Expert: Kenneth D. Plonkey - 8/18/2009

Question
Hey Doc,

I have an interesting situation with a monologue that I have coming up. I'm a 17 year old girl who is homeschooled and have acting and singing/music experience starting when I was young. I am in a homeschool drama group but this is my first year in the Continuing Class. This year I have to write a 3 minute monologue on one foreign person of my choice from the 1500's to present. In other words, I need to chose an actual person, research their life, and pick an interesting event in their life, and write a monologue for myself, being them. I have some ideas but I feel that they are all over-done and I need some fresh inspiration. One thing that isn't helping the situation is that I need to tell my teacher who I've chosen by the 29th. I'm still searching but I stumbled across this sight and read some of your advice to people and thought you might have some ideas for myself. Please, let me know if you do or even if you don't. Thanks so much for your time!

-Brittany

Answer
Hi Brittany, I have to start by saying that I firmly am against students writing the material they do in acting classes. Acting is done from scripts that professional playwrights and screenwriters have prepared and I do not believe that such an assignment helps the student. And I wonder why it has to be a foreign person? Drama class is also not a place for indoctrinating people with ideas about diversity.  Now, you need to choose someone not readily known. So I am going to pick three famous women from the history of acting for you to choose from. 1. Isabella Andreini, actress and manager of a famous Commedia dell'arte troupe in Italy.  2 Margaret Hughes, the first English professional actress. and 3. Nell Gwenn, the English Restoration actress who began as an orange girl and wound up as mistress to King Charles II. You should have no trouble finding info about any of these. Have fun. Doc