Drama Monologue

1. This competition category is for middle school (5-8) and high school (9-12) students with prizes being given in both age categories.

2. The monologue that a student needs to present for this category does not have to be from a play. It can be from a movie, your favorite novel, or even be a children’s story, etc. The main criteria is that it needs to be ONE CHARACTER telling a story or their own story or their own views. The actor needs to stay in that one character the entire performance. He/She may be talking to several people, but you cannot change who you are during the performance. You can put together several pieces from a novel or a play. If you are having trouble coming up with something, just ask yourself, "what is my favorite movie or story?" Just pick a character from there! You can even do a Bible character. Please see Mrs. Miller if you need ideas.

3. The selection needs to fit the time limits which are no shorter than 2 minutes and no longer than 4 minutes. You will be penalized points if you go over or under the time limits.

4. You need to memorize your piece, but we recommend that you have a person in the audience with your script to prompt you just in case you forget a line or two.

5. You may have some small props and you may be in costume.

6 . Be sure to use good judgment as to the content and topic of your piece. If you have any questions as to its appropriateness, please see Mrs. Miller.

7. Before you begin your monologue, please introduce yourself and provide the judges with your competitor’s number. Once you have done that, bow your head. Once you lift your head, the judges will know that you are beginning. When you are finished, please bow your head once again.

8. You will need to provide a copy of your monologue to the judges before you perform it.

9. You will have about 8 feet by 6 feet of area to perform your monologue.

10. You will find out if you won an award at the awards assembly that night. If you won first place, you will be asked to perform it at the awards assembly that night.

11. Judges will be looking for voice (expression, clarity and volume), character portrayal, memorization, appropriateness of the selection, costume, and over all presentation of the setting, character and story.

Help Writing a Monologue

Many students have been asking about the best place to find a drama monologue.  If you go on the Internet, you may find some good ones, but be careful  that the content is appropriate for our school competition.  The best place is to think about your favorite movie, play or novel.

While your monologue needs to be from something that has been published, you can create your monologue by piecing together scenes from movies, plays, or even create a monologue from a novel.

You can take many of their lines or scenes and put them together.  When there is a conversation between two people you can take what the other person said and turn it into your character's lines.

Example:

Gina:  (your monologue character) I just don't know why mom won't let me work at that summer camp. It is my dream come true.

Bob: She doesn't trust you enough after what you pulled last summer! 

Gina:  Won't she every let me grow up and move on from that ?  I learned my lesson.  

(You could then take out Bob's line  and give that line to Gina like this:  "I suppose she is still thinking about what I pulled last summer.  Maybe I haven't earned her trust back yet.")

Have fun with this and if you have questions, feel free to ask Mrs. Miller.