Speech Topic suggestion needed - monodrama

[Vincent Li]

Greetings!
Thought the collective wisdom here must have something to offer. Always
had! I'm doing the Interpretive Reading manual and #3 is monodrama. Aside
from the 3 examples the manual gives, are there any other suggestions out
there that I can look into?

Thanks!

-- Vince

---------------------------------------
vi...@vcn.bc.ca ---,-'-{@ D21 web: http://www.toastmasters.bc.ca/
You don't have to do like I did...wait until you lose a leg or get some
awful disease, before you take the time to find out what kind of stuff
you're really made of. You can start now. Anybody can.
- Terry Fox, 1958 - 1981

[Yoj]

Vincent Li wrote in message <37C34F54...@vcn.bc.ca>...

>Greetings!
> Thought the collective wisdom here must have something to offer. Always
>had! I'm doing the Interpretive Reading manual and #3 is monodrama. Aside
>from the 3 examples the manual gives, are there any other suggestions out
>there that I can look into?
>
>Thanks!
>
>-- Vince
>

I used Robert Service's poem, "The Cremation of Sam McGee."

Joy Gaylord, ATM

[Rod Taylor]

As Joy has already pointed out, Robert Service is a good source.
I've done both Sam McGee and Dan McGrew.

Others that I've used include A.P. Herbert's "Why Doesn't She
Come" and a selection from Beowulf (Beowulf's fight with
Grendel).

Whatever you choose, have fun, and let us know the result.

Rod Taylor
Able Toastmaster Silver, DTM
Eskom Toastmasters
District 74, Southern Africa

Yoj wrote in message <7q060j$ga6$1...@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net>...

[JoeZ53]

Hi,

When I did this one, I used a portion of Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain Live. I
also remember someone else doing part of Fail Safe. The biggest problem I
faced was finding a selection that was long enough.

Joe Zafian, DTM
District 53 LGM

[RAE STONEHOUSE]

Vincent Li wrote:
>
> Greetings!
> Thought the collective wisdom here must have something to offer. Always
> had! I'm doing the Interpretive Reading manual and #3 is monodrama. Aside
> from the 3 examples the manual gives, are there any other suggestions out
> there that I can look into?
>
> Thanks!
>
> -- Vince

Hi Vinny!

When I took a look at the objectives for the speech I didn't see
anything that said that it had to be someone elses material. The first
thing that came to my mind was to do a Bob Newhart style of speech. Bob
became famous for his telephone routine. He would have a conversation
with someone and of course with Bob being a comedian, it was quite
hilarious.

I think that you could do either a serious conversation, perhaps someone
going through a crisis or a funny one. I think that some of the
conversations that we have with fellow Toastmasters when they are
getting ready to give a speech would make a hilarious presentation.
With a little embellishment and imagination you could have a very
entertaining presentation.

Good luck!

Rae Stonehouse ATM B CL
District 21, Division C Governor (99-00)

[Yoj]

RAE STONEHOUSE wrote in message <37C3F46A...@home.com>...

[John Fleming]

I'm not really sure this works within the definition of a monodrama.

Going back to my English studies, one of the characteristics of a
monodrama is that it has a speaker who is speaking the entire text to
an unseen audience. At no point in the monodrama does the audience
say anything.

In fact, the only way to tell there is an audience is the selection of
words in the monodrama. For example, you find sentences like "My son,
why have you forsaken me?"

Interpretative Reading #3 does extend the scope a bit by allowing you
to use soliloquies--an out loud speech where the speaker's audience is
him or herself.

You could also take a segment from a longer work and use it as the
monodrama. The segment, of course, would have to have only the
character obviously speaking to a silent audience.

The problem with using a conversation as a monodrama subject is that
now you have two or more people involved, and it ceases to be a
monodrama.

--

John Fleming, ATM-B, CL
Rooster Rousers Toastmasters, President
Attitude Boosters Toastmasters, Member
Edmonton, Alberta

email: joh...@nce.ab.ca (nce should be ecn)
web pages: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/6070
http://www.ecn.ab.ca/~johnf

- Only if you have been in the deepest valley can you
ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest
mountain.

R.M.Nixon 1913-1994

This message may be freely copied, distributed, or
otherwise be retransmitted.

[Ivan Wilson]

Vincent Li wrote:
>
> Greetings!
> Thought the collective wisdom here must have something to offer. Always
> had! I'm doing the Interpretive Reading manual and #3 is monodrama. Aside
> from the 3 examples the manual gives, are there any other suggestions out
> there that I can look into?
>
> Thanks!
>
> -- Vince
>

> ---------------------------------------
> vi...@vcn.bc.ca ---,-'-{@ D21 web: http://www.toastmasters.bc.ca/
> You don't have to do like I did...wait until you lose a leg or get some
> awful disease, before you take the time to find out what kind of stuff
> you're really made of. You can start now. Anybody can.
> - Terry Fox, 1958 - 1981

Vinnie,

Good luck. This is a fun one, but, yes, you are right. Not much to go
on.

I can offer only what I did, as I have not had the opportunity to see
others do this project.

I did Clarence Darrow. It was challenging yet a lot of fun. You might
wish to check your local library for suitable plays.

Ivan Wilson, ATM-S, CL
District 62, Area 4 Governor

"Strength does not come from physical capacity.
It comes from an indomitable will."
-Mahatma Gandhi

[Karl Kasca]

Dear Vince,

I recently put together some web resources for one of our Club members for
this speech. She ended up ordering one of the books due to her interest in
the monologues. Perhaps you'll find them helpful too:
_________________________________________________________________

If you like Shakespeare, you can try:
http://www.shakespeare-monologues.org/

=================================================================

This will give you an introduction to monologues:
http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/rb/dm1.html

Perhaps this Bibliography will give you some insights into particular
authors/monologues:
http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/rb/dm6.html

=================================================================

Or, you could check out the Library for any of these books listed at
AMAZON.COM on monologues:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subject-combination/002-2453029-4650244,
e.g.,

100 Great Monologues from the 19th Century Romantic and Realistic Theatres
(Monologue Audition Series)
Jocelyn A. Beard(Editor) / Paperback / Published 1994
Our Price: $9.95
Read more about this title...

100 Great Monologues from the Neo-Classical Theater (Monologue Audition
Series) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours
Jocelyn A. Beard(Editor) / Paperback / Published 1994
Our Price: $9.95

100 Great Monologues from the Renaissance Theatre (Monologue Audition
Series) ~ Usually ships in 24 hours
Jocelyn A. Beard(Editor) / Paperback / Published 1994
Our Price: $9.95

100 Monologues : An Audition Sourcebook from New Dramatists ~ Usually ships
in 24 hours
Laura Harrington(Editor) / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1992
Our Price: $5.59 ~ You Save: $1.40 (20%)
Read more about this title...

=================================================================

Take care & good luck,

Karl Kasca, CTM
Founders District, Area B-1, Club #9452 - President

=================================================================
=================================================================

Vincent Li <vi...@vcn.bc.ca> wrote in message
news:37C34F54...@vcn.bc.ca...

[git...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, August 24, 1999 7:00:00 PM UTC+12, Vincent Li wrote:
> Greetings!
> Thought the collective wisdom here must have something to offer. Always
> had! I'm doing the Interpretive Reading manual and #3 is monodrama. Aside
> from the 3 examples the manual gives, are there any other suggestions out
> there that I can look into?
>
> Thanks!
>
> -- Vince
>
> ---------------------------------------
> vi...@vcn.bc.ca ---,-'-{@ D21 web: http://www.toastmasters.bc.ca/
> You don't have to do like I did...wait until you lose a leg or get some
> awful disease, before you take the time to find out what kind of stuff
> you're really made of. You can start now. Anybody can.
> - Terry Fox, 1958 - 1981

I used "Anger management" - something that I received as an email - chain mail - someone joking about anger mangement issuers and talking to himself about how well he does with his form of anger management - it's very funny and fits into our times.

[cesar.l...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, August 24, 1999 at 2:00:00 AM UTC-5, Vincent Li wrote:
> Greetings!
> Thought the collective wisdom here must have something to offer. Always
> had! I'm doing the Interpretive Reading manual and #3 is monodrama. Aside
> from the 3 examples the manual gives, are there any other suggestions out
> there that I can look into?
>
> Thanks!
>
> -- Vince
>
> ---------------------------------------
> vi...@vcn.bc.ca ---,-'-{@ D21 web: http://www.toastmasters.bc.ca/
> You don't have to do like I did...wait until you lose a leg or get some
> awful disease, before you take the time to find out what kind of stuff
> you're really made of. You can start now. Anybody can.
> - Terry Fox, 1958 - 1981

As an aspiring 2020 DTM, I'm currently working on my Monodrama TM speech as well and after some good research found this gem to help: "On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco" Based on the play by Anton Chekhov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOAAsK8mfJc
Give it a shot!