The ‘Dreaded’ Monologue: ‘The Lovely Bones’

For our third screen experience, we performed monologues. This was simultaneously more

intimidating, because you were performing alone, and less intimidating, because you only had yourself to rely on. I chose a monologue from ‘The Lovely Bones’ as it contrasted in tone with the previous performances I had done, and I also felt I could have a lot of fun experimenting with different interpretations of the script.

I had no prior knowledge of the film other than what I could decipher from the monologue, and I initially intended to keep it that way but, ultimately, there are certain key things you might need to know that explain, for example, why the character has said a certain thing. In my case, I wanted to have a grasp of the events that led up to the character's death, however, I didn’t want so much information that I ended up copying the original way the monologue was spoken. Therefore, I settled on watching the trailer, to gauge the overall atmosphere and main plot points of the film, as well as the beginning of the monologue from the film, so that I could see what the actor playing Susie Salmon originally decided the tone would be, and how I could make this my own, while keeping it relevant to what was going on.

Having done this, I experimented with the use of different ways of delivering the lines. For example, what (if any) props would I use? Who or what would I speak to? I decided speaking to myself, as a sort of ‘inner monologue out loud’, would suit this monologue best. Including a mirror as a prop also enhanced this, as well as giving my character something to come back to, and tie the whole monologue together.

‘No longer self-talk, it [the monologue] was a bold statement. The film monologue was

transfigured from self-assertion to self-actualisation’ (Cettl Robert, 2010: 5, in reference to the difference in stage and screen monologues). I, therefore, focussed on the overall statement my character wanted to get across. Adding the conclusive idea of coming back to the mirror to address her past really emphasises the revelation of her self-actualisation.

Throughout the remainder of the rehearsal process, I experimented with different ways I could interact with and around the mirror. I ended up deciding that the monologue was about me needing to validate my existence to myself in the mirror, but I don’t end up doing it until the end when I finally get the courage to say, ‘My name is Salmon’, which tied the performance together as I began and finished in front of the mirror.

The more I act in front of a camera, the more I get used to it. I was still nervous this time, but not as much as before since I knew what to expect. As in the previous performance of ‘Normal People’, I tried to pay close attention to where my eyes were looking to stop them from flitting, but I think I definitely still need more practice on this!

I am also getting much more used to being behind the camera. Although it is still somewhat foreign to me, I only needed to do minimal adjustments for the monologues, as typically, the audience’s attention must be solely focussed on the actor, rather than being distracted by the camera zooming in and out and cutting from one angle to another.

To conclude, I think every experience I have had is building my understanding and confidence in acting for screen, but this one did so in particular as it was a lot more independent compared with the previous performances.

Reference List -

Cettl Robert, (2010) Sensational Movie Monologues, Adelaide, Robert Cettl