Monologue Foundations

Service Description

Monologue Foundations is a six-week acting course that teaches participants how to turn words on a page into a fully developed, believable performance. It is designed especially for complete beginners, developing performers, and actors returning after a long break. No audition, acting résumé, or prepared monologue is required. Participants may take the entire series or attend individual classes. Rather than focusing on collecting audition pieces or comparing classical and contemporary monologues, the course explores the essential craft beneath any strong monologue: Who is speaking? What do they want? What stands in their way? Why must they speak now? Lesson 1: Character and Point of View September 2 Students are introduced to Uta Hagen’s Nine Questions and use imagination to build a character’s circumstances, relationships, environment, and inner world. Lesson 2 : Objective, Obstacle, and Stakes September 9 Students identify: -What the character wants -Who or what is preventing them from getting it -What the character risks losing -Why the conversation matters at this particular moment Lesson 3: Actions and Tactics September 16 Students explore the different strategies a character uses to affect the listener. Instead of trying to “act sad” or “act angry,” performers learn to play active choices. Lesson 4: Beats and Text Analysis September 23 Students divide a monologue into beats, or moments when the character’s thought, emotion, tactic, or focus changes. Week 5: Movement and Staging October 7 Students explore how to use the performance space intentionally. They practice entrances, exits, focus, body language, stage directions, and motivated movement. Week 6: Bringing It Together October 14 Students combine character work, objectives, obstacles, tactics, beats, vocal choices, and movement to perform a complete one-to-two-minute monologue.