Character Exercise; Theater Vocabulary; Jane Martin's Talking With

This morning, let's start off with a little character writing exercise. Use your journal/notebook for these morning exercises.

Throughout this course, I will be using specific language related to the field of playwriting and/or writing in general. These terms are important for you to know/learn. They look nice on quizzes and tests. Always take notes on key information in this class. Practicing note-taking is also important for any student or writer.

Theatre vocabulary to know:

• Monologue: an extended speech delivered by one person/character.
• Dramatic Monologue: a long or extended speech delivered by one character addressing another character or group of characters.
• Interior Monologue: In fiction or prose, the description or speech (in 1st person POV, for example) where a character exhibits (shows/tells) the thoughts, feelings, and associations passing through a character's mind.
• Soliloquy: an extended speech by one person/character addressed directly to the audience. Usually the character is alone on stage.
• Monologue Play (one-person show; monodrama): A solo performance, featuring an actor, comedian, or entertainer.
• Premise: the basic concept or idea of the play. Usually the premise can be stated clearly in 1 sentence. This is a play about...

TALKING WITH:

Please read the handout about Jane Martin this morning. Follow up your reading with a 10 minute period of reading. Select one of the monologues in the collection and read it closely. Analyze how:

• the character hooks her audience, 
• how the character communicates meaning (what's the purpose/point of speaking?)
• how details and background description and details are presented to the audience, 
• how story and plot are interwoven into the monologue, 
• how language or diction is used to create visual imagery (metaphor, allusion, personification, symbol, simile, etc.), sound imagery (onomatopoeia, rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, assonance, consonance, etc.), and
• how props or costumes are used (if any) help establish setting or character.

TASK: After reading silently (alone) for 10 minutes, let's take a look at a few performances from the play. As you watch, consider how PERFORMANCE (the ability of the performer) changes or affects your experience or understanding of the play/scene:

Fifteen Minutes (monologue, page 7-10)
Rodeo (monologue, page 31-34)
Twirler (part; not complete monologue; page 37-40)
Marks (monologue, page 67-69)

TASK: After viewing, let's conduct a class discussion. Your response can include answers to any or all of these questions:

• What did you think about the play as a whole? Did it surprise you or please you or frustrate you? Explain why you reacted to the play in this way.
• What is the premise of "Talking With"? In a sentence or two, explain what you think is the premise or main idea/theme of the play. Is this premise interesting? Do you think people would pay to see this play?
• The "audience" for each character changes as the play continues. How does the author help a viewer or reader understand who the character in question is "talking with..."? Overall, by the end of the play, who do you think the playwright Jane Martin is "Talking with...?" Support your opinion.
• What challenges and stage requirements are necessary to produce this play? How has Jane Martin anticipated a low-budget, black box theater being able to produce her play? What did you learn about staging from the monologues you read and watched?
• Why are the monologues in the order that Martin puts them? What is the reason to start and end the play with the monologues she does?
• After reading about Jane Martin, what amuses or interests you in her as a writer? How might the idea of "Theatricality" (artificial life involving conflict) infuse the script and the whole experience of seeing this play on stage?

After our discussion, let's move to the lab to conduct the following activities. Both activities will also be homework if you do not complete them in the lab:

Lab Task 1: Watch the following pairs of performances. Compare/contrast the quality or effectiveness of the performer and write your analysis or critique of the monologue in a paragraph response (to be turned in as homework participation Thursday, September 10). There are 3 pairings.

To assist your answers: As you watch these scenes from Talking With, pay attention to how the playwright engages the audience and tells an interesting story that develops the single speaking character. Notice how the actor portrays this character. Are the author's words more effective or is the performance more compelling to you as an audience? What does this suggest about the nature of performance? Which performance was stronger than the other? Why? What might be some things you want to remember about writing plays for performers?

Clear Glass Marbles (monologue, page 19-22)
Clear Glass Marbles (monologue, page 19-22) 

Audition. (monologue, page 25-27)
Audition 

French Fries (monologue, page 61-63)
French Fries

Lab Task 2: Using your character exercise from this morning, write a monologue from the perspective of your created character.

Next class we will begin in the lab and continue working on monologues and monologue writing.

If you missed it, read about Jane Martin here.

HOMEWORK: If you did not complete your reading of Talking With, please do so. Complete the lab assignments (1 & 2) for homework if you did not complete them during class. For advanced students who are ready for the next reading assignment, please begin reading the monologue play The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler.