Please Note: Throughout December 2008 and January 2009 Brian will also privately coach actors (along with his regular private coaching) who will be auditioning for grad (MFA) programs in late January. Brian is the only audition coach in the U.S. who is annual guest faculty member/guest lecturer at such top acting training programs as: The Yale School of Drama, The Juilliard School, The University of California, San Diego/LaJolla Playhouse, The National Theatre Conservatory at the Denver Center, The Old Globe Theatre/University of San Diego Professional Acting Program, University of North Carolina,Chapel Hill, Temple University, Brown University/Trinity Rep Consortium, The Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University and others. He has been in the room when the decisions for admission are made and he knows what they like, and what they don't like. Coaching is $65 per hour and covers selection of material and personal presentation. For an over-all view of Brian's approach to monologues, please read below: MONOLOGUES AND MARKETING: "Selling Yourself"--AN INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN O'NEIL (reprinted from Show Business Weekly) Q. How do you suggest selecting monologue material? A. First of all, it's important to ask yourself for what and for whom you'll be using the material. If you're doing a general at a "soap", I'd suggest using natural dialogue, that is, vernacular, rather than heightened, poetic, or highly theatrical language. For an audition in an agent's office, choose material that allows you to show your essence. In other words, pick material that lets them get to know YOU better. For grad school auditions, it's critical to pick pieces that show your range as the auditors want to see that you can be cast in the broadest way possible. Also, pick material from roles that you know that you'd realistically be cast in at this time-- which isn't a bad idea under any audition circumstance. If you're doing more than one piece, your second and third piece can show more in the way of characterization. Let's look at another situation. Is it an audition for a season at a regional theater? If so, then choose pieces that match the aesthetic feel for the season that is being presented. That is, if the theater's season includes the works of Shanley, Shepard, and Mamet, I wouldn't suggest doing pieces by Gurney and Wasserstein. The sensibilities of the latter two tend to be upscale and sophisticated, whereas the former tend to be what I call "muscle and grit Chicago theater." Very important: unless otherwise asked, present material that contains as much humor as possible. And remember, dramatic does not mean humorless! But now that I've given you the rules, let me hasten to add that there aren't any! Anyone may like, or not like, someone for any reason imaginable. After all, what word comes up more often in a discussion about auditions than the word "subjective"? It's just about the only thing everyone in our business seems to agree on. Q. What is your approach to performing a monologue? A. I approach all monologues as scenes. In my "Monologues and Marketing" workshop, I rarely use the word "monologue" as it tends to give the impression that the piece being worked on is some kind of "speech." And I think approaching an audition piece as a "speech" is dangerous. Q. Why? A. "Speech" implies that the character you're playing has this one of two minute "thing" to deliver without regard for his or her listener, when it's actually the relationship and the responses from the other character that drive your character to keep speaking. In other words, when a character starts a so-called monologue, he or she very often doesn't know that it's going to wind up being a "speech"! The character is making his points, and the continued conflict in the relationship compels him to keep talking until he's done his best to resolve it. I like to see an actor "grapple" and "discover." My approach is that the emotions are there, but the words are not yet written. So it's not pat. It's not set. Q. What are the elements of a good monologue? A. The same elements that comprise a good scene! a.) relationship b.) conflict c.) need d.) emotional importance and e.) humor. Q. What are the biggest mistakes you see in the presentation of monologues? A. A lack of a sense of relationship, for one. When I work with an actor on a monologue, I tell him or her to discover, or create, what I call "response points." I teach actors to break a piece down into a few beats, or points, after which they could logically expect to get a response from the character to whom they are speaking. How is the character responding? Build in conflict! It could be a visual response from the other character, if that's what works for you. Have your "scene partner" give you a look of resistance, or perhaps a look of surprise. Or you can imagine that your "scene partner" is starting to say something resistant, rather than giving you a facial cue. Whatever it is, build it into your monologue in a specific way. This allows you, the speaker, to come up with a new tactic to make your next point. In doing so, you will create a cycle of communication. The pitch in your voice will change, as will your tone and your pace. You will have surprises in your "scene." You'll wake your auditor up! All auditors say they want to be surprised. But they rarely are. Q. What about using material that is done a lot? Do you think a lot of monologues are overdone? A. There are clearly two separate schools of thought on this one. Some directors, casting directors and agents will actually name pieces that they never want to see again. Others say they don't care how many times they have seen it, as long as the actor-- guess what---surprises them! Personally, I'm a fan of clever material. I'm manipulative about auditioning. I like material that ends with a cliffhanger or a button. Q. A "button"? A. Notice when an actor comes on a talk show and brings a clip from the film he's plugging. At the end of the scene, which usually has a clear conflict and a strong need, the character played by the star throws his last line at the other character. The line lands, the frame freezes and there's a brief moment of silence which is followed by a gasp from the audience...and then the house comes down! An effect has been created. The last line of the clip was a "button." A perfect example is Alec Baldwin's short monologue in the film "Malice." The scene ended with Baldwin saying, "I am God." Now, that movie is nearly ten years old, and most people didn't like it very much, but it was the perfect scene to choose for the TV promotion and most people actually still remember it. What does that say? One last point: many monologues go on for too long. Less can be more. Often I see an actor perform a piece, make his points, show some colors and then come back for another round that tells us nothing more. In short, he hung himself after the first minute and a half. He could have edited and delived a more effective ending. He could have found a "button." . |