The Monologue Blog - Positive Forward-Thinking Choices

Just coached a talented young actor (or actress, depending on how you feel about labels!) This time it was sides from a play, instead of a monologue. In the play, the character just had a strange experience and sits down to tell her friend about it. Once we figured out what had just happened previous to the scene beginning, we became a little fixated on that backstory. But, really what’s going on in a scene is, just that—What’s going on in the scene. Meaning, what is presently happening. Is the scene about this thing that just happened? Is it about how she is left feeling about it? Maybe, a little. But, what it’s really about, is who she’s talking to, and what their relationship is. Where are they? What are they doing in the moment? So, much of the backstory—the experience that got her to this point—is written in the lines. No work needed there! But, what’s going on in the moment, is where some choices need to be made. I like putting this question to my students: Are you running away from the bear, or running to the cabin door? Running from the bear, is about the past and can sometimes have a negative weight to it. Running to the cabin door, is forward thinking, and a positive choice. Think about it. Once you get to that cabin, you’ve got a fireplace and lots of pillows and whatever else comforts you. So in this scene, this student actress was able to talk about this strange thing that just happened, in a relaxed, comfortable way. She was present and connecting with her friend. And as we took a couple more goes, and did some pattern breaking exercises, she became younger and more playful, which were both appropriate for the character, and even more appropriate it really felt like she was sitting on her bed in her dorm-room talking to her roomie!