The first step in preparing for auditions is reading plays and finding monologues. Once you have them, what do you do? You start with analysis, table work, just like you do with any script.
Our goal at this stage is to understand the monologues so that we can communicate their sense and meaning. We need to be clear about every word the characters speak and to understand the intentions that are driving those words. What are the circumstances, who are the characters speaking to and why do they use the words they are using at this particular moment?
Begin by reading your monologues and looking up every word you don’t understand. If you have any question about the meaning of a word, look it up. The next step is to paraphrase the monologue—write it out in your own words.
Now go back to the monologue itself and examine the diction used by the character; that is the language, syntax and arrangement of words that the characters speaks. Remember some people speak using multi-syllable words while others speak in monosyllables; some people speak in paragraphs while others speak in short sentences.
Look at the words your character uses. Are they short and clipped or full of vowel sounds? Does the character use a lot of imagery, slang, or is the language precise and directed? Pay careful attention to the words in your classic monologue but don’t overlook them in the contemporary piece because the language seems so close to your own.
As you read the monologues you should begin to get hear or feel the rhythm of the character’s speech. Just as we speak differently, we all have different tempo rhythms and they are important elements in how we speak and who we are. Part of this tempo rhythm is revealed in how the character ends one idea and starts another or how the ideas run one into another. Look closely at the text, read it, and listen. Don’t act, just read and listen.
You will also begin to hear emotional undertones that are connected to the rhythm. Don’t simply play emotions. Doing that will just result in flat, boring acting but understand that your character is feeling a certain way and it will be reflected in the way that person speaks.
Remember the goal of analysis is not to do academic style work. Instead we are trying to reveal as much as we can about what is hidden in the words and discover questions for ourselves. We are looking for options that can be explored on our feet in the rehearsal process. So don’t shy away from the analysis. Think of yourself as an explorer looking for clues. You’ll be amazed at what you find and how much it will help your acting.
