The Monologue
WHAT IS A MONOLOGUE?
A Monologue in literature and drama, is an extended speech by one person. The term has several closely related meanings. A dramatic monologue is any speech of some duration addressed by a character to a second person. A soliloquy on the other hand is a type of monologue in which a character directly addresses an audience or speaks her thoughts aloud while alone or while the other actors keep silent. In fictional literature, an interior mologue is a type of monologue that exhibits the thoughts, feelings, and associations passing through a character’s mind.
A Monologue in literature and drama, is an extended speech by one person. The term has several closely related meanings. A dramatic monologue is any speech of some duration addressed by a character to a second person. A soliloquy on the other hand is a type of monologue in which a character directly addresses an audience or speaks her thoughts aloud while alone or while the other actors keep silent. In fictional literature, an interior mologue is a type of monologue that exhibits the thoughts, feelings, and associations passing through a character’s mind.
ASSESSMENT TASK
The monologue task focuses on interpretation of a monologue from a scene from a play through application of either Acting and Direction or any two of Design: costume, make-up, properties, set and sound. Students are also required to justify their interpretive decisions.
Requirements
The Monologue List
A Midsummer Night’s Dream - William Shakespeare (1590)
Bottom (Pyramus)
The Importance of Being Ernest - Oscar Wilde (1895)
LADY BRACKNELL
A Doll’s House - Henrik Ibsen (1879)
Nora Helmer
Macbeth - William Shakespeare
Lady Macbeth
Ruby Moon - Matt Cameron (2003)
Sid
The Rain - Daniel Keene
Hanna
CLICK HERE FOR THE ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
The monologue task focuses on interpretation of a monologue from a scene from a play through application of either Acting and Direction or any two of Design: costume, make-up, properties, set and sound. Students are also required to justify their interpretive decisions.
Requirements
- Students are to develop a performance or pitch from one of the following monologues.
- Students must select from the list of six prescribed monologues.
- Students must choose to focus on Acting and Direction or to focus on two of design: costume, make-up, properties, set and sound.
- In the case for Acting & Direction:
- Reading or the replaying of previously recorded lines from the monologue does not constitute a performance.
- All monologues may be performed by both male and female students but must be portrayed in the gender as identified.
- Students are to deliver all spoken lines allocated to the specified character. Students are not to deliver lines which are omitted including those of other characters and in some instances from the specified character.
- Students may choose to perform to the assessors as audience or to an imagined audience, or both.
- In the case for Design:
- Students are to deliver a ‘pitch’ on how they would apply two areas of stagecraft to the performance of a chosen monologue.
- Although they will not be graded on their acting, their presentational skills will be assessed.
- They are to present their ‘pitch’ to memory, or alternatively, use cue cards.
- Props, mind maps, costumes and other visual tools are encouraged.
- The Monologue Presentation is a single uninterrupted performance and last no more than five minutes.
- If a Presentation goes over the prescribed time limit the student will be asked to stop. A timing device will indicate when the five minutes is over.
- A total of seven minutes per student will be allocated for preparation, performance and clearing the space.
- No changes to the lighting grid are allowed.
The Monologue List
A Midsummer Night’s Dream - William Shakespeare (1590)
Bottom (Pyramus)
The Importance of Being Ernest - Oscar Wilde (1895)
LADY BRACKNELL
A Doll’s House - Henrik Ibsen (1879)
Nora Helmer
Macbeth - William Shakespeare
Lady Macbeth
Ruby Moon - Matt Cameron (2003)
Sid
The Rain - Daniel Keene
Hanna
CLICK HERE FOR THE ASSESSMENT RUBRIC