 Drama: January 23, 2008 Issue [#2192] |
  Drama
This week: Edited by: Turkey DrumStik  
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Let's take some time to step away from performed drama to look at written drama. Drama is so easy to look at when we actually see the actions. It's a very different game when you have to write it out. During the writing stages, you have to both create concepts and flesh them out. Confused? Maybe writing short plays and monologues will help clear this up.
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b}Starr* Rathburn  asked me the following question.
Elisa, you asked: Would any of you care to suggest something?
I always enjoy reading tips on how to improve the atmosphere, the "mood" of a piece. Also, my descriptions can use some help. I know I should use metaphors & similies in my work, but I'm not sure how to do it. I want to avoid the clichés too, of course. Thanks!
After meditating on this question for a bit, I realized that there are two forms that can help with these points: monologues and one act plays. I bet you're wondering how these forms of writing could be effective. With these forms, you face different constraints than with short stories, novels or similar forms of prose. The major constraints are space and voice. With monologues, you have to create a couple minutes of spoken speech; with one act plays you have three scenes maximum to tell a story. Both forms require wrtiers to be very choosy about the words they use.
MONOLOGUES
We've all heard the word monologue at one point or another. However, I think a visit to the dictionary will ensure that we're all thinking of the same thing when the word monologue comes up. What does Merriam-Webster have to say about the matter?
1 a: soliloquy [2] b: a dramatic sketch performed by one actor c: the routine of a stand-up comic
2: a literary composition written in the form of a soliloquy
3: a long speech monopolizing conversation
As you can see, monologue encompasses a number of one person speeches. For the purposes of this newsletter, we'll focus on definitions 1b and 2. I will say that the third definition should be used sparingly. Otherwise, the readers (much like the surrounding characters) will become bored and/or annoyed. 
Anyway, with definition 1b, there will be a beginning, middle and end. Each of these points must be boiled down to a couple minutes of speech. That's both not enough time...and a lot of time. It's an interesting paradox that you really have to experience for yourself in order to understand it. When I was 12, I took an acting class that started off with a student selected at random to speak on a given topic for 30 seconds. I admit I was so nervous (and quite easily amused by my selected topic) that I ended up laughing for 30 seconds straight, but for some of my classmates, they ran out of things to talk about halfway through. Imagine having to stretch that out for 90 more seconds. It can be a bit of a challenge. That said, if you want to write a monologue, I'd recommend timing yourself. Set a watch, kitchen timer or any handy timekeeping piece of equipment for two minutes. Then get yourself a topic and talk. Don't worry if you draw a blank before the two minutes are up. That's going to happen.After performing this speaking exercise a few times, you'll get an idea of how much speech should fill up approximately two minutes. If your written monologue goes over that a little, don't sweat it (and I'll get to why in a minute).
Once you have an idea of how long a monologue should be (both in time and the amount of words spoken), it's time to sit down and write one. Monologues can cover a variety of topics from hilarious events to tough moral decisions. As you write the monologue, keep the following things in mind.
 USE ACTIONS: While many of us are used to seeing soliloquies (which depicts a character's inner thoughts), a true dramatic monolgue should have some action in it. Why's that? Describing an action gives the audience a better idea of who the speaker/character is by how (s)he interprets and depicts past events. The audience gets an idea of how close the speaker is to the people involved in the action. Likewise, if the action happens directly to the speaker, we learn about his or her personality via how he or she handles the action involved.
BE CAREFUL WITH SLANG: I'm not saying avoid slang at all costs. If you feel slang would be appropriate for the character who is giving your monologue, go ahead and use it. If you use too much, though, you can diminish its impact, and it's possible that you will confuse your audience. There's also the potential to confuse slang with dialect or even local color, which are different animals altogether.If you find yourself writing a lot of slang into the monologue, step back and think about the words on the page. Are they really slang words, or are they grammatical idioms associated with a certain group or dialect? If you find that most of them are idioms, you can actually throw in a reference to the character's birthplace, current residence or any other factor that contributes to the way the character speaks.
IT'S A BRAND NEW AUDIENCE OUT THERE: With a monologue, your audience will be slightly different. They wil be listening to a spoken performance and not reading something that's been written. This means that someone else might be performing the monologue you've written. If you are performing your own monologue (which is actually not recommended, especially at auditions), it's a little bit different. Either way, it is a spoken piece of work. Aside from engaging content, the words themselves have to feel comfortable on the speaker's tongue. Too many words with oscure pronunciation or tongue twisting consonant combinations (like that phrase) take a lot of time to get right. If the speaker has to devote a lot of time to just being able to say everything correctly, that's time lost to develop the more nuanced parts of the monologue (tone, facial expressions, etc.)
Another part of the audience factor is venue. While monologues have their place in Open Mic Nights and drama competitions, they also play a role in dramatic auditions. With dramatic auditions, the objective of the monologue is to show how well a person can interpret someone else character (specifically that character's speech). This is why self written monologues are discouraged at auditions. After all, you know what you meant to write, but that inside knowledge might backfire if you indeed get the part and end up having to embody a character you didn't write.
Monologues are a great way to describe situations strictly through speech. However, the form works best when it is centered around an event and actions take place. The advantage to a monologue is that your words don't have to be as fancy. Seriously, how many people do you know use lackadaisical in everyday speech? Without having to worry about how the words look on paper, you can focus more on a character's voice, which in itself can describe more than eloquent words ever could.
ONE-ACT PLAYS
Likewise, one act plays are brief pieces with a beginning, a middle and an end. Another similarity they share with monologues is that they're intended to be performed. With those things in mind, let's take a look at traits unique to one act plays.
 SETTING MATTERS: With a one act play, it's easiest to have one principal setting. Other settings can be implied, but more elaborate setting changes would drag out the pacing of such a play. It's perfectly fine to mention another setting when two characters talk about a past event that is relevant to what is happening at the present time. Keep in mind that the purpose of a one act play is to confine the components of the plot pyramid to one area and a small group of people. Too many settings wil make the play swell to two acts.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T DESCRIBE: As I've said in previous newsletters, there are some aspects of scripts you really cannot control. A lot of this is detail work. Granted, you can specify certain props in describing the setting, but with scripts there is such a thing as going too far. It's one thing to say table or even mahogany table. however, if you devote at least two sentences to describing the table, that would teeter on overkill. The same goes for the costumes. You could say Elizabethan style gown, but launching into a long description of the collar would drive directors and costume personnel crazy. If you happen to be directing the play, you can preside over these details to some degree. Too much meddling is a great way to alienate yourself from those involved in the production, though. In the end, try not to sweat the small stuff too much. After all, imagination and different interpretations of the specific visuals make each production unique.
TEAMWORK: With any sort of performed work involving more than one person, it's one for all and all for one. As you write even a one act play, keep in mind that getting it on stage will be a team effort. Be prepared to make some changes. Don't skimp too much on descriptions. Think about words the characters say that might be different for the actors. And never forget your audience. The audience is there to be entertained, but they're not going to be sitting around all night. Make the plot one that doesn't take two hours to resolve. Even a simple discussion can turn into an event that changes one or more characters. Given the length of the play, the plot and the ways the various parts will join together doesn't need to be complicated. If you keep it relatively simple, the play will proceed smoothly for the team.
TURNING...A PHRASE: Now while I hesitate pouring slang into a piece like adding milk to your cereal, I am all for good plays on words. When I say plays on words, I mean moments in the dialogue when a character can say many things with just one line. This can be done by using words that have multiple definitions, providing the audience with a little dramatic irony and selecting words in dialogue that evoke a particular tone/mood. Obviously, this takes some time to get right. However, the right words can make all the difference. Take a look at these lines.
STACY
I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!
STACY
It doesn't matter what you did to him. I'd burn you myself if I didn't gag at the scent of fiery flesh.
As you can see in those two lines, the same basic emotion is there (Stacy loathes an unnamed character). However, the tones are very different. The former depicts a sort of knee-jerk reaction to a heinous action. The latter lines, meanwhile, depict a hatred that's been brewing for a long time, and it shows that Stacy isn't entirely adverse to vengeance. Neither example contains fancy or archaic language, but the very words communicate two very different tones.
WIthout chaining you to your dictionary and thesaurus, you can use monologues to depict actions and emotions through speech. While not always perfect, the experience of writing in either of these forms can be refreshing, as you have to use different thought processes when creating them. I hope this helps you, Starr, and I hope everyone finds it at least interesting and something to ponder.
Until next time,
(sig by Charmin and 👼intuey  )
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I'm surprised I got feedback for my last newsletter! It was a little bit more personal than usual, but that didn't seem to be a factor here. Here's what you had to say about my wishes (and other topics, as well).
From Mark : If nothing else Elisa, I can count on you to make me pay attention and consider your words. It usually leads to some form of thought about my own opinions. Your wishes are indeed out there as you well know, and while it may or may not be wishful thinking to consider them "ahead of their time", the very act of putting it out there is right on time! I can't think of a better time for people to reach deep down inside and find what would really make things better, happier or less annoying. Ideas have a way of running down streams we never intended, but this one you put out there for us is strong enough to help us effect change. That's big stuff. Well done, and thank you for this and all of your NL efforts, they are greatly appreciated.
I'm glad that my newsletters get you thinking and that you are enjoying them. I suppose that simply by putting my wishes out there they might eventually come true in some form. However, how many people that are in the right position to effect these changes are actually reading?  Okay, it does boil down to the definition of right position. Hehheh. The internet is so loaded with people aching to make their voices heard, but perhaps wishes with some substantial roots in previous research and observation can stand out. I know that's wishful thinking, but maybe I'm right. Who knows?
From Hannah : I really agreed with what you said about Philip Pullman. It would really be unfortunate if he would be remembered for something like "church-bashing" and not for being an amazing storyteller who fascinated people of all ages with his stories.
And I can't believe you don't like Johnny Depp or Tim Burton! I'm not one for horror movies, but I am definitely going to see Sweeney Todd and I think it will actually be a good movie that is a nice departure from P.S. I Love You and Alvin and the Chipmunks and that sort of crap Hollywood fare.
Great newsletter!
Too bad it took a bit of a hit at the box office. I do know that one movie theater company wouldn't show it because the studio wanted too much money for leasing the actual film, but that's another story. On the other hand, it did win two Golden Globes.
As for your Philip Pullman coment, we can only hope that time can erode the controversy surrounding The Golden Compass. Perhaps not surprisingly, the film performed well outside of the United States. That is food for thought, but it could also be that more people are familiar with Philip Pullman and his works outside of the Compass.
Next month's newsletter might ruffle some feathers. I'll be taking on history and historical dramas with a focus on how history is portrayed in written form. Got some stories I should read? Comments to consider? Want to just rag on me? The e-mail and feedback boxes are open!
And if you happen to miss or misplace a newsletter, feel free to stop by "The Drama Box" [13+].
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