Rubric for Monologue 1 and the Songalogue Project

Grading Rubric for Monologues:

Memorized/delivered without hesitation due to trying to remember words (10 points)

Delivered without nervousness or fidgeting in body unless relevant to character (10 points)

Used blocking/body language and it was appropriate to character or emotion (15 points)

Voice was loud (projected) (10 points)

Pacing of delivery was steady and appropriate (10 points)

Voice was clear, with good enunciation of words (10 points)

Effective emotional expression (15 points)

Clear emotional development (layers) as monologue progressed (10 points)

Good embodiment of the character in voice, movement, expression (10 points)

Scene/Character Development Exercise

Uta Hagen’s Nine Questions 

1. Who am I? Who is your character?

Identify all the details: name/age, physical traits, relatives, education, personal opinions, likes, dislikes, hobbies, fears, ethics, and beliefs.

2. What time is it?

The year, the season, the day, the minute. What is the significance of time?

3. Where am I?

Identify the country, the city/town, the neighborhood, the building, the room, the specific area of the room.

4. What surrounds me? What is happening in the environment around you?

Weather, landscape, people, animate/inanimate objects.

5. What are the given circumstances?

Identify events in the past, present, future. What has happened, what is happening, what is going to happen?

6. What are my relationships?

This is more than your relationship to other people. Think about your relationship to objects, characters, and events.

7. What do I want? What do you want immediately? What does the character want overall?

8. What is in my way? What are the obstacles to getting what you want?

9. What do I do to get what I want? What actions do you take (both physically and verbally)? What tactics?

The Song-alogue Project

For this project, you will choose a song that 1) you like and 2) you think tells a good story and 3) you can create a strong, clear character out of. You will perform the lyrics of the song without music (and edited as you see fit to make it clear but mainly sticking to the exact song lyrics) in the voice and body of the character you create -- so basically you will turn a song into a monologue. You will need to memorize the piece and also stage it using blocking/movement. Props or costumes are optional. Think about all of the skills we practiced in the monologue including voice projection and articulation, pacing of delivery with appropriate pauses, clear emotion that matches the story you are telling, strong facial expressions and gestures, purposeful movement, and different levels within the performance to create variation and keep audience interested.

Writing Tip -- for blog posts or life in general

Welcome to Dramatic Arts

Here are some quotes to think about as we start this course!