@The Arts Unit Creative Classes
Monologues
Develop skills in characterisation through personal storytelling
Student drama resource developed by The Arts Unit
Years 9 and 10 drama
What will I learn?
You will:
watch monologue performances to explore elements of drama to develop a believable character
create a monologue of your own
reflect on the function of drama and theatre in reflecting social and cultural aspects of human experience
perform to communicate dramatic meaning.
Welcome to the class
Duration: 00:25Before you begin
Make sure you have a quiet space where you can work safely.
You'll need:
paper
pen or pencil
a device that can record video and audio.
- Watch
Watch the following 2 videos from the 2019 Multicultural Playwright Program performance, then answer the questions.
Ghadir’s monologue
Duration: 01:09Second monologue
Duration: 01:14Questions:
What are the ways that the performers make their story engaging for an audience? Consider the characters created, the stories they tell and how they perform them.
Write down some of your thoughts about the characterisation and performance techniques used in the performance.
2. Create
Choose a personal story such as one of your funniest moments or one of your worst moments that you would like to use to create a 2-3 minute character monologue.
Write this story making sure you include the context or background details for the story, your feelings, actions and reactions, as well as those of the other characters involved.
3. Reflect
What is a monologue?
A monologue is a speech presented by a single character, often to express their mental thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience.
Watch the video Approaches to monologue to learn some tips on developing your character for a monologue. You can join in the activities with the tutor and class.
After you've watched the lesson, reflect back on your own monologue and see if you can develop your character further.
Approaches to monologue
Duration: 20:134. Perform
Rehearse and memorise your monologue, ensuring you are developing your characterisation clearly.
Tips:
You may like to add some atmosphere or movement with music or sounds.
Think about where you are and what you are doing while you are telling this story.
How will you use the stage and action to engage and entertain an audience?
Perform and record your monologue using video with audio.
Congratulations!
We hope you've had fun creating and performing your own character monologue!
You have completed this @The Arts Unit Creative Class.
Third-party content attributions
Student images from Multicultural Playwright Program, 2019, photographer: Anna Warr.
Student images from State Drama Festival, 2019, photographer: Anna Warr.