20 September 2009

In Search Of A Monologue

I am determined to find around four monologues to learn for my grad school auditions by the end of this month. I've read through some of the plays already in my possession. Surprisingly, I found that I own quite a few plays that I haven't gotten around to reading...shame on me...and have piled them up on my night stand as a constant reminder to get on with it!

So, in review so far of what I've read are the following plays: Neil LaBute's Reasons to Be Pretty, two very good monologues in it but questionable as to whether I should choose anything from this when it's about to be put on in London, Wendy Wasserstein's Uncommon Women and Others, loved it and really relate well to the monologue I found in it as well, so it's a possibility. Ibsen's A Doll House (a re-read actually, read it first ages ago in college) and The Wild Duck. Neither have monologues in them I'd like to use, though I do enjoy reading Ibsen. Trying to figure out what lesson he wants his reader to learn is half the fun...the other half is constructing feminist arguments in my head against what I think he's trying to say. He'd be an excellent playwright to dissect in the classroom. And last, but so far my favorite, is Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband.

I've read The Picture of Dorian Gray and fell in love with the story line, the prose, the ideas he made surface in my head. For some reason it's quite visual to me when I'm reading his work. I can't believe I haven't read more of his plays or poetry. Just Dorian Gray...and I did that on my own initiative. How can have made it through multiple English and Theatre classes having never read Wilde?? Well that needs to change immediately.

Before the end of the month I've set lofty, unobtainable goals (aren't those just the best?) to read two more Ibsen plays, Hedda Gabler and The Master Builder, as well as multiple Shakespeare plays starting with Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, and Troilus and Cressida. I also have a book of eight tragedies that I need to crack open.
.....ahhh the optimism...so free flowing on a Sunday night after one has just consumed half a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and has moved on the Chamomile tea...things will probably be colored cranky first thing in the morning I predict....

At some point in between the plays and the blogging and the movie watching (Thanks Netflix!) I should probably secure myself a day job as well as find my roommate and I a new apartment. Easy-peasy I'm sure.....right? Right?!? Now where did I put that ice cream.....

xoLindsay

4 comments:

  1. Lindsay--

    I keep forgetting to leave this for you. It's a pretty helpful website, particularly the lists of "DO NOT USE" monologues, and the plays everyone should read. Hope it's a wee bit useful.

    -Lea

    http://www.monologueaudition.com/index.htm

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, awesome, thanks for that link Lea! I've looked over it a bit so far, I think it'll be very useful. :)

    -Lindsay

    ReplyDelete
  3. ugh if haven't already, dont bother with hedda gabler, blech.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just saw your comment today Marisa, duly noted ;)

    ReplyDelete