Directing Monologues
by Scott Nolte
Our faith
is strengthened by stories of God's work in the lives of biblical characters
(Moses, the apostle Paul, Mary Magdalene). Our lives are enriched by the
testimonies of historical and contemporary people (St. Francis, John Wesley,
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.), too. Similarly, we find insight and spiritual
wisdom in the unsung heroes (moms, snowboarders,
grandparents). With heroes like these, is it any surprise
we are drawn to dramatize their lives?
A monologue-a performance by a single actor-is an effective way to capture
a 
person's
life and thoughts. Here are some ways a director can help the actor bring
a monologue to life.
We must know the character! If it is a historical or biblical person,
gather information about the person-when and where he lived and a picture
or painting depicting the character. If it is a character you could meet
today, try to describe her life situation, pick out photos of her and
explain her values. Walking in someone else's shoes is a key to acting
and that means knowing the person you are portraying.
Is the character talking to an invisible person onstage, to the audience
as members of a particular culture, or the audience as an audience? The
audience should understand their relationship to the character and the
monologue's theme. With a harried mom (as in Easter Epiphany) the
audience should feel like her friends, standing around the kitchen with
a cup of coffee. In Mary at the Foot of the Cross, the actor's
awareness is of the invisible Jesus on the cross, and the audience is
present only to witness this last, private moment between the Son of God
and his earthly mother.
In most monologues, the actor does not have many words to inform the audience
of place and time. This could invite the use of a few select items-props
and costumes-to suggest the setting. For example, give the woman in Easter
Epiphany a bag of groceries and I'll think the incident just happened
and she's dying to tell me.
Some performances are meant to be stationary-caught in a spotlight. But
a solo performer can use the stage to create visual motion and interest.
Could Mary, in Mary at the Foot of the Cross, move to either side
of the (invisible) cross in her effort to see and be seen by her dying
son? Without detracting from the words, an actor can use the stage: sit
and stand, walk while speaking and give naturalness to the character.
Having grown up in the church, I've heard a jillion sermons: some assimilated,
many forgotten. I've also listened to a healthy number of testimonies,
and I remember a surprising number of those! A person's story of God's
healing and faithfulness reaches deep into our imaginations and hearts.
That's the kind of effectiveness we want to find when performing monologues.
