Skyped Monologue - Performance #1

 
Swimming to Cambodia, 1987, Spalding Gray

Performance #1 - Skyped Monologue/Identity/Impossible Communication/Performance

Write an original monologue as if you were communicating, via Skype, imagining that you are communicating a personal story or adecdote with someone with whom it would likely be impossible for you to ever actually talk to.  This could be someone who has died (personal relative or friend or long dead historical figure) or someone in the future who does not, as of yet, exist.

Also, watch Swimming to Cambodia in it's entirety and read the Laurie Anderson interview - be prepared for discussion of both next week!

Each of you have the Project NV Gallery for 5 minutes.  This should include any set-up or arranging of the room, lighting or laptop.  You can control the POV of the Skyping laptop as long as you do so carefully (I will provide the laptop with camera and Skype connection).  The resulting video image of you performing your monologue will be watched by the class in CFA 207 as projected on the big screen.  We will be recording these for possible future playback (it will be very beneficial to each of you to watch yourself perform!), we may as well use the resulting recording for potential exhibitions.

How to write a monologue?  Feel free to reference past journals, letters, memories - how you develop this is really according to individual preferences.  Here are some online guidelines for such - these are varied, focused primarily on writing for theater - that is, mostly developing a "character" etc.  I would be mindful of these guidelines for sure, they are very interesting but focus on developing a monologue that is "true" and from real experience - the character is obviously you!

http://www.gaspjournal.com/2006/08/so_you_wanna_wr.html
http://sentinel5344.hubpages.com/hub/How_to_write_effective_monologues
http://www.monologuegenie.com/monologue-writing-101.html



 Laurie Anderson, from United States.
her website: http://www.laurieanderson.com/home.shtml