Find Emotion in Monologues

Every actor wants to be able to fill a monologue with emotion, otherwise they wouldn't be able to pull their audience into their production! It is important to be able to fully connect with the character you're portraying, as well as representing to your audience or director in an audition, how well you can make this connection. This article will assist you in picking a monologue that "fits" you, as well as being able to connect with your character and perform an emotion-filled monologue.

Steps

  1. Research a good monologue for yourself. Part of the trick to delivering a good monologue is to find one that is a good fit for you. Finding a character similar to yourself is often easier to portray than someone with whom you find it hard to really connect or understand. Here are some ways to connect well:
    • If you have a certain disposition, such as shy, or outgoing, try to find a good "fit" in a character that aligns with your personality traits.
    • If you have a strong accent, find a monologue that may portray a character who has an accent.
    • Several websites are handy for finding a good monologue, and you may even be able to find a reputable fellow actor or a director to give you suggestions.
  2. After you have chosen your monologue, go over it. Make sure you have memorized it, and know it by heart before you go up on stage. Memorizing the monologue makes a big difference between getting the lead, and getting a smaller role. Also, proving that you can memorize a monologue shows the director you're auditioning for that you're prepared to memorize whatever lines you'll have in the actual performance as your character. Oftentimes, it helps to just simply memorize the monologue before getting filled up with emotion over it. Then, you will know the whole monologue before you polish it up.
  3. Find some "key" words, and emphasize them. Imagine italicizing the words verbally for further emotion. Find places for inflections, pauses, sounds (like a cough, a cry, a muttering or a gasp), as well as facial expressions and bodily gestures. The whole body performs emotion. Just as someone would not only raise their voice when they become angry, you will want to add these small but important factors. An angry person might also make menacing gestures, grunt, turn red, as well as pace and stomp. They might also raise their voice or make their voice sound strained or upset. These kinds of "body language" and sounds add a whole lot of depth and emotion to your monologue.
  4. Try to fill the shoes of your character. Envision how they would react to situations that you face. Think of the way they walk, the way they talk, and the way they interact with others. Think of how mature they would be at their age.
    • Try to think during certain moments of the day, "What would my character do, or how would he or she react at this moment?" Try to place yourself in the feeling and characteristics of the person whom you will portray. The more you envision yourself as your character, the more believable you will be.
    • Imagine your character's characteristics. Is he or she reclusive? What does he or she do for fun or in his or her free time? Is he or she proud? Is he or she heroic? Is he or she selfish? How does he or she walk? How does he or she talk? The more you know about your character (which may include making up things about him or her), the better you will be able to fill your monologue with emotion.
  5. Don't forget to practice, practice and practice some more! Even though you might get stage fright, it is very important that you can be comfortable practicing your monologue in front of people. If you really feel uncomfortable at first, read it to your pets, your reflection in the mirror, or to yourself in an open space. Eventually, you should really try to practice for real people besides the director. Ask family and friends to listen initially.
  6. Be sure to make eye contact with your audience, as that makes them feel as if they are a part of your monologue. You should try to include people to make it seem more real and vivid to them. After all, you will be trying to make an impression on them, and not speak to yourself or into the distance.
  7. Try to keep it real every time. If you find your monologue becoming dull, either change it up (but keeping the same feeling) or take a little break from practicing. If you believe it, the audience believes it.
  8. Finally, you are ready! You have your monologue memorized by heart, have practiced using emotion both with your speech and your body, and should be comfortable performing it for people. Remember, the more people you are comfortable with watching you, the better you will probably be able to perform for your audition or actual performance. Good luck!

Tips

  • Be yourself, your own natural acting ability is good enough!
  • Try fooling around in front of the mirror, practicing facial expressions, and scenes in which your character is in. Also, try playing some imaginary scenes which your character would have done daily (for example, if you're portraying a thief from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, play a scene where you're sneaking riches into your "Open Sesame" cave.) These role plays can be as imaginative as you want. 
  • Try avoiding things you might be tempted to "play" with during the audition, such as scarves, long jewelry, and the like. Many people want to squeeze or hold something when they are nervous––avoid doing that. If you appear nervous, you may be judged by the director as a person who cannot keep their cool on stage. You want your hands to be used for gestures and body language, not for squeezing your scarf, clothing, or anything else (unless, of course, squeezing something is specifically required for the purpose your monologue).
  • Make sure you're wearing clothes that are comfortable and let you move around without any problems. Usually directors suggest wearing solid colors. The reason for this is that if you are wearing something "loud", then that will take away from your performance. If you're wearing a mini-skirt and high heels, or low-rider pants and a hat that covers your eyes, these types of clothing are not going to help you for your audition. You should be able to walk and move your body around without any trouble. Choose loose clothing (not too loose!) that will not fall down or distract you during your audition. Finally, just realize that YOU want to make the impression and get the attention, not your clothes.

Warnings

  • Even though some directors allow a "cheat-sheet" (a copy of your monologue) during the actual audition, many don't. Further, it is much harder to perform an emotional monologue when you're holding and reading a piece of paper. Doing that cuts off almost all body language, as well as eye contact between you and the audience. This is why memorizing your monologue can be so beneficial and important. If everyone else is staring at their paper while you're using body language, emotion, and eye contact, you're much more likely to get a better role, perhaps even the lead.
  • Make sure you stay in character. If you should mess up, don't screw up your face or break down. Simply stay in character, and either skip to the next line, or improvise until you're at a point where you can pick it up again. This is why it is really important to memorize your monologue.
  • Don't do your speech too fast. Keep it at an even pace, with enough pauses to be able to understand the monologue, as well as the focal point of your speech. Make use of gaps to increase the significance of what you're delivering.
  • Speak clearly and make sure that your audience can understand what you're saying. If they can't understand the words, the emotion will be useless.
  • Avoid over-doing it. When your character becomes more of a caricature than a real person, it's painful to watch and the director won't assign you a role. This character should seem like a living, breathing person to you in your mind.
  • Be sure to choose a monologue that fits the required time limit (if you have one). Basically, just make sure you aren't performing a five-minute speech when it is only supposed to be one minute, or vice versa. Furthermore, if you did find a too long speech for a shorter time limit, try cropping it down. Although you should probably try to find a monologue of the right length for the time, the speech may really "fit" you. If so, it is a good idea to cut down the speech a bit. However, do make sure that it is okay for you cut down the speech (just in case of copyright issues) before you actually do it.

Things You'll Need

  • Monologue
  • Mirror
  • Space to practice
  • Audience for practice

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Sources and Citations

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