It doesn’t quit matter where you got your monologues. What matters most is the process you use to make your monologues work for you. After all, the monologues you use will be performed by many actors after you, just as they were likely performed by many actors before you. But, even though the monologues you perform may be the same ones used by other actors, only you can perform them with your talent, style and attitude.

In preparing to perform your monologues, here are some basic things to watch for:

Background of the Monologue

A monologue is a short scene or speech, usually taken from a larger play. The overall play has lots of details and events that impact the monologue. So, therefore, it is very important to read the entire play from start to finish. You must know why the monologue is taking place in the first place. You must know what happened prior to the monologue taking place and what comes next. You must know the previous behavior of the characters involved and how they react to stimuli.

This cannot happen if you don’t know what happens in the rest of the play. It will simply be a monologue without purpose, a monologue without feeling and genuine human interaction.  

Objective

Every actor must know his or her objective before performing a monologue. Why? Because you have to know what the character hopes to achieve in the scene. Knowing what the character hopes to achieve in the scene determines the emotions used, the volume of the voice, the tone of the presentation, and the overall approach to your monologue.

For example, if the objective of your character in the monologue is to explain to his wife why he cheated on her, he might use a sad and somber tone, careful not to blame her and taking full responsibility. He might use modest gestures and have an apologetic face. Knowing your characters objective is key to knowing which expressions to use.

Background of the Character

Another good reason to read the entire play is to know the background of the character you are playing in a monologue. By reading the entire play, you can gain an understanding of your character’s thoughts, feelings and emotions. You can understand your character’s way of thinking and the language he or she uses. And you will know how he or she will react when confronted with the issues in the monologue.

Your monologues will take on a whole new level of importance when you understand the dialogue better.  

Remember to:

1. Fully read the enter play
2. Gain a thorough understanding of the play
3. Analyze your character’s background
4. Then, focus on the monologue
5. Ask, what does he or she what to accomplish in this monologue based on the overall play, the character and the scene itself.

Site Pages

Monologues for Men

Monologues for Women