’t just
stand there in one spot.
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If you forget a line, don’t let the audience
know. Stay in character. Improvise
 Pause for a moment, in character, at the
end of your performance, before
becoming yourself again.
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