Acting Monologue - Top Suggestions For A Successful Performance

http://monologuesforwomen.com/blog/
Acting Monologue - Top Suggestions For A Successful Performance
A monologue is any dramatic performance by a single actor portraying a character and performed to an audience. Actors use monologues as audition pieces, as showcase performances in their own right, or just to refine their acting skills. No matter why you are preparing a monologue, the following ideas will help to ensure that you give your best performance:.

1. Find a truth. There is no single truth, every individual connects with a piece of writing in a different way, but you do need some connection. If a particular monologue doesn't 'speak' to you, if it doesn't say something to you, then pick a different one. No matter how technically proficient you are, an audience will right away sense when there is no truth in your performance.

2. Be heard. There are very few things that an audience will not forgive-- if you fall over, or if you forget a line, they'll forgive you. BUT ... if they can't hear you, it doesn't matter how good the other aspects of your performance, they will not forgive you. Clarity and audibility above all else.

3. Choose for your audience. Select a monologue that is appropriate for your audience in terms of length and type of material. Many a good actor has been sunk by poor choices.

4. Play to your strengths. Select a monologue that will show your strengths as an actor or will display certain skills. Showcase yourself. This is particularly crucial if you are preparing a piece for an audition. Don't select a piece that shows off your comic skills if you're auditioning to play Oedipus.

5. Make it a complete performance. Each monologue is a performance, and each performance must have structure and shape. You're on display from the moment you walk into the performance space until you leave it. Always say a few words about the context, no matter how well known the piece you are performing. Always make it clear when your performance is ended.

6. Dig deep. The deeper you go into a piece, the more discoveries you will make and the richer your final performance will be. Often you can keep making discoveries in a piece of writing over a period of weeks, months or even years. So, be prepared-- start working on a variety of pieces well before you need them. Don't be frightened by the idea that you might become 'over rehearsed'-- there is no such thing.

7. Keep it simple. Though your performance must be deep, it must also be compact. Don't overload a short piece and try to show off too many things at once. This applies to trying to convey too many aspects of the character and/or overloading your performance with too many quirks, props or gimmicks.

8. Be in the moment. This is the key to all good performance, not just monologues. It has to appear newly minted, as if your words are spontaneous and not well rehearsed.

9. Learn from feedback. When you're working on a piece, invite as much feedback as you can get. Learn how to critically assess this feedback and to learn from the useful bits. You must be learning all the time and using feedback is one of the most efficient ways of learning.

10. Have fun. The most crucial thing of all. If you're enjoying the experience, enjoying the performance, then so will your audience. It's hard work to polish the performance of even the shortest speech, but there's nothing like the sense of achievement that it can bring. Have fun, enjoy it, because if you don't, then what's the point?