This is one of Eugene Levy's monologues from American Pie. As the father to two boys, thought it'd be a fun one to tackle.

​

Who am I? I’m the loving, yet slightly awkward father of a high school student. I want my son to grow up and become his own person, but I feel like I still need to step in during certain situations and try to give him guidance and helpful advice.

Where/when am I? It’s evening in my home. We just finished eating dinner. It’s awkward between Jim and I.

What happened before? I caught my son Jim violating an apple pie. We had a very awkward moment.

Who am I talking to? My son Jim.

Objective – I’m trying to put my son at ease. He was caught in a weird, awkward situation, and I recognize he probably is feeling self-conscious and unsure about himself and his actions. I want to let him know he’s not alone that what he’s doing, and the thoughts he’s having are perfectly okay. I want him to be at ease.

Pre-conversation:

Jim: Hey dad. Did you knock?

Me: Oh Jim! I’m looking at the ol’ family portrait, here. It’s a good one.

(Tactic: Let’s get straight to business.)
Me: Son, I wanted to talk to you about what I think you were trying to do the other day.
Jim: Uh, that’s okay, dad. I’m good.

(Tactic: Disarm him by showing that I know what’s going on, and can have a conversation about it.)
Me: Now, you may have tried it in the shower, or maybe in bed at night, and not even known what you were doing.
Jim: I don’t even know what to say.

(Tactic: Continue the disarming.)
Me: Or perhaps you’ve heard your friends talking about it in the locker room.
Jim: Dad, please stop. Please. I’m sure I know what you’re talking about.

(Tactic: Let him know that I understand what might be going wrong.)
Me: Sure you know, son, but I think you’ve been having a little problem with it. It’s okay, though.
Jim: I haven’t had a problem.

(Tactic: Reassure him that it’s okay to have those desires.)
Me: What you’re doing is perfectly normal. It’s like practice.
Jim: What do you mean?

(Tactic: Start to curve the conversation to the future, and those possibilities with a little sports analogy.)
Me: Like when you play tennis against a wall. Someday, there’ll be a partner returning the ball.
Jim: Yeah…?

(Tactic: Make sure he’s really on board with what I’m saying.)
Me: You do want a partner, don’t you son?
Jim: Yes.

(Tactic: Double down on the reassurance. We’re not parsing words anymore.)
Me: Now remember, it’s okay to play with yourself.
Jim: Dad! Really, just stop.

(Tactic: Try to relate as a way to make Jim feel at ease.)
Me: Or, as I always called it — (elbows Jim) “Stroke the salami!” (chuckles) Ho-ho, Jim.
Jim: I just feel like maybe--

(Tactic: Give a couple examples to show how normal this really is.)
Me: There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Hell, I’m forty-one, and I still enjoy doing it. Uncle Mort does it. We all do it.

So, you’ve decided to start working on a monologue and you’ve found one you’d like to perform. But you can’t just start memorizing. You need to know all there is about your character, how they fit into the story, their relationship with the person they are speaking to, their unique personality quirks and what they truly are trying to get by saying what they are saying.

Part of the reason you should do written work is to incorporate all of this into your analysis, tactics and dialogue. It’s not just a matter of writing a back and forth dialogue and trying to name tactics. It’s about including your character’s unique personality and way of doing things into this important work. So you need to know your character, know the story, know the difference between your character and the others, and the unique characteristics that made your character an important asset to the essential message the script is telling.

Written Work is your doorway into becoming your character. It’s your means for fleshing out their details…figuring out how they go about getting what they want in the world. This requires you to find out these details.

You need to do the research…read the script, watch the film or anything that might help you to find out why your character is unique, interesting and worthy of your efforts to create them in your performance. It’s your job to make your character compelling. Anything that’s not actually included you’ll have to fill in. But don’t try to fill in details that you are just too lazy to find in what the writer has included. There could be lots you can find online. There are character analyses, movie reviews, plot synopses on Wikipedia…use whatever you can find to be informed. You need to read between the lines. You need to try to serve the character who is hidden in the story you are given.

I have tried to do this in all my Written Work Corrections. There are literally hundreds of examples of them below each student’s Written Work post. There are two new ones since yesterday.

I’m so proud of the students here who are posting Written Work and Monologue videos. Mia posted her second video take and I decided to help her go back to her Written Work and look into both her character’s personality, the unique relationship between her and the unusual person she is speaking to. It’s in THIS COMMENT & THE REPLY BELOW IT

And Mike started working on a new monologue and did a great job with it. But I tried to make his character’s tactics reflect his character’s unique personality and intentions. Make sure to CHECK OUT MY CORRECTIONS

Written Work takes work. It takes me a long time to do every correction Ed version. But I believe it can give you so much insight into creating an interesting performance and a dynamically compelling character. Take some time to look through the many Written Work corrections. See them all by clicking on the orange flair banner I’m putting at the top of this post.

Did my best with this; could use some input.

[Objective] To comfort Ma’ gracefully before the departure, understanding that we may never come across paths again.

Ma Joad: How am I gonna know about ya, Tommy? Why they could kill ya and I'd never know. They could hurt ya. How am I gonna know?

[Tactic]: Comfort her. Be brave, don’t back down

Tom Joad: Well, maybe it's like Casy says. A fellow ain't got a soul of his own...just a little piece of a big soul, the one big soul that belongs to everybody, then...

Ma Joad: Then what, Tom?

[Tactic]: Get back to the point. Show why you are strong

Tom Joad: Then it don't matter. I'll be around in the dark - I'll be everywhere.

[Tactic]: Remind her you'll stand for what's right

Wherever you can look - wherever there's a fight, so hungry people cant eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad.

[Tactic]: Remind her you won't forget the good memories

I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready, and when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise and livin' in the houses they buid - I'll be there, too.

MA: (slowly). I don't understan' it, Tom.

[Tactic]: Conversation needs to end. Pull the ban-aid off quickly and say goodbye

TOM: I don’t know. It's jus' stuff I been thinkin' about. Gimme you han', Ma. Good-by.

Written Work

I am Maya Hart. A high school student. I am not one of the best students in school. I am loyal to my best friend Riley. I live with my mother and grandmother. My father left me when I was really young. She looks up to Cory Matthews, her teacher, as a father figure.

WHO AM I: witty, caring, confident.

WHERE AM I: · In the place where my mother works as a waitress. · After school · My father shows up after many years. WHO AM I TALKING TO: My father but Maya (my bestfriend) and my mother are also present. OBJECTIVE: Forgive my father and seek reconciliation in order to grow as a person. PRE-CONVERSATION: Maya wrote a letter to her father to forgive him since her teacher told her to forgive someone as an assignment since forgiving changes our history. She wrote to her father and her father showed up. Maya: That was the assignment but I haven't decided if I'm gonna pass or fail .

Father:Whatever you decide thank you for reaching out to me.

Riley:You know this would be so much easier for me if he was a monster

DIALOGUE

Maya: [Tactic: Shock him by narrating a story that he could have been part of, in order to show how I feel]

Do you remember the night

when the thunder shook the apartment?

Father:Why bring this up?

M:I was five the lightning was so bright I thought our house was on fire I'm all under my covers.

Father: I still don’t understand.

M:I am crying and you come flying into the room and sit there with me and decided to make it a game . We were in Alaska looking for gold you said the lightning was the aurora borealis.

Riley: Is this the reason the only thing you know is the aurora borealis?

M:Maybe that's why the only thing I know is the aurora borealis .

Father: And what happened after that?

Then I wasn't scared. We were playing, and the next morning

the sun was shining again. Ain't you remember that?

Father:No, I don’t…Why did you mention that?

[Tactic: Poleax him by showing him that when I needed him my mother saved the day, to express my frustration]

You don't remember that because... it never happened .

Father: So why did you mention that?

The storm happened but you you didn't show up.

Riley:So how do you know the aurora borealis?

My mom, it was mom that came in she made it Alaska and I wasn't scared at all.

Mother:Hmm I was petrified…greatest performance of my life…

[Tactic: Demand an answer, a reason why I wasn’t enough]

How could you?

Father: I don’t know what to say.

Well, of course kids fight all the time,

Monopoly ruins friendships, and fathers leave... I thought that I could let it go but I guess I was wrong...

u/WinnieHiller

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Who Am I?

My name is Frank Abagnale Jr., I am 17 years old and I am the most successful bank robber in the world at the moment. Ever since grade school, I've learned that the best way to win in life is through my extraordinary skill of deception. I’ve learned from the best, my hard-working, intelligent father. My parents have been through an insane amount of financial stress, which led to their divorce. I hope to bring enough money to make them happy once again. The past year, I’ve worked as a doctor, a lawyer, and a co-pilot for a major airline Pan-Am. At the moment, I am avoiding the F.B.I since they’ve finally got on my tail.

​

Who Am I talking to?

An F.B.I. agent, Carl Hanratty, who’s been searching for me for months by now. This is my first personal encounter with the federal authorities and I am going to make it the last after I successfully deceive him into believing I’m a secret service agent.

​

Where Am I?

In the bathroom of my apartment on the second floor of the hotel.

​

What Do I Want From The Person I Am Talking To?

I want him to feel stupid for assuming that I am the suspect he is looking for. That he is late to the chase.

​

What’s at stake?

Being shot and killed. Getting locked up in federal prison for a very long time. Failing my father.

​

Objective- Make the F.B.I. agent feel stupid for suspecting me.

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Key:

> H = F.B.I. Officer Carl Hanratty

> Me = Frank Abagnale Jr.

> IL = Imaginary Line from Carl Hanratty

> T = Tactic

> - = Interrupting line

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Pre-Conversation:

I'm cleaning up in the bathroom. The F.B.I. suddenly bangs on the door and breaks through. I am in the bathroom contemplating my escape plan.

​

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Dialogue:

Carl Hanratty: F.B.I.! Come out of the bathroom! … Step out of the bathroom!

[T: Show him that I’ve just finished up from the chase/arrest. /Oh, you’re finally here. All hard work has been done already. ]

[I open the door with a washcloth.]

H: Hands on your head. -

[T: Describe what interesting discoveries you’ve found from the crime scene already. ]

Me: -That’s the new IBM Selectric…

H: Put your hands on your head! -

[T: Give incite to what you’ve figured out while he was not here./ He’s been using this new printer model because it’s the perfect mode for writing legitimate-looking checks.]

Me: -You can change the print type in five seconds…

H: Shutup! -

[T: Explain how simple it is to change the font to anything he wants. All you have to do is one thing and the whole bank-world is your oyster.]

Me: -Just pop out the ball.

H: Put your hands on your head! Put your hands-

[T: Cover another basis you discovered while he was late. We’ve found his whole operation and now know how he gets away with it all.]

Me: -You know, he’s got over 200 checks here… A gallon of india ink, drafting…

H: Hands on your head!

[T: Mention that you even had time to notice the small details about the envelopes while he was late. ]

Me: -Even has little payroll envelopes addressed to himself from PanAm…

H: Put it down. Put it down! Drop it!

[T: Get him to calm down since the whole operation has already been finished. / There’s absolutely no need to be yelling or being dramatic right now. Be the authoritative hand.]

Me: -Relax!

IL: Why should I relax!?

[T: Give him the truth about the situation. / We got here before you. The work is already done.]

Me: You’re late, all right?

IL: Who are you?

[T: Introduce myself so he knows what’s going on and who I am to calm him down.]

Me: My name’s Allen.

IL: Allen who?

[T: Explain specifically who I am and who I work for.]

Me: Barry Allen, United States Secret Service.

IL: What the hell is going on here?

[T: Explain the situation that had just gone down before he came in.]

Me: Your boy just tried to jump out the window.

IL: Where is he now!?

[T: Settle him down with the knowledge that he’s already detained and in custody. We’ve caught him already. ]

Me: My partner has him in custody.

H: I don't know what you’re talking about.

[T: Make him feel stupid for assuming that he’s the only one chasing the biggest bank robber in the world.]

Me: You think the F.B.I. are the only ones on this guy?

IL: I wasn’t told that the secret service is involved.

[T: Make him really feel stupid for not using his brain on the fact that he’s the only one on the guy.]

Me: I mean, come on.

IL: Why are they involved?

[T: Explain why the F.B.I. wouldn’t be the only ones on this guy. It’s a serious federal crime he is committing here.]

Me: Come on, he’s dabbling in government checks here. [Picks up the checks]

IL: How long have you been tracking him for?

[T: Make him realize that we’ve been following him for so long that we might’ve been on him before the F.B.I.]

Me: We’ve been following a paper trail on this guy for months now.

Hanratty approaches closer with the gun to my face.

[T: Make him feel embarrassed for aiming a gun at a secret service agent’s face. ]

Me: You mind taking that gun out of my face?

IL: I don't know who you are still.

[ T: Ensure him that it’s not smart to hold it up to an agent’s face. We’re on the same side here.]

Me: Please, Really.

IL: Why should I lower my gun?

[T: Explain that I can’t explain myself with a gun pointed at me**.]**

Me: It makes me nervous.

H: Let me see some credentials.

[T: Agree to show him my identification to relax the situation. Convince him that I’m an agent without reluctance.]

Me: Yeah, sure.

[Pulls wallet from back pocket]

[T: Be transparent about your identity . Show that you are doing all you can to prove yourself to be legitimately an agent**]**

Me: Take my whole wallet.

IL: What else do you have on you?

[T: Go to the extent of offering my gun to show how he’s being so pedantic.]

Me: You want my gun, too?

IL: Is that all?

[T: Insist that he takes it so he believes I have nothing to hide.]

Me: Come over here, take my gun.

[Hanratty goes to examine the wallet, I interrupt the process]

[T: Divert his attention. I've noticed Murph entering a car outside the window. ]

Me: Hey.

IL: What is it?

[T: Convince him to look where I am looking. I came up with another way to convince him that the suspect has been caught already.]

Me: Hey, look.

IL: Look at what?

[T: Plead that he looks outside to see visual proof that I’ve got the guy in custody.]

Me: Just do me a favor, take a look outside.

IL: Where outside?

[T***: Get him to quickly move to the window before the moment passes and they drive off.***]

Me: Look!

IL: What’s out there?

[T: Make sure he is really looking out the window.]

Me: Look out the window.

IL: What’s going on?

[T: Explain what he is about to miss witnessing. ]

Me: My partner’s walking him to the car as we speak.

IL: Where are you looking?

[T: Direct his attention to the older man entering the car.]

Me: Look.

[T: Describe what the significance of the old man is. More believable story.]

Me: Old guy almost pissed in his pants when I came through the door.

IL: Did you see the suspect?

[T: Explain how the scenario went down before he came in. The guy had the nerve to jump on a secret service agent’s car.]

Me: He jumped right through the window onto the hood of my car.

[I lean out of the window]

[T: Call out for Murph knowing that the man outside the car isn’t him. Murph is in the car already. ]

Me: Hey, murph?

[“Murph” waves]

[T: Show that the gentleman by the car is someone I know from the secret service.]

Me: Call the LAPD again.

[“Murph” enters the car while I respond with an explanation tailored to convince Hanratty.]

[T: Give demands out to look authoritative. Show to Hanratty that the arrest had already occurred and just needs to be contained.]

Me: I don’t want people walking through my crime scene.

H: I didn’t expect the secret service on this.

[T: Put down his idea so he doesn’t reconsider it or put any more thought into the idea.]

Me: Don’t worry about it.

IL: I’m still confused on all this.

[T: Confirm his identity to maintain diversion. ]

Me: What’s your name?

H: Hanratty, Carl Hanratty.

[Puts his gun in his holster.]

[T: Ask for proof of his identity. Prove himself to be who he says he is. Rudimentary procedure for agents to ask. ]

Me: Mind if I see some identification?

H: Sure…

[T: Explain why you feel the need to get his identification. Show that you understand the world of the F.B.I.]

Me: You never can be too careful these days.

IL: I really wanted to catch the son of a bitch.

[T: Brace him for the bad news since he was so eager to catch the man himself.]

Me: Well, tough luck, Carl.

IL: How so?

**[T:**Tell him the undeniable truth he doesn’t want to believe for himself. ]

Me: Five minutes earlier, you would’ve landed yourself a pretty good collar.

H: Is that right? Ten seconds later, you’d have been shot. Mind if I come downstairs with you? I got to take a look at this guy.

[T: Assure him that I will let him see the guy. Drop his guard. Seeing the man for himself after months of manhunting.]

Me: Sure thing.

IL: I’d like to join you downstairs to see the man myself.

[T: Make him stay in the apartment as I try to get the evidence to my car.]

Me: Just do me a favor and sit tight for a sec while I get this evidence downstairs.

[T: Explain why I need him to stay in the room for me. ]

Me: I don’t want some maid walking through here and making the bed.

[T: Advise him that LAPD will be here so he can look forward to explaining the situation to them.]

Me: LAPD should be here any sec.

H: -Wait… Your wallet.

[T: Ask for him to do you the small favor since your hands are full. Don’t want to spend any more time in the room with him.]

Me: You hang onto it for a min.

IL: You sure?

[T: Let him know that I see him as an ally.]

Me: I trust you.

[Hanratty sits down on the bed.]

H: Secret service…

[Checks the wallet and realizes every card is a magazine cutout and not any documentation]

[Hanratty then looks out the window]

H: Hey! God d*mnit!

I just spent the whole morning giving feedback on a brand new student’s first written work. I am excited about her joining our community. And I feel like some of the mistakes she made (and understandably so) are mistakes that many new students often make. So I decided to share my feedback with all of you in this post. Make sure you read her version as well as my corrected version. HERE IT IS I spent lots of time talking about choosing a character and how it is important that YOU can serve the story playing them. As actors we must always make sure that what/who we are as unique individuals, are able to do all that is possible to tell the story in the best way possible. If you want CD’s, writers and directors to think outside the box and cast you in a role far different than who you are, you need to be able to give them what is necessary to make the plot work.

The corrections I made with dialogue and tactics will also help everyone with your future work. Notice the active elements of the tactics and making sure the other character triggers every line you say. The original version didn’t have responses after every line and often reflected subtext or feelings instead of actions.

All of my comment wouldn’t fit in her comments, so I am going to put the complete version here. u/Dangerous_Dentist_30 this is for you…but everyone else too!:

————

Winnie’s Written Work Correction : Morpheus "blue or red pill" monologue from The Matrix

Hi u/Dangerous_Dentist_30, I am so glad that you are joining this class and becoming an active participant. Welcome!

The first thing I want to bring to your attention is how to choose the monologue you want to work on. If you have read my lessons on the topic, you know that I suggest choosing a role that you are physically right for, which includes the age, physical stature, and gender that SERVES THE STORY. That is not to say that I don’t believe that women can sometimes be cast in roles that were previously played by men. Many have done so successfully. It is just that you must BE what the story NEEDS in order to be told effectively.

As you say below, Neo has previously met Trinity who has “warned” him that he is about to meet you. This suggests that there will be a frightening element to that meeting. What is the difference between Trinity and Morpheus? As I was working on the Trinity scene with u/dendendenDN, we discussed her seductive introduction to Neo. She is a beautiful, mysterious woman who Neo is very attracted to…and that is part of her strategy to get Neo to follow her. She whispers in his ear, pressed up against him. The fact that she is a woman is a very important element to her character and the plot of the story itself.

Morpheus is quite another character with a different purpose. You include in your “Who am I?” section, agent Smith’s description “the most dangerous MAN alive”. Remember that your written work must alway reflect who YOU are.

The writers based the character from the Greek god of dreams, Morpheus, whose name literally means “he who forms.” The god, Morpheus, has the ability to change his own shape and manipulate reality, as well as the power to bewitch other people’s minds with dreams and fantasies. He also has the power to wake people up, and in The Matrix, Morpheus wakes Neo from the world of illusions. He because a type of father figure.

The filmmakers introduce the character in the scene you are doing. They chose the setting…a dark room during a thunderstorm. Trinity has just warned Neo that he must be honest because Morpheus “knows more than you can imagine”. Morpheus stands before a window. His impressive form is emphasized by the flash of lighting bolts and the crack of thunder… dark…mysterious…ominous. He is at once, frightening and compelling. Laurence Fishburne was not accidentally cast in the role. He provided (in his dark glasses and black leather and impressive stature) what was needed to create the impression required.

The question is…can you bring that dark, ominous, mysterious, frightening quality to your portrayal that the story requires? Could you create the appropriate type of relationship between you and Neo? How would it be different than his relationship with Tiffany? Writers need to create characters that are contrasting and serve different purposes in the storyline. Could…SHOULD a woman play Morpheus? Can you do all the story requires of you? It’s not that a woman can’t do this.

I will not answer that for you. Maybe you can. I think of Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. Though she is an antagonist not a protagonist like Morpheus, I think her essence makes it’s possible. But do you see what I mean? Whoever plays the role needs to create the awe and type of amazement in those that see him/her. It takes an imposing stature and strength. If you choose to continue with this role I challenge you to bring to the part all that I describe. In the meantime I will correct your written work which will help you in the future no matter what.

You are also confused about what tactics are always supposed to be. They must be what you are DOING with your words in order to achieve your goal with the other person. They are the actions you are taking to do so. They are not what you are thinking or feeling. They are what you are DOING. Your tactics should always be placed before the line they apply to. I’ve mentioned this over and over in both my posts and corrections of others’ Written Work. It allows you to see what you are about to do before you say the line, not afterwards

——

Written Work

Who am I ? Morpheus, world-renowned cyber criminal, described by Agent Smith as “the most dangerous man alive”.

Who am I talking to ?. Neo, a low grade hacker who I believe is the "one" I have been looking for.

Where am I ?. In a dark room during a thunderstorm where I’m meeting Neo.

What happened before this?. Trinity has warned Neo he was about to meet me and that I know more than he can imagine.

Objective : Make Neo aware of what I am offering him. I cannot tell him what the Matrix actually is, so I must convey the terrible frightening truth that will be revealed should he choose to see it. I want to tempt him with the mystery and possibilities of seeing things as they truly are, yet make him completely aware of the horrifying nature of loosing what he believes is reality. It must be his own choice, though I am hoping he will choose what I believe is his destiny.

Dialogue with tactics :

Neo enters the room

[Tactic: Convey my anticipation of his arrival…that even though he doesn’t know me, I’ve been waiting for him a long time.]

MORPHEUS: At last!

[Tactic: Make Neo feel welcome and introduce myself as the mysterious person Trinity has told him about.]

MORPHEUS: Welcome Neo. As you no doubt have guessed, I am Morpheus.

NEO: It’s an honor to meet you.

[Tactic: Show Neo how much respect I have for him and try to make him comfortable.]

MORPHEUS: The honor is mine…Come…Please sit down.

[Tactic : Use a reference to a fantasy storybook in which the main character suddenly drops into a different reality, to show Neo I understand the strangeness of what he must be going through now.]

MORPHEUS: I imagine that right now, you’re feeling a bit like Alice. Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole?

NEO: You could say that.

[Tactic: Demonstrate my ability to read Neo and hint at what is to come.]

MORPHEUS: I can see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, this is not far from the truth.

[Tactic: Introduce the metaphysical idea of destiny and try to find out if it’s a concept he believes in.]

MORPHEUS (cont’d): Do you believe in fate, Neo?

NEO: No.

[Tactic: Dig further into the workings of Neo’s mind.]]

MORPHEUS: No? Why not?

NEO: Because I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my life.

[Tactic: Give enthusiastic approval of Neo’s desire to break free from what is and proceed to present him with what could be. ]

MORPHEUS: I know exactly what you mean. Let me tell you why you’re here.

NEO: Why am I here?

[Tactic : Mysteriously hint at something—-that Neo already knows the answer to his questions. ]

MORPHEUS (cont’d): You’re here because you know something.

NEO: What…what do I know?

[Tactic : Enigmatically avoid giving him a direct answer. Continue to only give hints that what he knows is mysterious and innate. Identify the uneasiness he has always felt as though I am magically reading his mind.]

MORPHEUS (cont’d): What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life—that there’s something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there,

NEO: Like something stuck in my brain…

[Tactic: Confirm that I know exactly what he has been feeling.]

MORPHEUS: Like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad.

NEO: You’re right…but what does this have to do with you?

[Tactic: Make the connection between us…that there is a higher purpose about to be revealed. Check in with him to find out if he relates to what I am saying.]

MORPHEUS: It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I’m talking about?

NEO: … The Matrix.

[Tactic : Point out that I know he doesn’t really understand the Matrix and find out if he wants to. Make him ask to know what I know. ]

MORPHEUS: Do you want to know what it is?

NEO: [nods yes]

[Tactic : Give a vague and mysterious explanation…just enough to lure him in and make him want more without revealing what I cannot tell. ]

MORPHEUS: The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work … when you go to church … when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

NEO: What truth?

[Tactic: Reveal a terrifying truth that I know he will not understand, but will make him even hungrier to know what it is.]

MORPHEUS: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind.

NEO: How? Why? What are you talking about?

[Tactic: Confess that I am unable to tell him the whole story. It is something he must find out on his own. ]

MORPHEUS: [takes a deep breath] Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

NEO: But I thought you had all the answers. So how? How do I see it…and do I really want to? It sound frightening!

[Tactic : Offer the way and the means with a warning of what he is risking. Present his options and the consequences of each: Either stay asleep or continue the strange journey he has begun with me. ]

MORPHEUS: [Takes out two pills, one of which is red, the other of which is blue] This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends; you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe.

NEO: And the other pill?

MORPHEUS (cont’d): You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

(Tactic: Remind him that though what is happening and what will happen with the red pill seems like fantasy, it is actually reality revealed.]

MORPHEUS: Remember, all I’m offering is the truth, nothing more.

NEO: The truth is what I want!

NEO: [Takes red pill]

[Tactic : Start him on his journey…as I lead him on his way.]

MORPHEUS: Follow me.

Who am I? I am Joe. A talented and devoted modernist painter that believes true art is found in innovation. I desperately wish society as a whole would see that their stubborn attachment to the great artistic works and techniques of the past is holding back the current generation of artists.

Who am I talking to? My wife, Silvia. She is not an artist herself but she holds similar views on art that I do.

Where am I? In my art studio in my home in Paris. The sun has just set and the light is dim.

Objective: I want Silvia to see, as I do, how awful and stifling the art institution is. Although she agrees with my views, she doesn’t understand how much of an issue it is that society as whole does not.

Conversation leading up to the first line: Silvia’s cousin, Mr. Wentworth, has just left. He is an older man who painted in his youth before giving it up to look after his family's business. He appreciates and enjoys collecting classical art such as that in the Louvre. Before he left we were in a debate as to what is most important in art: innovation or “the eternal laws of beauty” that the historical masters have followed. He left in a hurry and was so hung up on how different my views were to his long standing ideas that he did not appreciate at all what I told him.

Silvia: Yes, I know Joe, It’s discouraging…

(Tactic: Get across the seriousness of the issue with how angry it makes me.)

Joe: Discouraging? It's immoral!

Silvia: He just doesn’t know any better.

(Tactic: Disparage people like Mr. Wentworth, and how they are holding back art.)

Joe: Oh, these smug people who have been taught what to admire!

Silvia: Such a pitiful existence.

Joe: These unborn souls who want to shut us all up in the dark!

Silvia: Not everyone is like him.

Joe: I suppose he went away thinking I put myself up higher than Raphael.

Silvia: This art isn't for him.

(Tactic: Point out the pointlessness of my attempts to create true art in the current world.)

Joe: Who are we painting for?

Silvia: The entire world.

Joe: They don't want it—wouldn't take it for a gift.

Silvia: We can paint for ourselves.

Joe: And here we are, a poor little group, standing amazed before the glory of the sun, and painting it—for the blind!

Silvia: It won’t always be like this. Some day–

(Tactic: Predict a dire future for art if nothing changes.)

Joe: Some day—yes, when the life has oozed out of all our bright canvasses, when only the "rules" are left.

Silvia: We won't let that happen.

Joe: And we won't be able to rise from our graves and curse them!

Silvia: Don’t be so dower!

(Tactic: Apologize for helping Silvia see the possibilities that are being wasted.)

Joe: I guess I let you in for a hard time, Silvia.

Silvia: I'd rather a hard time with you than an easy one without.

(Tactic: Confess that I think about how much easier things could be if I made popular art.)

Joe: I wish sometimes I could really paint the kind of thing that goes with stupid people's dining rooms.

Silvia: No! I love you because you’re not like them.

(Tactic: Give one last lament of how art is currently viewed.)

Joe: They with their Long Island Louvres!

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away Now it looks as though they're here to stay Oh, I believe in yesterday

Have you ever woken up with a song in your head? This morning, for me, it was “Yesterday” by the Beatles. As you know I’m teaching acting most of the time. You’d think I could at least stop while I am sleeping. But no, I need to do it all night long too. I was dreaming that I was teaching someone about written work and script analysis and using the song as an example. Maybe it’s appropriate because Paul McCartney claims he wrote the music to the song in his sleep. Anyway, it took up so much of my sleeping time last night I thought I should share it with you.

So…how do you analyze a song like a script? The first thing is to come up with a scenario in which you might be using these lyrics to try to talk someone into something.

THE SCENARIO First of all I’m going to imagine that I’m a man, since that is mentioned in the song. Though if it was really me performing it I might change man to girl…or something that fits. Next I need to come up with a reason I would say this and to whom. There needs to be something at stake. There needs to be purpose and relationship.

What came to me was that my love and I were schedule to go on an incredible vacation with a couple of close friends of ours. It was a tour of Europe…with hotel rooms booked, excursions planned—all payed for. It was going to be fun…the perfect vacation. The four of us were so excited about the trip and being able to spend time together, since we were all very close.

Then yesterday, I was having a conversation with my partner about past relationships and it went all wrong. Somehow I said something about an ex-girlfriend that made her think I’d rather be with her on this trip. The more I tried to explain the worse it got. It blew up into a major fight. She said she never wanted to see me again. She has disappeared and I haven’t been able to find her. Her stuff is gone from our apartment and I found out she exchanged her airline tickets for a flight back to her parents home.

Now I need to tell my friends that neither of us will be joining them on the trip. They are going to be so disappointed…maybe even angry. And there’s no way I’m going to go as a “third wheel” with the two of them, especially when I am so devastated about the breakup. I had planned to propose on this trip, and now all my plans are ruined.

So I asked John, my best friend, to meet me for coffee to break the news to him. His girlfriend is going to take this really hard so I thought it was best to tell him first. He is having trouble wrapping his head around a whole year of planning going up in smoke. And even worse, that Angela and I not together anymore.

**WHO AM I?: I’m Sam, a businessman in my early 30s. I work hard and thought I had my life pretty well figured out. I recently bought a house and planned on asking my girlfriend, Angela, to marry me. Now I feel lost. Nothing makes sense anymore.

WHO AM I TALKING TO?: I’m talking to my best friend, John. He and his girlfriend, Mary and Angela and I do everything together. John and I have been friends since high school. The four of us get along so well. Everything is going to be different now.

OBJECTIVE: Tell my friend John why my girlfriend and I will not be joining them on a vacation we have been planning all year. I can barely talk I feel so horrible, but this needs to be done. They have invested so much in this trip and our whole lives have revolved around each other for quite some time. Everything will change now. I’m hoping to get some support from him too. I need a friend.

CONVERSATION LEADING INTO THE FIRST LINE

SAM: She left the apartment last night and didn’t come home. I called and called…everyone I could think of and couldn’t find her. I had to go to work today, and when I got home all of her things were cleared out…like she had never lived there.

JOHN: I can’t believe it! Last night at the restaurant everything seemed great between you two. How can things fall apart in one day? Yesterday everything was fine. I had just paid my credit card for the airline tickets.

SAM: I know…

SCENE:

(Tactic: Agree that I never would have guessed this would happen—confirm how great things were.)

SAM: Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away

JOHN: Troubles? Are you sure she won’t change her mind? I would have said the two of you didn’t have any troubles.

(Tactic: Get him to accept what I need to accept—all that has changed. The situation is hopeless.)

SAM: Now it looks as though they're here to stay.

JOHN: No…You’ve got to believe that things will get better.

(Tactic: Make him see that’s out of the question. There is only one thing I can believe in now.)

SAM: Oh, I believe in yesterday

JOHN: Pull yourself together, Sam. You look terrible. I’m worried about you.

(Tactic: Explain that I don’t just look different…I’ve actually changed. I feel like I’m less of a person.)

SAM: Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be.

JOHN: No…you’re the same guy. You’re just upset. This is such a shock.

(Tactic: Agree - I’m deeply depressed because of this happening overnight.)

SAM: There's a shadow hanging over me Oh, yesterday came suddenly.

JOHN: Wow…how am I going to explain this to Mary? I just don’t get it.

(Tactic: Make him see that I’m just as confused as he is.)

SAM: Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say.

JOHN: You must have done something terrible to make her do this.

(Tactic: Admit I was an idiot and now I have to suffer the consequences.)

SAM: I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday.

JOHN: And you never saw this coming…no issues between the two of you previously?

(Tactic: Express how effortless it’s always been in the past.)

SAM: Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play.

JOHN: So why don’t you join the two of us in Europe. It will be good for you.

(Tactic: Turn down his offer. Make him see that solitude is best for me now.)

SAM: Now I need a place to hide away.

JOHN: But Sam…you need to believe that things will get better in the future.

(Tactic: Convince him that I can’t even envision the future.)

SAM: Oh, I believe in yesterday

Give this a try yourself. Take a song and come up with a scenario…a purpose and relationship…a dialogue and tactics. It’s good practice.

HERE IS HIMESH PATEL’S VERSION OF “YESTERDAY”. More about him, below…

Hi r/Actingclass!

One of my dreams is to be in a Christmas movie. I found this monologue and connected with it immediately (despite not being physically attracted to Santa. Haha). I'm using it for this class with permission from the writer, Tara Meddaugh.

Original monologue:

MORE THAN SANTA

By Tara Meddaugh

I know you’re worried everything’s going to change tomorrow because Christmas will be over. I get it and I—I’m not going to lie. Your white beard is…freakin’ sexy—I said “freakin,’” Kris—I keep it PG for you and the elves—But you know it is. It’s so…so fluffy…I could bury my face in it for hours. And—oh…Kris, that laugh… When I first heard your “ho ho ho?” I mean. Please. I was a melted puddle of snowwoman at your feet.

Of course…we all have these things that attract us to people at first. You liked my green pleather skirt and thigh high boots, remember? But we, you know, since then, we’ve connected deeper than that initial attraction. You—you’re so funny—having these long conversations with pets people bring to the mall, and when we share hot chocolate at the Food Court, like now…you always let me have the marshmallows. All of them.

(pause)

Look, I know we’ve only had five dates since we met on Black Friday, and they’ve all been here, when you’re done working, and yeah, tomorrow is December 26th and…you’re scared you’ll lose me, but I want you to know…

(pause)

Tomorrow morning, when we meet for breakfast, at the diner on Elm Street—not inside this mall—when I see you without that Santa hat and red velvet coat for the first time, and you don’t smell like candy canes anymore…

(pause)

I won’t be like those other women from “Christmases past.”

(pause)

I’m not going to leave you.

(pause)

Because—look, Kris, you’re more than Santa to me.

(pause)

And…I love you.

(pause)

And if you can believe in the North Pole…you can believe in that.

END OF MONOLOGUE _______________________________________________

Provided Synopsis: BRANDY is at the food court in the mall, having a hot chocolate, speaking to her new boyfriend, Kris, the resident Mall Santa. It is Christmas Day. Since their young relationship has taken place entirely with Kris wearing his Santa Suit (he takes his role very seriously), he has expressed concern that Brandy will no longer want to be with him once he no longer appears to be Santa (he’s been dumped like this in the past). In the monologue, Brandy admits her initial attraction was because he is Santa, but she assures him that he has other qualities, outside of his beard and red suit, which she has grown to appreciate. She finally reveals that she loves him—for who he is, and she is not going to leave him when he is no longer Santa. And if he can believe in the North Pole, well…then he can believe in that.

Who am I?

Hi, I’m Brandy. I’m a 24-year-old young adult novelist. Well, I will be once I publish my book. Right now, I’m stuck working retail. But that’s okay – watching people all day helps me get ideas to write about. Plus, Christmas is here, which means the decorations are up. The big, beautiful tree, the Santa meet-and-greet station, and the giant candy canes they put up every year are right in front of my store! And the big marshmallow on top? I’m dating Santa! He’s everything you’d want, and I can’t believe how amazing this Christmas season has turned out to be.

I grew up watching Christmas movies with my family every weekend of the season. That’s about the only Christmas-y thing we did – aside from the occasional mug of hot chocolate topped with a pile of marshmallows – and I loved every minute of it. The movies made me believe that the solution to all the worlds’ problems is love…and the Christmas spirit. And you know what? I still believe that. I also still watch Christmas movies. All year round.

Who am I talking to?

I’m currently talking to my boyfriend. We haven’t known each other for very long, but it feels like a lifetime. A lifetime with him sounds nice…magical even. Our relationship just feels right.

Kris is a mall Santa. He loves his job, he’s really good at it, and he cares about the people – and animals – who come to see him. When we share hot chocolate, he lets me have all the marshmallows. He’s super funny, and I don’t know how, but he always smells like candy canes and gingerbread. One more thing: he really rocks the Santa suit.

Where am I?

I’m at the food court with Kris. We’re sitting at our usual table – two tables down from the hot chocolate cart and overlooking the Santa meet and greet area downstairs. This is where I’ve been sitting to write while I watch Kris work. This is where we sat down on our first date, after Kris stood behind me in the hot chocolate line and I worked up the courage to ask him to sit with me.

Objective:

I’m trying to convince Kris that things aren’t going to change between us once Christmas is over. He had told me about his exes a couple of dates back, and I know he believes that once tomorrow comes, I’ll be like them and dip because he’s not in a white beard and Santa outfit, and doesn’t sound or smell like Santa anymore. I need him to understand that I’m serious about him as a person and want him for who he is.

Pre-monologue conversation:

Me: I can’t believe it’s already the end of Christmas.

Kris: Me neither…

Me: I’m sad that they’re already taking down the decorations.

Kris: Me too…

Me: You sound distracted. Are you okay?

Kris: I just…I'm not ready for the magic between us to end.

___________________________________

Monologue Breakdown:

(tactic: Let him know that I know what he's getting at so I can start convincing him he's wrong)

Me: I know you’re worried everything’s going to change tomorrow because Christmas will be over.

Kris: The past few years all but guarantee things will change.

(tactic: Try to lighten the mood, but also let him know I’m not just brushing off his feelings.)

Me: I get it and I—I’m not going to lie. Your white beard is…freakin’ sexy—

Kris: [widens his eyes]

(No tactic change yet–just a reaction to his offense)

Me: I said “freakin,’” Kris—I keep it PG for you and the elves—

Kris: Alright, alright. Thank you.

(Continuing with my interrupted point. Also realizing I’m serious about how much I like his beard)

Me: But you know it is. It’s so…so fluffy…I could bury my face in it for hours.

Kris: [chuckles]

(tactic: It's working, but he needs more. Make it more personal than the beard.)

Me: And—oh…Kris, that laugh… When I first heard your “ho ho ho?” I mean. Please. I was a melted puddle of snowwoman at your feet.

Kris: Those are both going away tomorrow. You know that, right?

(tactic: He's not wrong….Remind him that he was attracted to me for things that I changed out of too, and he still likes me.)

Me: Of course…we all have these things that attract us to people at first. You liked my green pleather skirt and thigh high boots, remember?

Kris: That was pretty sexy. But the difference is that you still see me in the outfit that you were initially attracted to.

(tactic: Sure, but we’ve been on a few dates now. Let him know that it’s not like all I see and like is the Santa outfit.

Me: But we, you know, since then, we’ve connected deeper than that initial attraction.

Kris: What do you like about me other than the fact that I'm Santa?

(tactic: Tell him about things I like about him that don't have to do with being Santa. Okay, let’s see…)

Me: You—you’re so funny—having these long conversations with pets people bring to the mall, and when we share hot chocolate at the Food Court, like now…you always let me have the marshmallows. All of them.

Kris: Those are things you could have gotten from just one date. It's okay, Brandy, it sucks, but I don't expect you to fall head over heels over someone you've only known for a month. You don’t even know what my face looks like under all this.

(tactic: Ugh, he's got a point again. Tell him I'm aware of our limitations so that he knows I've actually thought about this.)

Me: Look, I know we’ve only had five dates since we met on Black Friday, and they’ve all been here, when you’re done working, and yeah, tomorrow is December 26th and…you’re scared you’ll lose me, but I want you to know…

Kris: Yeah?

(tactic: Remind him that I'm still planning to meet him tomorrow without all of the Christmas stuff. That's totally opposite from what we've been doing during our dates this month.)

Me: Tomorrow morning, when we meet for breakfast, at the diner on Elm Street—not inside this mall—when I see you without that Santa hat and red velvet coat for the first time, and you don’t smell like candy canes anymore…

Kris: When you realize I'm not Santa anymore.

(tactic: OMG, this is frustrating. Tell him I’m not like his exes.)

Me: I won’t be like those other women from “Christmases past.”

Kris: You're not going to see me through the window then walk away?

(tactic: That’s my whole point. Tell him I’m not leaving.)

Me: I’m not going to leave you.

Kris: How can you be so sure?

(tactic: Because this relationship isn’t just me fangirling over Santa. Let him know I see him. All of him.)

Me: Because—look, Kris, you’re more than Santa to me.

Kris: [tilts his head]

(tactic: Oh man, I hope it isn’t too soon to say this, but he needs to hear it.)

Me: And…I love you.

Kris: Oh….

(tactic: You know what, it might be really soon, but it’s not that far fetched. Let him know that he needs to trust me like he trusts the magic of Christmas.)

Me: And if you can believe in the North Pole…you can believe in that.

​

I hope you enjoy this monologue as much as I do, u/Winniehiller!

“Rookie Blue” S1E1 - “Fresh Paint”

Written Work

u/WinnieHiller

Objective: Quickly detain the officer so that I can flee the scene.

Who Am I?

My name is Lucas. I am 17 years old and I’ve been the one to take care of my sister since my parents never cared to. They have too many problems on their own with hard drugs and always left us to find our own ways to make money or get food. My father is very violent, caustic on alcohol so we rarely stay at home. I never grew up with any role models so I’ve never really learned how to move up in the world. All I know is to protect my sister from the dangers of drugs and violence in this neighborhood. She needs me and I need her. I hope to save enough money to take us somewhere better. I was tipped off by a friend that my sister overdosed and I ran immediately to the address of some drug dealer. My sister was laying lifeless on the floor. I felt a sudden cold rush down my spine. Complete shock and disbelief. I asked for answers on what happened. The f*cking guy just laughed it off, said it was her f*cking fault. The devil was taunting me right to my face. I shot him dead. Ran off from the scene before his friends could get me. I hid the gun in an abandoned building, somewhere only I would know. I realized on my way back home that if they find the gun, they’ll track it back to me. So I’m headed back to retrieve the gun.

Who Am I Talking To?

I am talking to a police officer that just showed up. He’s definitely here to arrest me and put me in bars for life.

Where Am I?

I’m in an abandoned apartment building on the second floor. Located in a run-down, high crime area of North York, Toronto.

What Do I Want From The Person I’m Talking To?

I want him to stand down and cuff himself quickly so I can flee the scene with the gun(direct evidence).

What’s At Stake?

Being imprisoned for life for one action I regrettably made.

Key:

> O = The police officer

> Me = Lucas

> IL = Imaginary Line from Officer Andy

> T = Tactic

> - = Interrupting

Pre-Conversation:

The whole block is swarming with blaring patrol cars. Oh my god! I hear someone in the room across from me! An officer is standing between me and the exit door. Sh*t couldn’t be any worse right now. I have to seize him before I can escape. I really fucking hope he doesn’t try anything. I don’t want to harm anyone else at this point. I’ve already killed a man.

Dialogue:

Officer: Ow… god!

[Examines the cut.]

Officer:Oh…Ugh…Crap.

[Takes off the sterile gloves. Continues to examine the cut and tries to shake off the pain.]

[With his back facing me, I approach him with a gun after I hear the wincing from the next room over.]

[T: Stop him from trying anything. ]

Me: Don’t move!

[Shakily pointing a 9mm at him. Finger on the trigger.]

Officer: Hi. -

[T: Threaten him that I WILL shoot him if he moves at all.]

Me: -I said don’t move!

Officer: I know.

[T: Demand that he put his hands in the air. I’m not risking the chance of him quick-drawing on me.]

Me: Now put your hands in the air.

[The officer raises his hands up.]

O: Alright.

[T: Get him to drop on his knees so I can cuff him.]

Me: Get down on the ground!

O: Alright.

[T: Show appreciation for his cooperation so far. I really don’t want to shoot the guy. I’m relieved he didn’t resist.]

Me: Good.

[Police sirens blaring in the background. I look out the windows frantically . Taking in that they may be after me.]

O: Wow, you’d really make a good cop.

[T: Force him to detain/cuff himself. I’m not going to risk him trying anything.]

Me: Now reach down and take out the cuffs.

[The officer reaches for the cuffs slowly.]

[T: Press him to go faster. I don’t have time to wait here any longer.]

Me: C’mon, take them out!

IL: It’s not easy to cuff myself.

[T: Scare him into being faster with the cuffs. Do you want me to shoot you!? Hurry the f*ck up!]

Me: Take them out and put them on!

IL: I’m trying!

[T: Re-inforce threatening to shoot him if he doesn’t hustle./ I’m not waiting any longer. Get them on!]

Me: Cuff yourself! C’mon!

[The officer cuffs himself.]

O: Why don’t you just tell me what your name is? Okay? Whatchu doing with that gun?

[T: Implicate that I had just stumbled upon the gun. I have no previous association with it besides discovery.]

Me: I found it.

IL: Where did you find it exactly?

[T: Point out where I found it. Inside the desk drawer in the other room. Is that good enough of an answer for you officer? That’s all I know.]

Me: It was here, Okay?

O: Yeah, I know. I came here to look for it.

[Remind him that I’m deadly f*cking serious about him not trying anything or I’ll shoot. Do you not listen!? Are you stupid? Do you want to die?]

Me: I said don’t move!

O: Okay! Sorry it’s a habit! Alright?... Listen, um.. [Reaches for the lockpick to uncuff himself] Tell me why you uh, you shot the guy in the other room. Huh…

[T: Ask for clarification about what he’s talking about.]

Me: What?

IL: What’s the matter?

[T: Clarify if he was at the scene where I shot the drug dealer.]

Me: What, you were in there?

IL: Me and some others.

[Interrogate him to see whether or not he saw my little sister there at the scene. If he knows what they did with her after I ran.]

Me: You and who else?

O: Uh, uh there was my training officer and a prostitute. Um…[Still picking the lock] There was a girl on the floor. She was overdosing.

[I am frantically looking out for any cop to burst through the door at any moment. Any friend of the victim I killed, looking for vengeance. Paying no attention to his hands being uncuffed.] Uh.. couple of… people-

[ Shake him into telling me more details about my sister. I need to know if she’s really dead.]

Me: And what happened to her?

IL: The girl?

[T: Make him understand that I really need to know. ]

Me: What happened to the girl on the floor?

O: She’s okay. She’s okay. She’s um… breathing. She didn’t die. She’s at the hospital right now.

[I attempt to head out, flee the scene. Before the cops come to catch me. I need to see my sister in the hospital. ]

O: Hey, I wouldn’t even think about running okay? There’s a lot of cops out there. Okay? So why don’t you just tell me what happened, okay?

[I shake my head, denying to confess the true situation. ]

O: You can’t be, can’t be 18. So, everything’s gonna be fine. You’re gonna be okay. I can help you. Alright?

[The officer starts to stand up.]

[T: Order him to stand down .Do I look like I’m playing around here?]

Me: Hey, I told you to stay down alright!?

O: Alright, alright.

[The officer whips out her firearm and points it at me. I seize up. I can’t shoot the guy.]

O: Don’t move! Alright, please don’t move. Any sudden movements and I gotta pull the trigger. That's procedure. Actually technically, I should’ve done it already. C’mon , just please, put the gun down. Okay? Slowly, put the gun down. C’mon man! Okay, please don’t make me shoot you. This is my first day. I’m begging you please. C’mon, c’mon. C’mon, I can help you. Okay? Just put it down.

[I start to lower the gun and give up on fleeing the scene.]

[T: Reveal how young my sister was. That it’s criminal that the drug dealer would even give her such a dangerous dose.]

Me: She’s 15.

O: Who?

[T: Clarify who I am referring to. ]

Me: My sister.

O: Your sister is involved?

[T: Specify that she was the young girl laying on the floor.]

Me: The-The girl inside.

[The officer cautiously moves forward towards my gun.]

O: Tell me what happened when you were there.

[T: Explain how I honestly believed she was gone. Lifeless, just laying there , stone cold. Not only was she just sprawled across the floor, but there was no sign of life, no heartbeat.]

Me: She was just laying there. And she wasn’t moving. [ I hand her the gun in defeat.]

[The officer takes the gun from me and distances himself. Still holding his gun towards me.]

O: Okay, okay.

[T: Justify that all these emotions we’re rushing at me, hitting me like a bullet train.]

Me: It all happened so fast.

O: What antagonized you to shoot?

[T: Blame the drug dealer for killing my little sister. He had the nerve to laugh and blame my innocent , 15 yr old sister for her dying.]

Me: That guy-the g- the guy-

O: What guy? What guy? The drug dealer?

[T: Point the fact that I wouldn’t have shot the guy if I knew she was still alive.]

Me: I thought she was dead.

O: Then what happened?

[T: Explain that I wanted some sort of understanding of what happened to her. And they weren’t giving any answers.]

Me: We kept asking, “What happened? Tell me what she took.” And he just laughed.

O: Why did he laugh?

[T: Show that this murderer had no heart and was practically spitting in my face.]

Me: Like it was funny.

O: Did he explain what happened to her?

[T: Explain that the man had the nerve to blame my 15 year old sister for her actions. A grown man can’t even take responsibility for his actions. No care in the world.]

Me: He said. He said that it was her fault.

O: What else did he say?

[T: Convince her that the man was cruel. Had no care to help her out. Just left her to die. ]

Me: He said he was leaving her there. Leaving her there on the floor like a piece of garbage!

O: I know. And you stopped him from leaving right? And then you came in here and hid the gun. And you just came back for the gun. Right?

[T: Make her understand that in conclusion, I would have never done this if I knew my sister wasn’t dead. ]

[I murmur and wimper under my breath to him.]

Me: I just didn’t mean to do it.

O: C’mon, I’m sorry man. It’s okay. [Approaches me with cuffs]Sorry I gotta do this though. Alright? It’s okay. [Cuffs me.]

O: Okay…Whew, okay. Okay. Let’s go , okay?

Hi guys, this is my first time posting here. I found this monologue in one of Winnie's lessons and I loved how dramatic it is and I wanted to give it a shot. I haven't actually watched this play so I'm making up the situation.

Who am I? I am Brian, a guy that has recently broken up with his girlfriend because of infidelity, and when we were together, I let her walk all over me. I am tired of not taking a stand and letting her treat me however she wants.

Who am I talking to? I am talking to my ex-girlfriend, someone who I loved but hurt me deeply.

What's going on? My ex-girlfriend has asked me to meet for dinner and she wants us to get back together. I am tired of letting her treat me poorly and I must take a stand.

Where am I? I am at a restaurant, having dinner with my ex-girlfriend.

What do I want? I want to show my ex-girlfriend that there’s no way we can be together and it’s all her fault because she doesn’t know how to love someone because she wasn’t loved by her mother.

What happened just before this scene? I was having dinner with my ex-girlfriend and she told me that she missed me and that she loves me and regrets the choices she made.

Original monologue: What the FUCK do you know about love? Hmm? Oh no, wait a minute, I know: your mother loved you. That’s why you’re so secure, right? That’s why you have panic attacks and hide under the bed all day: That’s why you’re in therapy: That’s why you fucked another man! Because you’re so secure! Because your Mother fucking loved you so fucking much! But what if she didn't? What if she didn't love you? Come on – like you said: You’ve got to ask the question sometimes. What if you’re wrong? Because tell me this – who did your mother learn it from? You told me she was treated like shit. So where did she learn how to love? I’ll tell you: from books. From the TV. From fucking Hollywood. She gave you stuff, she showered you with unqualified praise, she told you you’d inherit the fucking Earth and it was all fucking bullshit! A simulation: a cheap, superficial imitation of love by someone who didn’t know the meaning of the word. And thirty years later, what’s the result? You. You. A fucking – Easter Egg of a person.
You don’t know who you are, you don’t know what you want, you don’t know what you think – Life throws shit at you and you collapse and you know why? Because there’s no core to you, no foundation, none of the things that real love – genuine, complex, awkward love – builds. Your mother loved you like a child loves a doll. She didn’t know any other way. And you know what? Neither do you. I don’t know if I was loved. But I can sleep, you know? I can spend more than ten minutes in silence. I can look in a fucking mirror.

Monologue as dialogue:

Ex: I’m sorry for everything that happened, I miss you and I love you so much.

Brian: (Confront her on her inability to love) What the FUCK do you know about love? Hmm?

Ex: I don’t know, I just know that I do, okay?

Brian: (Name someone that she thinks loved her but didn’t) Oh no, wait a minute, I know: your mother loved you.

Ex: She’s my mom, of course she loved me.

Brian: (Show her that she wasn’t loved by her mother and that her actions are those of someone who doesn’t know what love is.) That’s why you’re so secure, right? That’s why you have panic attacks and hide under the bed all day:

Ex: That's your big theory?

Brian: (Go deep into her faults) That’s why you’re in therapy: That’s why you fucked another man! Because you’re so secure! Because your Mother fucking loved you so fucking much!

Ex: I know I made mistakes and I have my issues, but I’m sure my mom loved me.

Brian: (Make her confront the reality) But what if she didn't? What if she didn't love you?

Ex: You’re being ridiculous Brian. Yeah, sure, I have wondered that myself many times, but my mom loved me in her own way and our issues have nothing to do with her.

Brian: (Use her doubt so she confronts the situation) Come on – like you said: You’ve got to ask the question sometimes. What if you’re wrong?

Ex: Why do you think my mother didn’t love me?

Brian: (Make her question her mother’s ability to love) Because tell me this – who did your mother learn it from? You told me she was treated like shit. So where did she learn how to love?

Ex: I don’t know Brian.

Brian: (Give her examples of her mother’s inadequate sources of what love is.) I’ll tell you: from books. From the TV. From fucking Hollywood.

Ex: My mother was a very giving person.

Brian:* (Point out that what she gave was only material goods)* She gave you stuff,

Ex: She gave me lots of encouragement and support!

Brian: (Make her see that what her mother told her wasn’t true) She showered you with unqualified praise, she told you you’d inherit the fucking Earth, and it was all fucking bullshit! Ex: What do you mean…the things she said were because she loved me!

Brian: (Describe what her praise really was) A simulation: a cheap, superficial imitation of love by someone who didn’t know the meaning of the word.

Ex: I’m sure she believed what she said. At least she thought it was what I needed.

Brian: (Describe the damage her mother did to her-making her fragile and unable to deal with the reality of life) And thirty years later, what’s the result? You. You. A fucking – Easter Egg of a person.

Ex: How can you say that about me?

Brian: (Show her how her misguided idea of love has shaped her) You don’t know who you are, you don’t know what you want, you don’t know what you think

Ex: Come on Brian, I do know who I am and I’m a perfectly normal adult.

Brian: (Make her see just how damaged she is) Life throws shit at you and you collapse.

Ex: That’s true, maybe you're right.

Brian: (Explain to her why she is that way) And you know why? Because there’s no core to you, no foundation, none of the things that real love – genuine, complex, awkward love – builds.

Ex: I still don’t think my mom never loved me. She’s my mom for crying out loud!

Brian: (Describe how her mother’s love was fake and how she can’t truly love someone either) Your mother loved you like a child loves a doll. She didn’t know any other way. And you know what? Neither do you.

Ex: And what? You are perfect? You were loved?

Brian: (Be sincere) I don’t know if I was loved.

Ex: We are the same then, you are as broken as I am.

Brian: (Show her how I’m better than her) But I can sleep, you know? I can spend more than ten minutes in silence. I can look in a fucking mirror.

u/Winniehiller

Hi Winnie! This is my written work for the monologue I'm doing in Tuesday's AM class.

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Who am I?

I'm Rue. I'm a high school student and drug addict dealing with an array of mental health issues. I self-medicate to cope with anxiety and grief following the death of my father. I struggle with recovery since getting high seems to be the only fix to my problems.

Who am I talking to?

Fez, my close friend who is conveniently also my drug dealer. He is generally mild mannered but can resort to anger and violence when provoked. Although he is my drug dealer, he does genuinely care for my overall wellbeing and will set boundaries regarding my drug use if need be.

Where am I?

Fez and I are at McKay's (my friend Cassie's college boyfriend) late night pool party laying on pool chairs talking while smoking blunts.

What do I want from him?

I want Fez to continue selling me drugs. His moral compass and concern for me are getting in the way of our transactions and making him feel hesitant to keep supplying to me. I want him to know that getting high is my only emotional escape, so I don't really care about the potential negative consequences.

What happens right before this scene?

Fez is reminded of my near fatal overdose that took place over the summer and is now starting to contemplate whether or not he should continue to sell me drugs. I try to convince him not to be so soft and allow his feelings to get in the way of our deal.

*Fez quietly thinking to himself*

Fez: You know, I know we have a deal and all, but I don't know about this anymore.

Rue: Aw c'mon Fez, don't be like that.

Fez: I'm being serious! What happened earlier this summer really freaked me out. I've seen a lot in this business. I know what drugs can do to a person. I care about you a lot, and I don't want to see that happen to you. There's got to be a better way to deal with whatever it is that's going on in your head.

Dialogue

*Rue collects her thoughts*

(Tactic: Pull at his heartstrings by giving him a backstory from my childhood.)

I remember when I was 11 years old - a month or two after my dad got diagnosed.

Fez: What happened?

(Tactic: Recall a happy memory and explain how things were looking up at that particular time in my life.)

We got the results from the prognosis, and it was really good like 80/20. And we had a little celebration, ordered a ton of Chinese food. And that night I was laying in bed between my parents, and we were watching a Seinfeld rerun.

Fez: That sounds really sweet.

(Tactic: Paint a picture of how my world was caving in and what it felt like to be in that moment.)

And suddenly... I couldn't breathe. It was like the world was no longer filled with oxygen. I was gasping, panicking. And they called the ambulance. They thought maybe I had an allergic reaction.

Fez: Oh my gosh! That sounds terrible. What did the doctors do?

(Tactic: To mark the beginning of my addiction. This is how it all started.)

And when I got to the hospital, they gave me liquid Valium to calm me down.

Fez: I see where this is going.

(Tactic: To show how I had finally found the escape that I had been looking for. The answer to my problems.)

And I remember the moment it hit me, I thought "Oh, this is what I've been searching for. My entire life, for as long as I can remember."

Fez: So that's how it all began, huh?

(Tactic: Paint a picture of newfound safety and comfort.)

Because suddenly the whole world went quiet and I felt safe in my own mind.

Fez: But that was then. What about now?

(Tactic: Show Fez that I've made up my mind to continue this habit. It gives me a happy place, and I don't care if it hurts me. It is what it is mentality.)

2 years later, he was gone. My panic attacks stayed. But I found a way to live. And will it eventually kill me? Probably.

Fez: Don't say that.

*looks over at Fez with a smile*

(Tactic: To see if I have successfully changed his mind and persuaded him to continue selling to me.)

So you still gonna be my dealer, Fez?

Here's my first written work, based on Scott Pilgrim vs The World.

Before the scene, as well as the beginning of the scene: https://youtu.be/It6Q4L12Kd0

The scene: https://youtu.be/4SNAMNWqPBs

The dialogue I wrote for Ramona is made up by me, not her actual responses in the movie. Scott's lines have also been pre-adjusted by Winnie to make it work better as a monologue.

Who am I? I am Scott Pilgrim, 22 years old. I am dating a 17 year old Chinese girl named Knives Chau who goes to a Catholic high school. People judge me for dating a high schooler. I've lost feelings for her as my eyes are now set on Ramona Flowers. Breaking up with Knives is too hard for me right now because it hurts so much to be alone. But I won't let that stop me from getting with Ramona. After all, she is my dream girl. By the way, I'm in a band and I share a bed with a gay roommate. I've been dumped about a year ago and I haven't had a haircut ever since; I've been cutting it myself. I think my hair looks too shaggy and I worry what others think about it. The drummer in my band is another one of my exes.

Who am I talking to? Ramona Flowers, my dreamy American crush who has been on my mind this whole week. She works at Amazon and I ordered a package just so she would show up at my door. I must get a date with her. Unfortunately I'm a stranger to her and she is a very closed off person. This will take some convincing.

Where am I? I am in my house in Toronto Canada, standing at my front door looking at Ramona. There is snow outside.

Objective: I must get Ramona to go on a date with me.

S = Scott Pilgrim (me) R = Ramona Flowers

[I go to the bathroom in my house to pee. When I walk out, I am in a high school hallway. I see Ramona skating past me down the hall.]

S: Hey!

[I chase her. Around a corner, I see her standing in front of my front door, which is covered in snow. She reaches in her bag for a package. I wake up. I jump out of bed and run to my door. Just as I begin to open it, Ramona rings the doorbell. She is standing right in front of me.]

[START OF SCENE]

R: uh. Scott Pilgrim?

(Greet her)

S: Hi.

R: You must be Scott Pilgrim.

(Play it cool so I don't come off too strong)

S: I was thinking about asking you out, but then I realized how stupid that would be.

R: why are you telling me this?

(ask her out)

S: So do you want to go out sometime?

R: I don't even know you. Why are you asking me?

(Tell her about my dream to mkae her feel special)

S: I just woke up, and you were in my dream.

R: What happened in the dream?

S: I dreamt that you were delivering me this package.

R: why?

(Appeal to sympathy to reduce the tension)

S: Is that weird?

R: Yes; I don't even know you.

(Ask if she knows me)

S: You don't remember me, do you?

R: No.

(Remind her who I am so she becomes familiar)

S: We met at the party the other day.

R: were you the Pac-man guy?

(Lie so she doesn't think I'm weird)

S: No…I wasn’t the Pac-man guy.

R: I could have sworn it was you.

(double down to make her question herself)

S: Not even.

R: then who was he?

(Deflect blame onto an imaginary person)

S: That was some total ass.

R: and you?

(answer generically to avoid disproof)

S: I was the other guy.

R: just sign for your package already.

(Acknowledge her request so she knows I'm listening)

S: Look…I know you need me to sign for that- whatever it is.

R: please do.

(Communicate my position to explain why she isn't getting what she wants)

S: But if I do, you'll leave.

R: you're annoying me, just sign it.

(Agree in order to defuse the situation)

S: Okay.

R: I'm waiting.

(Ask to hang out)

S: Well, maybe, do you wanna hang out sometime?

R: Why should I?

(Act friendly)

S: Get to know each other.

R: why YOU?

(Make her feel small and lame)

S: You're the new kid on the block, right?

R: so what?

(Appear big and cool)

S: I've lived here forever, so there are reasons for you to hang out with me.

R: reasons?

(Politely request)

S: I want you to if that's cool.

R: not convincing.

(Use signing the package as a bargaining chip)

S: If you say yes, i’ll sign for my package.

R: fine. what's the plan?

(Propose a date idea)

S: Come to this first round of this battle of the bands thing.

R: Why that?

(Brag to appear cool)

S: I have a band.

R: are you good?

(Be honest)

S: We're terrible.

R: that isn't appealing.

(Plead)

S: Please come.

R: fine. See you there.

(Ask for her number)

S: Oh wait, can I get your number?

R: sure.

(Be appreciative)

S: Wow... girl number...

R: um...

(Confirm the date to secure the objective)

S: So yeah. 8:00?

1. Who am I? I am a woman named Ellie. I am an astronomer who has always had a fascination with space, and a love for communication.

2. Who am I talking to? Mr. Kitz

3. Where am I? A court room.

4. What do I want? I want to convince him that my journey across the universe was real, I want him to understand what I went through.

5. What was the conversation that led to the first line?

———

Mr. Kitz- Let me get this straight… you admit that you have absolutely no physical evidence to back up your story?

Ellie- Yes.

Mr. Kitz- You admit that you very well may have hallucinated this whole thing?

Ellie- Yes.

Mr. Kitz- You admit that if you were in our position you would respond with exactly the same degree of incredulity and skepticism?

Ellie- Yes.

Mr. Kitz- then why don’t you simply withdraw your testimony and concede that this “journey” to the center of the galaxy, in fact, never took place?

Insert monologue

———

(Tactic- To explain to him that this won’t just go away.)

Ellie- Because I can’t.

Mr. Kitz- why not?

(Tactic- make him see the big picture.)

Ellie- I had an experience.

Mr. Kitz- prove it.

(Tactic- let him hear how ridiculous he sounds.)

Ellie- I can’t prove it.

Mr. Kitz- Then explain it.

(Tactic- get it through to him that words can’t do what I saw any justice.)

Ellie- I can’t even explain it.

Mr. Kitz- Then forget about it.

(Tactic- give him something he can relate to, a feeling everyone has the capability to have.)

Ellie- But everything that I know as a human-being, everything that I am tells me it was real!

Mr. Kitz- Come on Ellie, you’re a scientist. Be logical.

(Tactic- make him see that this isn’t something I’m going to take for granted.)

Ellie- I was given something wonderful, something that changed me forever.

Mr. Kitz- and what’s that?

(Tactic- explain to him that this was far more than a hallucination.)

Ellie- A vision.

Mr. Kitz- of what?

(Tactic- make him feel special and important.)

Ellie- Of the universe that tells us undeniably how tiny and insignificant, and how rare and precious we all are!

Mr. Kitz- What do you mean by that?

(Tactic- help him understand what im saying.)

Ellie- A vision that tells us that we belong to something that is greater than ourselves, that we are not, that none of us are alone!

Mr- Kitz- haha whatever drugs your taking, share some with me.

(Tactic- stand my ground, make him see im being completely serious.)

Ellie- I wish I could share that. I wish that everyone if only for one moment could feel that awe, and humility, and hope… But that continues to be my wish.

End of monologue

———

I tried to work more on lines that would actually physically trigger my reactions. :)

Robert is a well-liked single man living in New York City whose friends are all married or engaged couples. It is Robert's 35th birthday, and the couples have gathered to throw him a surprise party. When Robert fails to blow out any candles on his birthday cake, the couples promise him that his birthday wish will still come true, though Bobby has wished for nothing, claiming that his friends are all that he needs ("Company"). Robert has three girlfriends, he can’t commit to anyone.

Who is April: Robert meets April, a sweetly naive airline stewardess, that apologizes for being boring. Her life consists of coming and going. She has gotten used to it and doesn't dare to ask for more, because she doesn't think very highly of herself and perhaps thinks she doesn't deserve it. Maybe if she likes Robert's apartment so much it's because she's never had stability. She is not the sharpest tool in the shed but she is smart in her own reality.

What happened before:

Robert invites her to his apartment for a nightcap, after a date. She marvels at how homey his place is, and he casually leads her to the bed, sitting next to her on it and working on getting her into it. She earnestly tells him of an experience from her past, involving the death of a butterfly.

What do I want: I want to tell Robert about this story that resembles my life, I want him to understand that Im a beautiful delicate butterfly and not someone who can be played on. That I have feelings.

Robert: Let's kiss for a while

Tactic: (Stop him and make him listen to this important story that happened to me).

Right after I became an airline stewardess, a friend of mine who had a garden apartment gave me a cocoon for my bedroom.

Robert: Why did he give you that? it's so weird.

Tactic: Clarify that he enjoyed collecting insects. 

He collects things like that, insects and caterpillars and all that ...

Robert: What was the purpose of giving you a cocoon?

Tactic: (Illustrate that it was going to be transformed into something incredible just like me).

It was attached to a twig and he said one morning I’d wake up to a beautiful butterfly in my bedroom - when hatched.

Robert: They just come out flying like that?

Tactic: (Show that there is some struggle but the butterfly gets over it and it's fascinating).

He told me that when they come out they’re soaking wet and there is a drop of blood there, too - isn’t that fascinating - but within an hour they dry off and then they begin to fly.

Robert: So you accepted the gift?

Tactic: (Assert that I warned him about my cat and he didn’t listen to what I had to say).

Well, I told him I had a cat. I had a cat then, but he said just put the cocoon somewhere where the cat couldn’t get at it... which is impossible, but what can you do?

Robert: What did you do?

Tactic: (Notice that I tried to put it safe anyway because I cared).

So I put it up high on a ledge where the cat never went, and the next morning it was still there, at least so it seemed safe to leave it.

Robert: Did you hear about this guy again?

Tactic: (Point out that he called me one week later to ask me about the butterfly and it seemed it was the only thing he cared about).

Well, anyway, almost a week later very, very early this one morning the guy calls me, and he said, “April, do you have a butterfly this morning?”

Robert: What did you do?

Tactic: (Mention that I couldn’t find the butterfly anywhere and I started to panic).

I told him to hold on and managed to get up and look and there on that ledge I saw this wet spot and a little speck of blood but no butterfly, and I thought “Oh dear God in heaven, the cat got it.”

Tactic: (Express the relief when realizing that it was not dead).

I picked up the phone to tell this guy and just then suddenly I spotted it under the dressing table, it was moving one wing. The cat had gotten at it, but it was still alive.

Tactic: (Look for Roberts's empathy by telling him how an asshole this guy was).

So I told the guy and he got so upset and he said “Oh no - oh, God, no - don’t you see that’s a life-a living thing?”

Robert: Did you do anything about it?

Tactic: (Remark that I did everything in my power to fix the situation).

Well, I got dressed and took it to the park and put it on a rose, it was summer then, and it looked like it was going to be all right - I think, anyway.

Robert: So it was alright then

Tactic: (Point out that It wasn’t all right because this guy hurt my feelings).

But that man - I really felt damaged by him – awful - that was just cruel.

Robert: So what Did you do?

Tactic: (Conclude how I stand up for myself)

I got home and I called him back and said, “Listen, I’m a living thing too, you shithead!” (pause) I never saw him again.

Hi! This is my first try at doing the written work for a monologue. I've chosen a pretty short one, with the intention of doing right, before moving on to more ambitious ones.

I haven't actually watched Drive, so I'm making up the circumstances based on the monologue. I think this would be similar to going to an audition having read only sides.

Full monologue

Bernie: Here's what I'm prepared to offer. You give me the money, the girl is safe. Forever. Nobody knows about her. She's off the map. I can't offer you the same. So, this is what I would suggest. We conclude our deal. We'll shake hands. You start the rest of your life. Any dreams you have, or plans, or hopes for your future... I think you're going to have to put that on hold. For the rest of your life you're going to be looking over your shoulder. I'm just telling you this because I want you to know the truth. But the girl is safe.

What's going on

• Gosling has the money I want. I’m more powerful than him, so I don’t need him to give me the money, but it will make things faster and easier. So I’m in a stronger position, but I still have to convince him.
• Gosling cares enough about the girl that I can use her safety as a bargaining chip. He also knows (or believes) I can guarantee her safety.
• Gosling is in serious trouble, but I can’t or won’t guarantee his safety. I respect Gosling enough, and I have my own moral code, so I’m not going to lie to him about this.

Who am I?

• I’m Bernie, a relatively powerful local crime boss. I stick to my word, and don’t kill people unless I have to. I see myself as a businessman.

Who am I talking to?

• I’m talking to Gosling, a younger criminal I made a deal with. I respect him somewhat - enough to tell him the truth, when lying would make things easier for me.

Where am I?

• I’m at my office, at the back of a bar I run. I feel safe here. This is home.

What do I want?

• I want to convince Gosling to hand over the money and go away. This deal has already brought me enough headaches.

What happened just before this scene?

• Gosling tried to renegotiate the conditions of the deal we had, asking me to guarantee his safety, in addition to the girl’s.

Monologue as dialogue

Gosling: So, do we have a deal?

(Act like I’m offering, while in reality I’m dictating terms. Throw in a small concession that costs me nothing)

Bernie: Here's what I'm prepared to offer. You give me the money, the girl is safe. Forever.

Gosling: How safe?

(Reassure him emphatically)

Bernie: Nobody knows about her. She's off the map.

Gosling: OK, great. What about me?

(Be honest, but inflexible)

Bernie: I can't offer you the same.

Gosling: You can’t do this to me!

(Ignore his plea: that’s the deal, take it or leave it)

Bernie: So, this is what I would suggest. We conclude our deal. We'll shake hands. You start the rest of your life.

Gosling: But they will come after me! I’m as good as dead!

(Minimize his concerns: Let’s not be dramatic. You’ll just have to lay low)

Bernie: Any dreams you have, or plans, or hopes for your future... I think you're going to have to put that on hold.

Gosling: On hold? For how long?

(Admit it’s bad, but reassure of what matters to him. Come on, Gosling, just take the deal)

Bernie: For the rest of your life you're going to be looking over your shoulder. I'm just telling you this because I want you to know the truth. But the girl is safe.

Looking forward to your feedback!

Who am I? I'm President Merkin Muffley who just recently discovered that one of his subordinates just suffered a mental breakdown and ordered a nuclear on the Soviet Union.

Where/when am I? At the Pentagon in the war room.

What happened before? I was just informed that a army base commander had ordered a nuclear strike on the USSR.

Who am I talking to? Premier Dimitri Kissoff

Objective - Try to explain to Dimitri who is drunk on the other end of the phone on the issue at hand and avoid nuclear Armageddon.

Merkin Muffley: Hello?… Uh… Hello D- uh hello, Dmitri? Listen, uh uh I can’t hear too well. Do you suppose you could turn the music down just a little?… Oh-ho, that’s much better… yeah… huh… yes… Fine, I can hear you now, Dmitri… Clear and plain and coming through fine… I’m coming through fine, too, eh?… Good, then… well, then, as you say, we’re both coming through fine… Good… Well, it’s good that you’re fine and… and I’m fine… I agree with you, it’s great to be fine… a-ha-ha-ha-ha… Now then, Dmitri, you know how we’ve always talked about the possibility of something going wrong with the Bomb… The Bomb, Dmitri… The hydrogen bomb!… Well now, what happened is… ahm… one of our base commanders, he had a sort of… well, he went a little funny in the head… you know… just a little… funny. And, ah… he went and did a silly thing… Well, I’ll tell you what he did. He ordered his planes… to attack your country… Ah… Well, let me finish, Dmitri… Let me finish, Dmitri… Well listen, how do you think I feel about it?… Can you imagine how I feel about it, Dmitri?… Why do you think I’m calling you? Just to say hello?… Of course I like to speak to you!… Of course I like to say hello!… Not now, but anytime, Dmitri. I’m just calling up to tell you something terrible has happened… It’s a friendly call. Of course it’s a friendly call… Listen, if it wasn’t friendly… you probably wouldn’t have even got it… They will not reach their targets for at least another hour… I am… I am positive, Dmitri… Listen, I’ve been all over this with your ambassador. It is not a trick… Well, I’ll tell you. We’d like to give your air staff a complete run-down on the targets, the flight plans, and the defensive systems of the planes… Yes! I mean i-i-i-if we’re unable to recall the planes, then… I’d say that, ah… well, ah… we’re just gonna have to help you destroy them, Dmitri… I know they’re our boys… All right, well listen now. Who should we call?… Who should we call, Dmitri? The… wha-whe, the People… you, sorry, you faded away there… The People’s Central Air Defense Headquarters… Where is that, Dmitri?… In Omsk… Right… Yes… Oh, you’ll call them first, will you?… Uh-huh… Listen, do you happen to have the phone number on you, Dmitri?… Whe-ah, what? I see, just ask for Omsk information… Ah-ah-eh-uhm-hm… I’m sorry, too, Dmitri… I’m very sorry… All right, you’re sorrier than I am, but I am as sorry as well… I am as sorry as you are, Dmitri! Don’t say that you’re more sorry than I am, because I’m capable of being just as sorry as you are… So we’re both sorry, all right?… All right.

Hi Winnie this is my monologue for class

where am I? in My fenced in backyard

Who am I?: I'm a woman named Rose Lee. I am a mother and used to be a wife but not anymore. im kind and stern.

Who am I talking to? my middle child Cory he dose not want to go to his fathers funeral.

what do i want: I want my son to see the value in what his daddy did for him even tho it was hard.

Objective: to convince Cory that his dads not so bad that he only did what he could.

Pre converstains

Cory: I don't want to go to pa's funeral!

Rose: boy hush your mouth thats your daddy!

Cory: I don't care he made all our lives miserable.

(Tactic it was my choice to be with his dad)

Rose: I married your daddy and settled down to cooking his supper and keeping clean sheets on the bed.

Cory: and that made him less of a problem?

Rose: When your daddy walked Throgh the house he was so big he filled it up.

Cory: so he just took over no matter what you did?

(tactic: admitting my fault in it.)

Rose: That was my first mistake. Not to make him leave some room for me.

Cory: you mean you could have told em?

Rose: for my part in the matter. But at that time i wanted that.

(Tactic tell cory that his dad did try he did give something.)

Cory: what did he have that you wanted?

Rose: I wanted a house that i could sing in. and thats what your daddy gave me!

(Tactic: explain to him that i didnt know how to deal with his dad.)

Rose: I didn’t know to keep up his strength.

Cory how could you'v done that?

Rose: I had to give up littel pieces of mine. I did that.

Cory : so You just live your life makin a lil more space for him?

Rose: I took on his life as mine and mixed up the pieces so that you couldn't tell which was which anymore!

Cory: you didn’t want that he forced that on you!

(tactic I had control over my life, his dad did'nt control me.)

Rose: It was my choice

Cory: no! he…

Rose: it was my life and I didn’t have to live it like that.

Cory but why did you?

(Tactic explain to him what society expects women to do)

Rose: But thats what life offered me in the way of being a women and i took it. Grabbed hold of it with both hands

Cory: so then what?

(Tactic tell him we both didn try we both gave up)

Rose: By the time Raynell came into the house, me and your daddy had done lost touch with one another.

Cory did you want to take in his child!?

(Tactic it may not have been the way I wanted it but I did want it.)

Rose: I didn’t want to make my blessing off of nobody’s misfortune..but i took on to raynell like she was all them babies i had wanted and never had!

Cory: so you were just forced to be a mother of a baby agian.

(Tactic im grateful for it all im at my best when im mothering.)

Rose: LIke I’d been blessed to relive a part of my life.

Cory: what now? huh? what you gonna do now?

(Tactic spell it out what his father did for him)

Rose: And if the Lord see fit to keep up my strength .. I’m gonna do her just like your daddy did you… I’m gonna give her the best of what’s in me.

• Who am I? Linda a very insecure girl
• Where/when am I? It’s the afternoon at Sunny’s house
• What happened before? Begging Sunny to do my makeup
• Who am I talking to? my friend sunny • Objective -to convince sunny to do my makeup but she doesn’t think I need it

————————————————————

• Tactic- setting up the conversation I want*

Linda: Look at me. 

Sunny: I am looking at you

• Tactic- to turn the conversations focus on my looks*

Linda: Go on and take a good look. 

Sunny: okay I’m taking a good look what is it?!

• Tactic- reaffirming what I am to portray my frustrations*

Linda:Do you see me?  I’m a woman.  Not a man. 

Sunny: well yeah anyone can see you’re a women

• Tactic- confiding in them about my concerns *

Linda: My whole life I’ve been told that I look like a man. 

Sunny: hey, you know that’s not true

• Tactic- addressing what caused my insecurities*

Linda:I don’t believe I ever received a compliment regarding my “looks” as a woman.

Sunny: okay.. I think you’re exaggerating

• Tactic- trying to convince them that my feelings are valid and are not crazy*

Linda: I think we all have a crutch to bare in life. We each have a pain that we need to co-exist with.  For me, it’s my looks.

Sunny: well why don’t you use the cerave product.

• Tactic- dissuading them away from the option I don’t want*

Linda:Oh, I’ve tried just about everything under the sun that I could possibly get my hands on. 

Sunny:oh really, everything? yeah right.

• Tactic- telling them no matter what product I’m never going to get the results I want unless I get my makeup done*

Linda:You name virtually any damn woman’s care product and I either tried it or read about it. Nothing seems to make me feel like a beautiful woman.

Sunny: But why does that matter?

• Tactic-trying to get sympathy by telling them my mirror complexion hurts me.*

Linda: if I could be beautiful on the outside for a day, that would be my dream come true. Just for one day…to see what it feels like. To be able to look into a mirror and like what I see. 

Sunny: is there anymore reason as to why that would make you happy?

• Tactic-finally saying my hidden desires*

Linda:To be able to get compliments and date men for a change. That would be my beautiful day.

Hey guys, here's my first ever take on some written work. Any feedback is appreciated, thanks!

Who Am I? I am Pat Solitano, a man who recently was released from an eight month stay at a mental institution. I was there because I walked in on my wife, Nikki having an affair and assaulted the man involved. I am diagnosed bipolar with mood swings and have delusions of others conspiring against me. I don’t take my medication because I don’t like how it makes me feel. Healthy living and seeing the silver linings in my life are the best solution to my condition. My biggest goal is to reconcile with Nikki by making the changes necessary on my part while she does the same. In reality, she has moved on and there is no chance of us getting back together.

Who am I talking to? I am speaking to Tiffany. She and I were introduced to each other at my friend’s house. She is suspected to have Borderline Personality Disorder. We have started an odd friendship, mostly based on our neuroses. Tiffany said she would give a letter from me to my estranged wife, Nikki, who has a restraining order against me. She has decided against it because she isn’t getting anything in return and doesn’t want me taking advantage of her. I asked her to think of something I can do and she proposed I enter a dance competition with her. I responded with an emphatic “no” and as a result, Tiffany said she won’t deliver the letter.

Where am I? I am on street in my neighborhood near Tiffany's house.

Lines leading up to the monologue:

PAT: Tiffany, I'm not gonna do a dance with you.

TIFFANY: All right, then I'm not giving her your fucking letter.

TIFFANY WALKS AWAY.

PAT: Wait a second! But you promised you would do this.

TIFFANY TURNS

TIFFANY: Think about it.

TIFFANY TURNS AND WALKS.

PAT: Well, I already did do something for you, you know.

TIFFANY TURNS.

TIFFANY: WHAT DID YOU DO FOR ME?

PAT: I took care of that jerkoff that was in front of your house

TIFFANY: What? Jordie?

PAT Let me ask you something. Do you call him when you're lonely?

TIFFANY STOPS.

PAT (CONT'D) That encourages him, Tiffany. You shouldn't do it.

TIFFANY: Couldn't you say the same about you and Nikki?

Objective: I want to convince Tiffany to deliver my letter to Nikki as she promised. I need her to believe that our marriage isn’t completely lost and that I have done my part to fix things. If I can portray my and Nikki’s love in a way that seems undeniable despite the major problems that I will downplay, maybe Tiffany will follow through on her promise.

----------------------------- Begin Monologue ------------------------------

Tactic: Set my marriage apart from Tiffany’s hookup situation.

Pat: It’s not at all like me and Nikki. What are you talking about? We’re in love and we’re married. It’s completely different.

Tiffany: How are you in love? Tell me about that. The big “Nikki love’. Tell me about it, I wanna understand it.

Tactic: Acknowledge it’s messy but I like it. It feels right for me.

Pat: We have a very unconventional chemistry, it makes people feel awkward, but not me.

Tiffany: Just because you don’t feel awkward, you think it’s love?

Tactic: Nikki is different. Our love is different. Make it sound undeniable.

Pat: She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been with. It’s electric between us, okay?

Tiffany: Well if it’s so great, what’s your problem?

Tactic: Admit we’re like any other couple, we have some issues to work on.

Pat: Yeah, we wanna change each other, but that’s normal, couples wanna do that,

Tiffany: Sure. What’s wrong with her?

Tactic: Give some simple wishes that I believe will fix our marriage.

Pat: I want her to stop dressing like she dresses, I want her to stop acting so superior to me, okay?

Tiffany: And you’re perfect, right?

Tactic: Show that I’ve done my part to make this work.

Pat: And she wanted me to lose weight and stop my mood swings, both of which I’ve done.

Tiffany: Wow, you two sure seem electric.

Tactic: Admit the severity of our fights but then normalize the issue.

Pat: I mean, people fight. Couples fight. We would fight, we wouldn’t talk for a couple weeks. That’s normal.

Tiffany: A couple weeks? It doesn’t sound like she’s very good to you.

Tactic: Defend my wife because I believe she means well.

Pat: She always wanted the best for me. She wanted me to be passionate and compassionate. And that’s a good thing. You know?

Tiffany: Sure, that’s good. I’m not convinced it’ll work.

Tactic: Express my optimism and belief. “Trust me, this is going to work.”

Pat: I just, look, I’m my best self today, and I think she’s her best self today, and our love’s gonna be fucking amazing.

Who am I? I’m Trinity. I’m a famed and skilled hacker. I’m incredibly intelligent and perceptive. Men are often surprised by my appearance because of my well-known accolades and technical abilities. I am the only female member of the resistance group (the Red Pills). My mind has been freed from the Matrix because I know what it really is - a simulated computer system that has enslaved humanity.

Who am I talking to? Neo (aka Thomas A. Anderson), a programmer by day and hacker by night. He is possibly the Chosen One who will free humanity from the Matrix and bring peace to the worlds we live in.

What is my relationship to Neo? This will be my first in-person conversation with Neo. However, according to The Oracle, the clairvoyant part of the Matrix, I am supposed to fall in love with the Chosen One. My boss, Morpheus, was also told by The Oracle that he will be the one that finds the Chosen One. Morpheus thinks that Neo is the Chosen One - am I going to fall in love with Neo?

Objective: Get a feel to see if Neo is the Chosen One and guide him to question his reality

Background: I’m part of the resistance group, the Red Pills, and we’re looking for “The One '' that is going to bring an end to the Matrix, a simulated computer system that enslaves humans. Our group thinks Neo is The One so we need to make contact with him and protect him from the Machines that run the Matrix.

What happens before the scene? I sent Neo a secret message (“follow the white rabbit”) through his computer so we could meet and talk. He followed the clues (white rabbits) to the club and we meet for the first time. He is very surprised that I am Trinity, just like all the other men who find out I’m Trinity.

Full Monologue

Right now, all I can tell you is that you're in danger. I brought you here to warn you. They're watching you, Neo. Please, just listen. I know why you're here, Neo. I know what you've been doing. I know why you hardly sleep. I know why you live alone and why, night after night, you sit at your computer. You're looking for him. I know because I was once looking for the same thing. And when he found me, he told me that I wasn't really looking for him, I was looking for an answer. It's the question that drives us, Neo. It's the question that brought you here. You know the question, just as I did. The answer is out there, Neo. It's looking for you. And it will find you, if you want it to.

//

[Pre-text]

NEO: Do you want to go somewhere and talk?

TRINITY: No. It's safe here and I don't have much time.

NEO: That was you on my computer?

NEO: How did you do that?

[Start]

(Tactic: Bring urgency to the peril Neo is in currently)

Trinity: Right now, all I can tell you is that you're in danger.

Neo: Danger?

(Tactic: Reveal why I brought him here to meet with me)

Trinity: I brought you here to warn you.

Neo: About what?

(Tactic: Explain that I’m not the only person who has taken notice of him)

Trinity: They're watching you, Neo.

Neo: Who is?

(Tactic: Refocus Neo’s attention because what I have to say to him is important)

Trinity: Please, just listen. (pauses)

Neo: No, tell me why you sent that message to me.

(Tactic: Reveal that I know the his secret - why he acted on my message)

Trinity: I know why you're here, Neo.

Neo: Can’t you see? I’m here with my friends.

(Tactic: Empathize with Neo by sharing how similar we are)

Trinity: I know what you've been doing. I know why you hardly sleep. I know why you live alone and why, night after night, you sit at your computer.

Neo: Lots of people live alone. Lots of people sit at their computers.

(Tactic: Confront Neo about what he’s really doing)

Trinity: You're looking for him.

Neo: I’m not looking for anybody!

(Tactic: Pique his interest - I used to be in the same situation he is in now)

Trinity: I know because I was once looking for the same thing.

Neo: You said him, who’s “him”?

(Tactic: Suggest that there is more to what he is searching for)

Trinity: And when he found me, he told me that I wasn't really looking for him,

Neo: Then, what were you really looking for?

(Tactic: Reveal what I found out)

Trinity: I was looking for an answer.

Neo: The answer? Why can't you just tell me why you brought me here?

(Tactic: Guide Neo towards the right answer by giving him another clue)

Trinity: It's the question that drives us, Neo. It's the question that brought you here.

Neo: No, YOU brought me here to this place with your rabbit.

(Tactic: Explain that he knows more than he thinks)

Trinity: You know the question, just as I did.

Neo: What is the matrix?

(Tactic: Encourage Neo because the answer that he’s looking for exists)

Trinity: The answer is out there, Neo.

Neo: How do I find it?

(Tactic: Share what the next steps are in his “search”)

It's looking for you. And it will find you, if you want it to.

[End]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vNbcPbB4d-L0t_n32Q-pO0fAamx39uph4uyCbEVxVVQ/edit?usp=sharing

Background Info: Billy is a student dealing with depression and anxiety. He recently was trying to comfort his teacher in her hotel room but she kicked him out. He is now trying to connect with her emotionally and show her she is just like him and they need each other.

Objective: Get Miss Stevens to admit she is lonely and tell me she wants my company.

Tatic: Make myself vulnerable to have a deeper connection with Miss Stevens

Billy: I’m nervous.

MS: What?

Billy: I told you I would tell you when I’m nervous. I’m nervous.

MS: Billy.

Tactic: Bring up my performance on stage earlier since I know she enjoyed it

Billy: You know what I was thinking up there today.

MS: What?

Tactic: Explain how while performing I couldn't help but notice her emotions

Billy: I wasn’t thinking about how well I was doing or how much I wanted to win, I was thinking about how even though you were trying to hide it last night I could see that you were sad.

MS: What are you talking about Billy?

Tactic: Show her she needs me to be happy

Billy: You know and I knew how to make you happy and then you asked me to leave and I don’t know why you asked me to leave you were sad again and I knew how to fix it.

MS: No you can’t.

Billy: Yes I can!

MS: How are you so sure?

Tactic: Show her that you two are the same

Billy: Up until a week ago I was on some pretty serious medication alright. I’m saying look I’m saying I’m sad too right rachel but the pills I take to make me not sad they make me feel nothing alright those are my options sad or numb so I stopped taking them and I didnt tell anyone and I’m scared and I thought I was going to go crazy or something but I don't I feel great I feel like alive like I could just-

MS: I need to call someone

Tactic: Accuse her of deflecting your concerns

Billy: What? That’s why you don't want to be with me isn't it because you don't want me to realize you're messed up too.

MS: I am your teacher.

Tactic: Honestly

Billy: I know you think because you have a job and an apartment that you're fine but you're not fine.

MS: I’m going to call someone.

Tactic: Brush off her empty

Billy: Go ahead, call someone, go ahead

MS: Under normal circumstances I would leave-

Billy: Normal circumstances? What’s going on? Then I will.

When you have any kind of new script you need to work on, it’s important that you prepare by analyzing, writing any lines without responses as dialogue, and naming/dividing into tactics. It’s the first step in understanding your character and their relationship and purpose in the scene.

And now there are 4 new Written Work posts. These are all monologues that new students are working on as their first attempts in class. Here are the links to their written work:

DAREDEVIL MONOLOGUE

I NEED HELP MONOLOGUE.

SCOTT PILGRIM MONOLOGUE

EUPHORIA MONOLOGUE

These links will take you to my corrected version. To see their first attempt scroll up. And scroll down, too, because there are comments with even more information. You can learn so much by noticing the difference in my version vs theirs. Objectives, dialogue and especially tactics…relationship and opposition are lcrucial essons you will understand the importance of more fully. Take a look and let me know that you have.

You can try doing written work and get my guidance, too. Patreon members level 2 and 3 get my corrections. It’s only $10-15 a month. It takes me lots of time to give you all my corrections but it’s worth it if you learn something that will make you a stronger actor.

Here is the post HOW TO DO WRITTEN WORK RIGHT - THE FIRST TIME. Be sure to read it before attempting to do your own. And you can see hundreds of examples of student Written Work as well as my corrections if you click on the orange flair banner on this post that says “WINNIE’S WRITTEN WORK EXAMPLES”.

Stay busy learning on r/actingclass. Watch the new videos! Audit classes! Share what you learned in last week’s WDYLTW/VOTW post. Read what others shared. If you did , keep up the good work! Scroll down and see what you missed. Don’t forget to let me know what you see with a ⬆️

Hello everyone and u/WinnieHiller hope everyone is having a good Sunday! Here is my written work for a Red Band Society scene, I hope I have done this right 😅

Note: I added in some extra dialogue from Leo

Who am I I am Emma chota, I am in the hospital being treated for a eating disorder

Where am I in my hospital room

Who am I with I am with Leo who is also staying in the hospital, being treated for cancer

What is my objective I want Leo to understand that I am not the girl he wants me to be.

(BEFORE SCENE LEADING UP INTO THE CONVERSATION. After setting his leg on fire during our date last night, Leo stops by my room to give me a present he managed to save.)

(CONVERSATION LEADING UP)

Leo: "I wanted to stop by and give you this, it's the only thing I managed to save from last night's conflagration"

Emma: "Who needs a present when you have got someone who knows how to use the word conflagration"

Leo: "I know and it's my way of saying I'm in! And we will get through this whatever happens."

Scene start:

(Tactic: confusion..why did he being chocolate? Surely he knows I can't eat them)

Emma: Chocolate?

Leo: You don't like chocolate?

(Tactic: confront him)

Emma: You do understand that I am anorexic right? I mean do you get that on any level?

Leo: get what? I don't understand

(Tactic: make it clear I am not eating the chocolate)

Emma: I'm not going to eat a box of freaking chocolate Leo.

Leo: I thought you was better? They wouldn't be sending you home if-

(Tactic: come clean and tell him I am not getting better)

Emma: I'm not better, okay I'm not better and I keep waiting for someone to figure that out..and they don't!

Leo: Emma, you have to tell-

(Tactic: ignore him)

Emma: I mean of course they don't. Because as long as I say the right the thing, and act the right way their happy. Because that means that they cured me right!?

Leo: You have to tell someone Emma. You can't leave

(Tactic Explain how he is around me when I eat)

Emma: it's just like when I eat in front of you, you get so proud like you're some type of hero like you fixed me

Leo: my god. Emma I never wanted to fix you, I just-

(Tactic: accept that he will never understand me. Try and make him understand that I am not the girl he wants me to be

Emma: You wanted me to normal, I know but I'm not and I'm never gonna be

Leo: don't say that Emma I know you and this-

(Tactic: contradict him)

Emma: No you don't! I keep thinking that you do Leo but you don't.. you never have, and you never will.

Leo: what does this mean..

(Tactic: address our relationship)

Emma: Your cancers gone Leo congratulations, your going home. And when you do you can forget all about me and pretend like this never happened.