Today, I had my third meeting with Kym and expressed my concerns about what to do. I had done all this research, I had chosen my monologues, but I didn't know where to go from there. Kym offered some very simple advice. You have your monologues, you know some methods that you want to use. So see if they work. If they do, that's good. If they don't, try a different method. So now the laborious task of creating my characters begins.
For the Creature from Frankenstein, he was created by a mad scientist and was rejected by all of humanity because of his appearance. Due to being treated this way, he became miserable and lonely. This character's energy would definitely be negative, sad and angry at the world that rejected him. He was built from various parts from different species, as his creator wanted to build a creature of ultimate durability. After he was brought to life and his creator rejected him, he wandered out into the world where he learned to speak, read and write. Because of his appearance, he is deformed and ugly. The monologue consists of him confronting his creator and accusing him of making him a miserable fiend. He wants Frankenstein to make him a female companion so that he isn't sad and lonely anymore.
For The Abridged Works of William Shakespeare scene, I've chosen with the opening scene from Romeo and Juliet. I will be portraying a total of five characters: the Narrator, Benvolio, Samson, the Prince and Romeo. I'll be jumping back and forth between characters so my energy will have to be kept high. The narrator is there to tell the story. Benvolio and Samson are members of rival families who serve different lords. The Prince comes in to stop their feud. And Romeo is consumed by love and is lost without it. These characters, I think will take the longest to develop. This is where my method will be truly tested. I may not see it now, but hopefully when I perform it, it will be noticeable. This task is getting more overwhelming by the minute. But I need to remember that I need to look at the next step in front of me, not the mountain as a whole.
The character Simba from The Lion King is relatively simple. Born to be the next king, his life is struck by tragedy when his father is killed while saving him. Even worse, his uncle tells Simba that he (Simba) is responsible for his death. Simba runs away from the Pride Lands and meets up with Timon and Pumbaa. Eventually growing into an adult lion, Simba becomes homesick. In life, he's a wanderer, going through the jungle with Timon and Pumbaa. But in reality, he's carrying this large weight of emotion inside of him and as a result feels lost, not knowing where he fits in the Circle of Life. Endless Night is where he cries out to his father, asking him for help. This is one performance that I'm looking forward to above all others.
The character John Proctor from The Crucible is the main character and is accused of witchcraft. This is a result of his affair with Abigail, one of the girls trying to cover up their deeds of witchcraft. He doesn't want his wife to be sentenced as well, so he admits to witchcraft, even though he's innocent. But when he signs a confession, he refuses to hand it over. Once it's placed upon the church, he can never redeem himself in the eyes of the people. It will cost him everything. Now this is a character that is very complex. I will need to read the script closely and discover what his intentions are in order to construct this character. One thing is certain, however: his emotions are running high and is emitting a great amount of energy, since his life is on the line.
The character Hamm in Endgame is blind and unable to stand. He, his parents and his servant live in a house that is closed off from a dead world. They are all stuck in a sort of loop, performing the same tasks, going to the same parts of the house, telling the same stories, repeating the same movements. In his monologue, Hamm switches back and forth between himself and as a narrator. It seems that this is in itself a loop. It seems as if this is all he has left. This character will be the most bizarre yet. I've never worked with experimental theatre before, so this will be an entirely new experience.
My performance of all the monologues will, hopefully, show how I approach each character in each monologue. I'm starting to feel the pressure of this project. Everything that I've learned over the last four years will be tested in my performance. I just hope my best will be good enough.
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The Senior Capstone Project Journal of Aaron J. Holt
No FicciónUpon completing his senior year at the University of Minnesota, Aaron J. Holt put his theatrical skills to the test. Tasked with creating his own character development method, Aaron drew from various methods. Then, to prove that it worked, he had to...
