I’ve been doing background work for a little while–you may begin to see me on your favorite shows here and there, though it is nothing I am legally able to talk about–but I outgrew it and am now pursuing principal roles. As I develop my reel with drama monologues I’ll be sharing each one.
I’m self-taught in this area too, and really, I find acting is a very intuitive and organic art amid all the technique and calculation, so it is just as well. I couldn’t afford acting classes anyway.
In any case, below are a few monologues. Enjoy!
Here I play as Tom, a veteran recounting some of his experiences from having served in Iraq, in the monologue, “Fighting In Iraq”, written by Joseph Arnone. In the author’s words:
“In this monologue, Tom talks to a few friends at a bar about his experiences fighting in Iraq.” Note I use many ad-libs in this one and some improv to promote my immersion in the character– does not line up with script in some parts.
Tom is a seasoned combatant and comes across as someone who is emotionally able to tell the tale rather than someone who, for example, actively suffers from the symptoms of PTSD. So, I portrayed him as someone who is able to deal with the memory of his experience as he relives it for a moment for his friends. They are in a bar, after all. Tone is important.
Here I perform as John in the monologue “Man Called John”, written by Joseph Arnone. John suffers from a physical deformity and talks about his recent experience with a fly with his psychiatrist.
In the author’s words: ” John has been seeing a psychiatrist to help him cope with his physical deformity. He shares a recent experience of becoming friends with a fly.”
Note my ad-libs deviate slightly from the original passage for the purpose of being natural.
My portrayal of John was informed by the nature of isolation and the fact that he was seeing a psychiatrist. He had a preexisting physical deformity – not a mental illness – but I felt he would have emotional / mental obstacles as well.
In this 4-minute performance I play as Jordan confronting a loved one in the monologue “It Could Have Been So Much Better”, written by Joseph Arnone. In his words:
“In this monologue, JORDON gives his final goodbye to his father after deciding he no longer wishes to talk to him ever again.”
To clarify, my personal family relationships are fine and I am only fortunate to have such a tremendous support system throughout my life. For a moment I connect with “Jordan” to feel his pain, and perhaps that of others as well.
I ad-lib / improv. a bit from the original passage for the purpose of being as natural and authentic as possible. My interpretation was that despite Jordan’s vulnerability, he is still a grown man who could deliver such a verdict while maintaining some degree of composure and stability.
