Monologue

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A monologue is a speech by one character. It can show what the character is thinking out loud or be spoken to someone else or to the audience.

Related terms and differences:
- Soliloquy: a character talks to themselves for the audience, not addressing others.
- Apostrophe: the speaker talks to an imaginary person, object, or idea.
- Aside: a short remark that other characters don’t hear.
Monologue is one voice speaking aloud; soliloquy is inner thoughts spoken aloud; apostrophe addresses something non-physical; asides are brief and unheard by others.

Origins and history:
- In ancient Greek theatre, one actor often appeared with a chorus, and the route from monologue to dialogue came later.
- Roman theatre used monologues a lot, especially to show longer spans of time (linking monologues).
- Other monologue types include entrance and exit monologues, which help signal time passing.

Evolution:
- From the Renaissance onward, monologues let characters pursue their dramatic goals.
- In postmodern theatre, monologues can blur the line between acting and personal speech.

Types:
- Interior monologue: the character’s thoughts are revealed to the audience.
- Dramatic monologue: one character speaks to another character.

Active vs. narrative:
- Active monologue aims to achieve a goal.
- Narrative monologue tells a story, often in past tense.

Auditions:
- Actors may perform monologues in auditions to show their skill.
- These pieces are usually two minutes or less and are often paired (comic with dramatic, classical with contemporary).
- The choice of monologue depends on the play or role.