MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! Sample Pages Lindsay Price
Monologue Everything! Copyright 2014 Lindsay Price & Theatrefolk CAUTION: This book is fully protected under the copyright laws of Canada and all other countries of the Universal Copyright Convention. No part of this book covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic or mechanical without the prior written permission of the author. Published by Theatrefolk Inc. e-mail: tfolk@theatrefolk.com website: www.theatrefolk.com Photocopying / Multiple Copies The sole owner of this book may copy the Lesson Plans for his or her class for educational purposes. All other purposes for duplication and/or distribution are prohibited.
WHAT IS MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING? MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! Monologue Everything is a book crammed full of exercises that will help you to become an expert in the art of monologue writing. The monologue is a mini-play. It is a microcosm within the macrocosm that is the play, a moment of magic that has its own form within the larger story structure. The monologue functions as communication directly from the soul of a character to the audience. Monologues are inherently theatrical, because in real life they rarely occur. No one stands up and reveals their innermost thoughts as they re waiting for the bus. But monologues are tricky to write they can quickly turn ugly. Monologues can become boring, pedantic, and drag the pace of a play down to a grinding a halt. A great monologue will make an audience sit forward and hold their breath as a door is opened for them into the character s psyche. Monologues aren t just play devices: A monologue is a Swiss army knife for the writer, it s a warm-up tool, it s a backstory/character development tool, it can be used in the classroom the possibilities are endless. Enjoy! PS: Lesson Plans and Rubrics to help you to employ these exercises in a formal classroom setting can be found in the Classroom Edition of Monologue Everything! Lindsay Price i
TABLE OF CONTENTS MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! Introduction: What is a Monologue?...1 The Monologue as Warm-up Tool...6 The Monologue as Development Tool...17 The Monologue as Classroom Tool...21 The Monologue as a Mini-Play...28 ii Monologue Everything! theatrefolk.com/monologue_everything
INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS A MONOLOGUE? MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! From the Greek: monologos speaking alone (mono = alone, logos = speech/word) WHAT IS A MONOLOGUE? A monologue is spoken text which: is presented by a single character. is written in the first person. can be comedic or dramatic. reveals something: the character s inner thoughts, emotions, secrets, a story, or the answer to a question. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MONOLOGUE AND A SOLILOQUY? A soliloquy is a speech which a character makes to him or herself while alone onstage they are thinking aloud. The most famous soliloquy is Hamlet s To be, or not to be speech from Shakespeare s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. In contrast, a character who delivers a monologue is communicating either with the audience or with another character. HOW LONG HAVE PLAYWRIGHTS BEEN USING MONOLOGUES IN THEIR PLAYS? Since the very beginnings of theatre! Ancient Greek theatre evolved from monologues in its earliest form, one character spoke alongside a chorus. Later, this form evolved to use two actors, then three but it all began with the IF I M AN ACTOR, SHOULD I WRITE MY OWN MONOLOGUES FOR AUDITIONS? I d never say never, but, for the most part, taking a monologue from an existing play is a better choice than using a stand-alone You want to present a piece that comes from a larger work, one which relates to a wider context. A stand-alone monologue exists only within its own moment. Lindsay Price 1
IF I M A PLAYWRIGHT, WHY SHOULD I BOTHER WITH MONOLOGUES? I PREFER DIALOGUE! It takes skill to write an impactful and effective monologue, and developing that skill is reason enough to practice writing monologues. You can use the monologue as a warm-up tool even if it s not your preferred style of writing or use it to further develop your characters. There are many ways to hone your skills through using monologues. WHAT MAKES A GOOD MONOLOGUE? There are many factors to consider when writing a The three key elements are: A need to speak. The character is speaking for a reason they have a need to share, a need to reveal, a need to explain. I need to tell you about my dad. A specific character voice. Capturing how a character talks is essential to creating a captivating What type of language do they use? At what pace do they speak? How do they convey their story? Do they speak in run-on sentences, or in fits and starts? You sit down, you hear? I got somethin to tell ya! A journey. A monologue is a mini-play, so it must have a beginning, a middle, and an end but don t limit your concept of a journey to something physical. An emotional journey for a character can be just as impactful where is the character emotionally at the beginning of the monologue, and where do they end up? From I need to tell you about my dad, to That s why I will never marry you. EXERCISE Gather thirty monologues. Get them from books, from online sources, or ask a teacher for examples. The only rule is that the monologues must come from plays. Read each monologue and decide if the three key elements (a need to speak, a specific character voice, and a journey) are present. Create your own criteria what do you think makes a good monologue? To what standards will you hold your own work? Do your gathered monologues meet your criteria? 2 Monologue Everything! theatrefolk.com/monologue_everything
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF GREAT MONOLOGUES? It s impossible to have a top ten list of monologues that works for everybody. What makes a monologue great depends on your personal relationship to the character and the play. Are you looking for a man s monologue or a woman s monologue? Are you a teenager, or are you in your fifties? Are you looking for something modern or something classic? The following list is by no means a complete list, but it s a good place to start. To get the best impact from each monologue, you ll need to place it in context so be sure to read the entire play from which it comes. CLASSIC MONOLOGUES PLAY PLAYWRIGHT CHARACTER FIRST LINE Hamlet, Prince of Denmark A Midsummer Night s Dream William Shakespeare William Shakespeare Hamlet Helena Tartuffe Moliere Marianne Man and Superman George Bernard Shaw The Devil To be, or not to be, that is the question... How happy some o er other some can be! Sir, by that Heaven which sees me here distressed... Well, well, go your way, Senor Don Juan. The Cherry Orchard Anton Chekov Lopakhim I bought it. The Seagull Anton Chekov Nina Antigone Sophocles Antigone Oedipus Rex Sophocles Oedipus Faustus Twelfth Night Christopher Marlowe William Shakespeare Faustus Viola Why do you say that you kissed the ground on which I walked? Tomb, bridal chamber, eternal prison in the caverned rock, whither I go to find mine own... What s done was well done. Thou canst never shake my firm belief. Ah, Faustus. Now hast thou but one bare hour to live... I left no ring with her; what means this lady? Lindsay Price 3
MODERN MALE MONOLOGUES PLAY PLAYWRIGHT CHARACTER FIRST LINE Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller Biff All right, phoney! Then let s lay it on the line. Biloxi Blues Neil Simon Arnold I was in the latrine alone. The Laramie Project Moisés Kaufman Dennis Shepard Fences August Wilson Cory The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams Tom My son, Matthew did not look like a winner. Going to his funeral would make me feel defeated. Listen! You think I m crazy about the warehouse? The Homecoming Harold Pinter Lenny One night not too long ago... The House of Blue Leaves John Guare Ronnie My father tell you all about me? Mad Forrest Caryl Churchill Priest Our Country s Good Timberlake Wertenbaker Ketch This is so sweet like looking at the colour blue. James, sir, James, Daniel, Patrick after my three uncles. Angels in America Tony Kushner Ray I m dying, Joe, cancer. MODERN FEMALE MONOLOGUES PLAY PLAYWRIGHT CHARACTER FIRST LINE Crimes of the Heart Beth Henley Babe Dentity Crisis A Streetcar Named Desire Christopher Durang Tennessee Williams Jane Blanche And we were just standing around on the back porch playing with Dog. When I was eight years old, someone brought me to a theatre I, I, I took the blows in my face and my body! No Exit Jean-Paul Sartre Inez To forget about the others? Eleemosynary Lee Blessing Echo Uncle Bill hardly remembers you... The Children s Hour Lillian Hellman Karen The Caucasian Chalk Circle No, no, no. This isn t the way things work. Bertolt Brecht Grusha Now you ve wet yourself again. Night Mother Marsha Norman Jessie I am what became of your child. Our Town Thornton Wilder Emily Les Liaisons Dangereuses Christopher Hampton Merteuil Oh, Mama, just look at me one minute I can t! I can t go on! When I came out into society I d already realized... 4 Monologue Everything! theatrefolk.com/monologue_everything
MONOLOGUES FOR TEEN ACTORS Theatrefolk offers two books of contemporary monologues for student actors: Competition Monologues, and Competition Monologues Book 2. We also have plays that are completely comprised of monologues or feature monologues heavily: The Pregnancy Project, Puzzle Pieces, Stressed, and Have You Heard? Here are some selected monologues from Theatrefolk plays. The complete works can be found at www.theatrefolk.com. PLAY PLAYWRIGHT CHARACTER FIRST LINE Wait Wait Bo Bait Lindsay Price Tamara Oh Mr. Phone, why don t you ring? Puzzle Pieces Krista Boehnert Jamie Pressures. I guess you could say that s how this all started. A Box of Puppies Billy Houk Skip I used to enjoy English. The Pregnancy Project Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less Lindsay Price Neil First she s quiet. Bradley Hayward Vance I wish I could stay in the same house. Chicken. Road. Lindsay Price Ten I am a chicken. Chemo Girl Christian Kiley Girl It s harder than it looks, holding your breath. Sweep Under Rug Lindsay Price Rea Accept so much. Stressed Alan Haehnel Alex I would go in my bedroom. Have You Heard? Krista Boehnert Cleo Cause of death undetermined. Bottle Baby Lindsay Price Alice Floating On a Don t Care Cloud This isn t the way it s supposed to go Beeb. Lindsay Price TJ But don t you see Jamie? Lindsay Price 5
MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! Classroom Edition Lindsay Price
TABLE OF CONTENTS MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! Introduction... ii Teacher Advisory Panel...iii Assessable Elements...iv Lesson Plans ONE: What Is a Monologue? Analyzing Existing Monologues... 1 TWO: Using Monologues to Warm Up... 13 THREE: The Headline Prompt Monologue... 16 FOUR: The Picture Prompt Monologue... 22 FIVE: The Literary Character Monologue... 29 SIX: Character Development Monologue... 36 SEVEN: Writing Impactful Monologues A Three-Part Unit... 44 EIGHT: Dealing with the Past... 58 NINE: The Need to Speak... 66 TEN: Character-Driven Language... 73 Appendix... 83 Lindsay Price i
INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS A MONOLOGUE? MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! Monologue Everything! Classroom Edition takes the instructions and exercises from the Monologue Everything! ebook, and frames them into formal lesson plans with journal prompts, discussion topics, assignments, and assessment rubrics. While Monologue Everything! can certainly be used as a stand-alone classroom tool, having this classroom edition on hand will greatly lessen your workload. Our goal is to get your students writing and these plans will set them in the right direction. ii Monologue Everything! theatrefolk.com/monologue_everything
TEACHER ADVISORY PANEL MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! These lesson plans have been reviewed by teachers, and tested out in classrooms before publication. It is with much gratitude that we acknowledge our Teacher Advisory Panel for this edition: Allison Green (Ontario, Canada) Cindy Cabral (Ontario, Canada) Marybeth Pidgeon (Ontario, Canada) Roxane Caravan (Florida, USA) Kendra Blazi (Florida, USA) Connie Voight (Alabama, USA) Christian Kiley (California, USA) Billy Houck (California, USA) Lindsay Price iii
LESSON PLAN THREE MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! MONOLOGUE EVERYTHING! The Headline Prompt Monologue OBJECTIVE To demonstrate comprehension of the monologue form by applying a writing prompt. DESCRIPTION Students will demonstrate their understanding of what makes a good monologue by applying the criteria to an original monologue that uses a headline prompt as the jumping-off point. MATERIALS Elements of a Monologue (see Appendix) Monologue Rubric: Headline Prompt Monologue Checklist Monologue Checklist Peer Editor sheet Pen & paper INSTRUCTION Session One 1. Journal Prompt: Students start the class by writing in their journals on the topic: Where do ideas come from? 2. Discuss with students: What prompts might be used to jumpstart the writing process? Guide them toward tangible examples such as pictures, poems, lyrics, or objects. 3. Discuss with students: Why is it more effective to use a tangible prompt instead of trying to create something out of thin air? Guide students toward making the connection that a tangible prompt gives the writer something to work with. Trying to create something out of thin air is an unreliable technique, and can lead to insecurity and writer s block. 4. Explain to students: They will write a monologue using a tangible prompt the headline. 16 Monologue Everything! theatrefolk.com/monologue_everything
5. Discuss with students: Where can headlines be found? (e.g. in newspapers and online news sources.) Why is a headline an appropriate prompt for a monologue? 6. Guide students through a sample exercise using the following headline as a writing prompt: Bed bugs are a booming business. Students use the automatic writing technique to write about the headline for two minutes. What comes to mind when they think of that headline? Emphasize to students that they are to write for the entire two minutes to get any and all thoughts about the headline onto the page and not to self-critique. Students address the who and what of the Who are some of the possible characters derived from this headline (e.g. a germaphobe woman, a salesman selling bug spray, the bed bug itself)? What need to speak could the character have? (e.g. The bed bug wants to convince people he s not so bad. The salesman wants to sell the bug spray before its nasty side effects come to light.) Students address possible beginnings and endings for the (e.g. The salesman wants to sell but ends up confessing the side effects, maybe even displaying some of the side effects.) 7. Explain to students they are going to write a bed bug headline The monologue can be quite short, half a page. This exercise should be done during class time. Review the key elements of a good Use the Elements of a Monologue handout for reference: A need to speak A specific character voice A journey 8. Have students share their monologues with each other in small groups. 9. Students repeat the process using a headline of their own choosing. The homework for this class period is to bring in five headlines, either from online sources or from physical newspapers. Session Two 1. Journal Prompt: Students start the class by writing in their journals and recalling: What is a monologue prompt? What are some examples? 2. Divide the class into groups or pairs. Have students compare their five headlines and help each other to choose one to use as a prompt. Lindsay Price 17
3. Once students have chosen a headline, have them use the automatic writing technique to write about the headline for two minutes. 4. Next, students address who the character is, why they are speaking, and what they are saying by completing the following tasks: Write out a brief character description. Define the character s need to speak. Describe the beginning and ending of the 5. Students are given the rest of the class period to work on writing their monologues. As they write, students follow the Monologue Checklist. The monologue is to be completed for homework. Session Three 1. Students bring in the first draft of their Students share their monologue in pairs and complete a Peer Editor sheet for each other. They then make final revisions. 2. Written Reflection: Explain in your own words why using a prompt like a headline is helpful for writing a ASSESSMENT Students hand in their completed monologue with their Peer Editor sheet Students hand in their Written Reflection Monologue Rubric 18 Monologue Everything! theatrefolk.com/monologue_everything
MONOLOGUE RUBRIC: HEADLINE PROMPT Name: Comprehension Headline Character Voice Need to Speak Story Presentation Overall 5 4 2 1 Thorough understanding of the task of writing a monologue using a headline prompt. Brought in more than five headlines to choose from. Character speaks in a specific voice for the entire The character s need to speak is fully developed and vividly realized in the The story is fully realized with a clear journey for the character and a well-defined beginning, middle, and end. Excellent attention to presentation. Spelling, grammar, and monologue form impeccable. Excellent Solid understanding of the task of writing a monologue using a headline prompt. Brought in the required five headlines. Character speaks in a specific voice for most of the The character s need to speak has been developed and realized in the The story is solidly realized with a clear journey for the character and a defined beginning, middle, and end. Solid attention to presentation. One or two spelling/ grammar mistakes. Monologue form consistent. Solid Some understanding of the task of writing a monologue using a headline prompt. Brought in less than the required five headlines. Character speaks in a specific voice for some of the The character s need to speak is somewhat developed but not fully realized in the The story is somewhat realized. There is a journey for the character but not a clear beginning, middle, and end. Satisfactory attention to presentation. More than two spelling/ grammar mistakes. Monologue form not consistent. Satisfactory Little undderstanding of the task of writing a monologue using a headline prompt. Brought in one or none of the required headlines. Little to no specific voice character voice in the There is no need to speak for the character developed in the There is no journey and no defined beginning, middle, and end. Little attention to presentation. Many spelling/ grammar mistakes. Monologue form not consistent. Monologue needs work. Total: /35 Lindsay Price 19
MONOLOGUE CHECKLIST Name: Character's Name: Check the following elements off as you write your I understand this assignment. I understand the monologue form. I have proofread my monologue for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors unrelated to my character s voice. My character has a defined need to speak. My character speaks in a specific voice for the entire I have given my character a journey. The story has a beginning, middle, and end. I have read my work aloud. I am satisfied with my final product. 20 Monologue Everything! theatrefolk.com/monologue_everything
MONOLOGUE CHECKLIST PEER EDITOR Author: Peer Editor: Evaluate your partner s monologue using the provided Monologue Rubric for reference. Be respectful with your comments. Remember, someone is critiquing your work as well! 1. What captures your attention in this monologue? 2. What questions do you have about this monologue? 3. Does the character move through more than one emotion in the monologue? What are those emotions? The author used proper monologue form. This monologue has been proofread for spelling and grammar mistakes. The character in this monologue has a specific voice all the way through. The character in this monologue has a well-defined need to speak. The character goes through a journey in the The story has a beginning, middle, and end. Lindsay Price 21