13. If There’s A Question, Well, There’s Your Answer

“When we do what we know is right, we’ll feel happy.” – Adam Gilbert, MyBodyTutor

When something REALLY feels right for you, there’s no question in your mind that it’s right. You just know. It lines up with your values and priorities. It makes sense in all the right ways. You get that fire in your stomach. It makes your heart feel glad to be moving forward in the right direction. 

This is the criteria I have been trying to take into account when choosing a monologue. I know there are four monologues out there that will make my heart sing when I read them and I am not going to stop looking until I find them.

It’s like one of those fairy-tale quests… The one monologue to rule them alllll! ;-)

Anyway, there are a million “pretty-good” or “sorta-could-work” or “kinda-great” pieces out there. And I’ve done some of those pieces, and there is nothing wrong with them. They get the job done…kinda.

But… then there are certain pieces of artistic expression that are able to transcend getting the job done… And when I read a monologue that has that “je ne sais quoi,” then I KNOW that’s a great piece for me…

When a monologue is right for ME, I react to it in the following ways:

1. I wish that I had written it
2. The character is illuminating something that I feel needs to be known to the world
3. I immediately want to read it to someone else
4. It makes me FEEL something strong, emotionally
5. I can’t imagine NOT doing that monologue, I love it so much
6. I know that no matter the outcome of the audition, I will be thrilled to have 90 seconds to give my interpretation of this character and share that with the auditors

If I have my choice (and in this case I do) I do not like to rush. I like to have plenty of time for my monologue selection process and to allow myself down-time between Drama Book Shop runs to let things sink in.

That’s why I started my monologue search back in June. It has been tedious and time-consuming. 

It's not so much fun searching for monologues as it is finding them.

It’s like shopping. When you’re looking for something specific, you’ll never find it. But when you’re not really looking for anything in particular, you stumble upon the perfect thing. Ugh. I am usually looking for something specific, which is why I don’t like shopping much…. I digress.

However, I have triumphed over my own resistance to looking for monologues and I have found 3 pieces that make my heart sing. Yay me! I should give myself a gold star for effort… ‘cause, goodness knows, Ron Van Lieu won't be pasting one on my forehead. LOL!

My missing piece is the Shakespeare monologue. I have read through many, many, many of them and none have given me that “heart-singing” feeling… yet.  Wish I could offer him a commission for a new work. But alas… he has expired.

I’ve got a monologue coaching session tonight with Kathryn Bild. (This will be my 5^th coaching session with her.) She’s been right alongside me through the entire process. Tonight we'll be reading and discussing and hopefully choosing my Shakespeare piece.

I love collaboration. I know this. So I have made an effort to surround myself with supportive and knowledgeable collaborators that I love and respect. This is what I need to feel successful in my process.

For me, the era of going-it-alone is through. You know they don’t give out metals for self-sacrifice? I know!? Lame right?.... So may as well ask for help. That’s what I figure. There's lots of folks out there that know how to do things a lot better than I do, might as well use them as a resource!

I have FIVE minutes in the room on audition day. I am required to prepare FOUR monologues, but am only guaranteed the time to do TWO of them before I am either dismissed or allowed to pass to the next round of auditions. 

Every. Second. Counts. 

How do I want to spend my moments? Doing a "this-will-sorta-work" monologue? I think not.

I want to feel confident that every monologue that I’ve prepared is my best one, my favorite one, and one that I will feel fulfilled to have shared in that moment.

Wish me luck!

Regards,

Virginia

“Do you want to know why I have an issue with compromising, economizing, and settling for less? I have to work just as hard whether the bar has been lowered or raised. Dream even bigger.” - Mike Dooley, Tut’s Universe