Daily Drama: Monologues and Self Evaluation

Here at CEPA, we want to encourage young actors that even though there is no stage, they can still work on their acting abilities and have fun!

Looking internally with Monologues & Self Evaluation

Pick a monologue, either one that you have or choose one from this website, https://www.monologuearchive.com/. Read over the monologue so you are familiar with it. Decide how the character acts, moves, and feels. Practice the monologue a few times after that. Next, find a mirror and begin practicing your monologue in front of the mirror. It sounds silly, but this allows you to see what you are doing. You will be able to see if conveying your emotions and if your movements are good.

One important thing that you will also be able to see, is your own habits. Do you play with your hair too much to where it is distracting? Do your eyes drift and lose focus? Do you look down at your feet when you forget a line? Continue to practice your monologue while analyzing your habits. Make notes of these habits. After you have noted them take these final steps.

Now that you know what some of your habits are, start correcting them while still practicing your monologue. For example, you notice you are moving your hands a lot and it is not because of character choice, but because you are nervous. Take a few deep breaths and put your hands to your side, then try the monologue without using your hands. Try with the monologue 2 more times without the habits you noticed. You will see how these habits can affect your monologue.

This is important because those habits can hinder your performance, whether it is an audition or show. You may not be able to completely get rid of these habits, but once you are aware of them it is easier to start making changes in your acting. Try this with more monologues because you can never have too many monologues on stand by!