Monologues and Soliloquies

(In-Schools Program)

Dec 8,2011, 11:50 AM - 12:40 PM @ James Lick Middle School
Dear 826 Valencia Street Volunteers,

Thank you for helping to support our students at James Lick Middle School with their Drama project! Monologue writing is a challenging exercise that allows students to reveal a little about themselves.

A monologue is a long speech by one character (human, animal or object) to self, an imagined other character, or audience that:

(1) reveals (through voice) the speaker’s personality, thoughts, emotions and some aspects of his/her perception of life;
(2) might resolve a conflict, solve a problem, entertain or
persuade;
(3) might require some stage directions and setting.

I am asking for your help in working with our students to write and revise a personal monologue and complete a final draft. Students will come to 826 Valencia's Writers' Room with an outline and/or a draft of their monologue. The students have been reading, analyzing, and presenting brief monologues, which serve as a model for their project (see examples below). The goal is to write a 1-2 minute monologue about an issue in their lives. It could be a strong memory such as an embarrassing moment, an incident that happened, a problem they had to resolve, a conversation with a person who is important to them, etc.

These are the steps we are following in the monologue writing process:
1. Watch and analyze monologue performances by teens.
2. Read a monologue and analyze the character.
3. Perform the monologue working with a partner who performs the same monologue.
4. Outline your personal monologue
5. Write a draft of your monologue.
6. Provide critique on another student’s monologue using the revision feedback sheet.
7. Revise your monologue script based on critique from another student.
8. Practice your monologue performance.
9. Perform (to accolades, of course!)

Thank you for all your help!
Dr. Diehl, 6th grade teacher

Grade: sixth

Address:
1220 Noe Street