How To Start Working On A Monologue
And Maybe Even Enjoy The Process!
Monologues… Some people love them, others hate them with a burning passion. Whatever side of the fence you’re on though, you probably know by now how big of an impact learning really good ones can have on your career as an actor. This guide will be the first of a short series breaking down how I work on bringing a monologue from the page to the stage. If you’d also like to watch and listen to this content in VIDEO format, you can do so in this video I made:
Working Your Type
So… how do you choose a piece that’s fitting for you? It all boils down to your type. Are you the typical “leading man” type? Maybe you’re the girl next door? Maybe you’re the jock, the geek, the quirky girl? Whatever your type is, the sooner you start to nail down what it is, the faster you’ll be able to find a great fitting monologue. It’ll also help you tremendously down the line with casting and getting representation.
An excellent book to aid you with this is one called “The Tao of Show Business” by Dallas Travers. In it, she has a whole chapter dedicated to finding your type called “Finding Your Personal Danny DeVito.”
To sum it up, she goes on to explain how rough Danny DeVito’s journey began. I’m happy to say that he actually went to the same school I did, but unfortunately, wasn’t treated well while he studied there. Teachers told him to quit acting, said he would never make it, etc…
But Danny KNEW that he could do it, knew his type well, and then hustled the hell out of it. The rest was history.
So Dallas wrote the chapter with a detailed explanation of the right questions to ask when trying to figure out your type. Her full workbook isn’t available on the website anymore, but I managed to find the section that helps you break down and find your type. You can find that HERE! (PDF is property of Dallas Travers and I take no ownership of it. What once was free and accessible is no longer available)
Who to Ask?
So now that you’ve got the “how to ask” figured out, we’re going to move onto “who to ask.” The first and most obvious answer is your immediate circle. Teachers, family, and friends. They can give you some invaluable insight into who you are personally.
Sometimes, though, I’m sad to say that it’s just about your look. On most casting websites, the only thing casting directors are going to see at first is your tiny thumbnail of a headshot. So to get a fair read on what your type is as an actor just by LOOKS, you’re going to have to go to strangers who don’t know you at all.
Where’s the quickest and easiest way to get the opinions of strangers whether you asked for them or not?
That’s right… THE INTERNET. Dun dun DUUUNNNNN.
Now I know what you’re probably thinking… you want me to… put myself out there for strangers to see me?? To judge me??
That’s right! I do!
Listen, here’s some real talk. If you want to be an actor, you’re going to need to get very good at taking feedback and criticism. Sometimes HARD and UNFAIR criticism. That being said, there are some very good communities online that can help you grow as an actor. If you don’t believe me, feel free to join them, lurk for a while, check out the vibes, and go from there.
Two great communities that I’ve found are the “Acting” subreddit and the Voice Actors of New York City Facebook page. Obviously, there are going to be tons more out there for whatever you’re looking for. But these are just two examples of how there are decent communities online that can help you learn about your type and get feedback for your work.
Dangers of the “Monologue Book”
Now that you’ve asked as many people as possible, marked up your “type sheet,” and have a good idea of what your type is and what kind of characters you can play, it’s time to really get your hands dirty and head to the bookstore.
Something I see way too much of are these “monologue books.” They’re compilations of monologues usually for people of a specific type, teens, women 20s-30s, men 50+, etc… A lot of times they’ll also have scene books as well like this.
Personally, I would always steer clear from these books. More often than not, the writing in them is incredibly bad, but even more important to mention here, is what these books fail to teach the actor about his craft.
These books lay it all out for you with no context, no backstory, and no need to craft or study. No character. Nothin’. Just a chunk of word vomit on a page. And while these books are 99% of the time marketed toward young or beginning actors, it actually takes someone very skilled to adequately take something with so little background and flesh it out in a real way. Not to mention, once you’ve actually booked a role in a film or theatre piece this method of working isn’t what actually happens.
You don’t just comb through the script looking for your monologue and then narrow your focus tunnel vision style on that monologue. No. You take the time to read the full play. Once. Twice. Three times, four, etc… You analyze the script, you break down the character. That’s the actual work of the actor, not just looking at a chunk of text and memorizing it with no idea of backstory or character other than a brief blurb in one of these monologue books.
So what’s the alternative? Well, just like before when talking about your type, going to other actors and teachers both in-person and online can be a good place to start. You’d be surprised at the wonderful recommendations you may find.
If you’ve exhausted that lane though, I’d recommend a…different kind of text collection. I’m sure there must be others, but “The Ultimate Scene & Monologue Sourcebook” by Ed Hooks is one I’ve been using and it is excellent. What sets this book apart from the aforementioned “monologue book” is that it NOT a “monologue book” but rather, a “sourcebook” pointing you in the direction of great monologues from well-established contemporary plays.
Are you a male from 20–30? Turn to the section for just that type and start reading. What you’ll find is a treasure trove of information from some of the greatest monologues from plays. It’ll give what act and scene to find the monologue, start and stop points, a brief synopsis of the section, monologue or scene, the age range of the character, etc.
Do you know what it doesn’t give you though?
The monologue itself! I know some people might hate the concept, but I found this to be a truly incredible book that doesn’t take away from the joy of discovering that great monologue or scene and the character who says it.
It legitimately forces you to go to the bookshop or library to find these plays. Of course, you could simply take a picture of the monologue, print it out, and do it. BUT if you’ve come this far in the article, something tells me you are interested in going deeper and working harder on your craft.
Finding the Gem
So you’ve got your recommendations from friends, teachers, or a sourcebook like we just spoke about and you’re walking into the bookshop or library. You pull some plays off the shelves and decide it’s time to take a peek!
What are you looking for? Skim through to find the monologue and maybe even peruse through the scene. How do you like the writing style, the scene, the material? What do you think about the emotional stakes? Do you feel that you could bring THIS character at THIS stage of their journey and yours to life realistically? Do you see yourself having fun working on this piece? (Don’t forget, they’re called “plays” for a reason!)
These are all incredibly important questions to ask yourself when choosing a new monologue because if it does its job, those words will penetrate your soul and stick with you for months or years to come, if not for the rest of your life.
