Unit 7

Unit 7 monologue:

Before you punch me there is something you should know.

This woman we're fighting over is no ordinary woman... You don't know how good you had it.

If I am going to die I want the world to know how great she is... Why do you want me to shut up? You afraid? You afraid I will say something that will hurt you?  You that sensitive? You gonna cry, Softy?

Then listen... Punch me all you want when I am done... Beat me to a pulp but let me say how I feel... For her.. Do this one kindness for her... She's worth it.

Do you know about serendipity?  Word too big for you?  I should stick to one or two syllables when speaking to you...

"Serendipity means a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; a fortunate mistake. Specifically, the accident of finding something good while not specifically searching for it."

That's what our love was... A happy accident.  We didn't plan on this.

She is amazing ... She is so very good... She has made me happier than I thought was possible.  Before her, it was like I was living in black and white and suddenly she brought color to my world.

And by some miracle she chose me.  I thought she was wonderful of course, but I never thought in a million years she'd want me.  She was the princess to my pauper.  The Batman to my Robin.  The Picard to my Wesley Crusher.  She was so much better, and I was so unworthy, yet she wants me.  By some incredible stoke of luck, she wants me.  And her kisses will last me until death... Which might not be very far off.

Yes, we're talking about the same woman, you idiot.

(Takes off glasses)

And now you can punch me.

END

This monologue is called 'Before you punch me'. It is from a published play called 'Flowers in the desert' by D.M. Larson. He was born in December 1971 in Spokane, Washington, where he grew up.

I believe this monologue is entirely different to the many others I have previously read, and seen performed, as the speaker follows a structure of repeatedly stating facts and opinions, and then asking questions. It is as though he is questioning his opponent's judgement and attempting to win over this woman they both want, however he is doing it by firing shots of words, without physical altercations or provoking this behaviour, and only verbal attacks. This emphasises the power of speech and contrasts with other monologues, as there are multiple interpretations which can be gathered from every sentence, due to various hidden meanings. For example, certain paragraphs are spaced out with several ellipses, creating a slower pace which the audience see as him giving himself constant reassurance. This conveys perhaps he is in a position of weakness, without complete trust that he is right for the woman they are fighting over, which I plan to portray to the audience through a change in levels, tone and pace.

For example, when the speaker says "Then listen... Punch me all you want when I am done...", the punctuation used influences me to use a slow pace when acting out the monologue, as it displays a level of confidence he has, before he starts asking questions which convey potential feelings of threat. Futhermore, I will speak in a low, quiet and calm tone of voice to present confidence, opposing the slight feelings of fear shown before. As the pace of the monologue increases with the questions, my tone of voice will change to be harsh and accusatory, as though the fight is getting more intense. Overall, I will try to portray the character as a really calm but vicious person due to the slight verbal attacks against the other character in the monologue such as, "You afraid?".

Where am I?
As of the place I am in right now, I don't know which drama school I would like to apply to, but I definitely have an eye on certain schools. For example, one of the which is the Drama Centre School which is based in Kings Cross. This school looks good however I'm not entirely sure I like it fully. Further, I am really interested in doing a course in film as I have worked with a company called 'The Broken Heart Youth' which allowed me to see different pathways in the world of acting. I have discovered from this, that I have greater interest when performing in front of a camera, rather than live in a theatrical surrounding.
By working with the company, it allowed me to realise more of what I would like to do in the future, and show me a different path which could take me into doing what I love the most as a career. Therefore, when I decide on applying to different courses in drama schools or university, my main focus will be applying for courses with film in the name, other than theatre based courses. Hopefully, as I progress through the second year of college, I will get to see different options for myself in terms of where I want to go and what I want to do.

Firstly, I think some of the skills I gained/developed throughout the time are: confidence, articulation and teamwork. I think articulation was a massive improvement for me as when I came into the college, I mumbled a lot of the words and struggled on pronouncing certain words, as English is my second language. However, as I got through the year by doing warm ups and articulation exercises, I was able to improve the skill by having a repetitive pattern of working on my mouth muscles. Also, by my teachers telling me to talk and pronounce the words slower, it allowed me to hear the mistakes I was making. Then, this allowed my articulation to improve as the words were coming out of my mouth much clearer.

Another key skill I think I gained over the time is confidence, due to the fact that when I came into the course, it was hard to socialise with everyone because so many people grew up in different backgrounds, making it hard to adjust to how other people worked. But, as time progressed, I was able to talk to everyone around me, and be more confident with the way I presented my speeches in front of the class.  This skill of confidence allowed me to improve on other skills, such as tone of voice, and the volume of my voice. For example, one of the ways I believe this helped me, was by being able to shout, scream and talk with suspense throughout my speeches, in order to get a reaction from my audience.

Lastly, I believe my teamwork has improved due to the fact that I was able to adjust to the different environment I was put into after secondary school and still be able to work in a team with people from different backgrounds. A way my teamwork skill has improved is by me being able to cooperate and finish tasks within a team and be able to work with other team members to produce the pieces we've been working on. For example, last unit we had to work on a piece called 'Love and Information' which had to be performed with a big group around 10-14 people. This allowed many people to improved on their teamwork skills, as it was a task where you had to adjust within a group in order for the piece to be played the right way. This was a success as in the end we were able to overcome the struggles and absence of others by working as a team. Overall, I believe that the skills gained over the couple of months have been drastically improved as I was able to see the bigger picture of the acting world.

After this course, my biggest aim will be to get into the filming industry moreover, in order for that to be a success, the journey will be intense, as I will have to get through a drama school or university in order to have any chance in competing against other actors in the industry. So, after year 2 my biggest aim will be to find a good drama school which offers studies based in film, and less in theatres. In order to achieve this, I would have to get through a lot of work by building connections with other industries and companies which are surrounded by the world of acting. This will allow me to have more options for the future and bigger job opportunities as I continue to develop on my skills to become a future actor.

Feedback
Some of the feedback which I received was particularly straight forward enabling me to see what I was doing right and any mistakes I was making. Firstly, my strongest points were that my performances were clear, and I showed improvement in my vocal speech, articulation and efforts. I have received the exact feedback I was expecting, therefore it was easier for me to improve further.

More feedback which I was given, was not to use the writer D. M. Larson as he's always used in auditions, and whenever you search for his name, google always gives his monologues first which doesn't differentiate from other monologues.

Additional feedback given to me, was to take my time whilst in the moment of building up my speech. This was extremely useful, as whenever I perform my speeches, I always lose track of where I am, and get lost midway through. Lastly, feedback which the whole class received which could affect me greatly, is 'showing vulnerability'. This will allow me to show off my inner skills and show a deeper meaning towards my character for the audience as I will be 'analysing' my character through the use of words, whilst being in front of the audience. From the feedback given I am able to reflect on what I need to improve on, when I have my auditions or whenever I perform a monologue.