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- Reading responses are due by midnight on the night PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading.
I really enjoyed the way that Spencer talked about action. I had never heard that action was its own thing. It does explain why they say action before people act. It might be where actor comes from too. (I'd have to look it up.) I had done some acting in school in the past, but I don't think that we really talked about action as action. My drama teacher talked about it in terms of motivation. I think that Spencer is right to not just generalize it like that. It's something that is extremely important to a play but also movies and TV. I know that I have seen a lot of shows where I can't tell what characters even want or how they are working toward that goal. I can see that plays might actually need it more since people's attention spans are so short. I think that 'Janitor' was a good example of showing what Spencer talks about in the beginning. A lot of physical activity does not result in a compelling play. The janitor does nothing but sweep and talk, but I felt extremely invested since I felt that I knew what he wanted. In my opinion, it seemed that he wanted to convey to young people the truth that he had learned. Even when I was reading the chapter I felt like I wanted to try out focusing on this concept while I was writing. I'll definitely be working on that exercise at the end of his chapter.
ReplyDelete- Ricardo Martinez Jr
Both Spencer and Hatcher in the chapters reading are reviewing how to use monologue correctly in a play. They both describe monologue as a speech that happens within the play. Though spencer breaks it down and gives different ways monologue can be used as character to character or as a character being alone or as if alone disclosing and inner thought (pg259). The only reading I did not like or understood was Hatcher (148-151) description of monologue. I feel if he could have done a way better job of describing monologue and giving brief examples of what monologue may consist such as how spencer did. I would have understood his way of describing monologue. H did mention that Monologue is one of the easiest speeches but the hardest to justify (pg148). Though I did like his example by using the play “Scotland Rod” as for us to see what monologue is to him. In "GAS" I really liked how they used their monologue as writing letters to each other. I also liked the ending on how he uses the gas as a symbol that his brother was no longer alive.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot on the use of the different types of monologues and how they are best used. Spencer also discussed the soliloquy where a character reveals to the audience while alone on stage of some innermost feeling he is having. Soliloquy is what I would define Gas. Jose Rivera uses this method to describe Cheo's feelings about his younger brother who is in the Persian Gulf War. The Janitor is definitely a direct message type. Sam the janitor is speaking his lines to an imaginary audience. The material of his monologue is comedic in nature. Hatcher on the other hand uses his own play "Scotland Road" to discuss how he uses a type of monologue where there is a silent character along with the woman who gives her last account of the moments just before the sinking of the Titanic.
ReplyDeleteSpiro Zagouris
Addressing the audience is not something I thought a character would do in a play. I thought it was a little odd that characters in a play can talk directly to the audience. Direct address and monologues, if you used correctly, can make a play in some ways. Soliloquies can also be used in a play. I was a bit confused when it came to monologues and Soliloquies. They both sort of have the same meaning and do the same thing in a play. A monologue is a speech a character does. A Soliloquy is when a character “Alone or as if alone, discloses inner most thoughts”. At first, I thought both were like speeches a character does.
ReplyDeleteTo me, monologues sound like a way for characters to further explain what is going on in a play. There is nothing wrong with that. Monologues can answer questions and doubts people in the audience had. The only thing one must worry about is where to put the monologue. I think it is better to put it towards the end of the play. It would clarify and tie in anything left out by the characters. Choosing whether the speaker will be interrupted by a different character is also important.
-Juan Gloria
Both Spencer and Hatcher went over what a monologue should contain and how to classify one. I was able to learn more from Spencer’s reading due to how he explained each of the ways you can have a character have a monologue in your play. I found Spencer’s reading very insightful when it came the ideas, I had for writing our own monologues in class. There was a bit of confusion for me when he goes on to explain what a true soliloquy is classified as. He states “Many times, even in Shakespeare, a character may seem to be speaking to himself, but in fact is addressing someone, even if it’ the audience”. I see this as a way that could be restricting many possible “true soliloquies”, because someone could always say a character is talking to somebody. When it comes to Hatcher, I liked how he says “If there’s someone else onstage, why isn’t she interpreting the speaker?” I see this as telling us to make sure that if a character is going to have a monologue, then make sure it has a significant impact on the play. Both “The Janitor” and “Gas” were interesting monologues and I feel I can use them as a good reference.
ReplyDelete-Ruben Quintero
What I picked up from Spencer and Hatcher is their explanations of monologues, soliloquy’s, and direct addresses and their uses. I like how Hatcher explained how his monologue of “Scotland Road” brought out many unanswered questions the audience may have been questioning within his speech. I really wish Hatcher would’ve been given deeper explanations of monologues with more examples other than his own to emphasize his explanations. Spencer’s one key thing that caught my eye was his literal key advice. “The key is using the audience as though they were a character” I love this piece of advice because it gives us as (262) writers an opportunity to connect our characters with our audience and create a deep understanding for one another as audience to writers words. Something I found interesting about Hatcher was his advice to record his monologues so he knows how it will pan out. I usually mumble to myself (probably looking crazy) when I'm planning out alone trying to fit in pieces. I loved the difference of monologue and soliloquy with “The Janitor” and “Gas”. The Janitor as a monologue gave us a way to connect with the character and him as a person. With Gas we dive in very deep to this soliloquy and see Cheo kind of venting and letting all his worries spill out over his brother and really gives you chills at how he just makes you feel as though you are in the same room listening to him. One thing I loved about these two is how they truly made feel like I never wanted to interrupt what they had to say.
ReplyDelete-Faith Ortiz
Spencer had a lot of vocab words and definitions in his selection which really helped me understand the concepts better. I feel like if someone would ask me what each one meant I would hesitate but once I read it again I would understand. One thing I don't understand is how soliloquies have action like dialogue. If one is talking “as if they are alone” where does the action come in? Another part that left me confused is when Spencer mentions “Via Dolorosa” and how there were “no characters” and how it may not even be considered a play.
ReplyDeleteHatchers piece was more example based which also helped me understand monologues more. I thought that the question to ask yourself when experimenting with monologues was very helpful and one I will definitely use in the future. When the woman was speaking I did get a little bit confused but not too much to not know what was going on, I just had to read it a couple times to get the flow of it. I like how at the end it also emphasizes that the woman's monologue answered a lot of questions. I felt kind of awkward with “The Janitor.” It was also kind of boring for me, I didn't really enjoy it all that much but it did give me a good representation on monologues.
-Rebecca Muniz
I liked the ending of "gas" when it said the "oil was blood" eluding to the war in Iraq over oil. For "the janitor" I like how the play was written. I liked how the author decided to wrapped the janitors wisdom within an illiterate speech. I believed that it showed that being educated doesn’t make you intelligent and not every intelligent person is educated.
ReplyDelete- Eduardo Guerra
Okay one this was so much to digest even over the weekend. I enjoyed Spencers and Hatchers sections on monologues, soliquy’s, and direct addresses and their users. Each author gave detail insight on their topic. I felt as if Hatcher could give more information regarding monologues but that was just me. Spencer work had more definitions which help me understand the general concept he was talking about. But even after I was, I was wondering the in the hell Soliloquies are because I am clues on them. The plays “The Janitor” and “Gas” were interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteThe Janitor monologue was a great way to vent and show the character as he should be. Gas was the soliloquy but I still was wondering how to write it.
Andi rubalcava
“The Janitor” was a great piece. I really enjoyed the use of irony in choosing a character with that background. Using the audience’s stigma against them and using that shock factor of a janitor actually having something meaningful to say to keep them in their seats. It's brilliant in theory and successful in execution. What makes it so? The direct address monologue. Funny, before the Spencer reading, I would have confused it for a soliloquy, but that's ignoring the context of why he's up there in the first place. Although a bit difficult to compare, I did enjoy the spencer reader better than Hatcher, although Hatcher makes some very important acknowledgments as well. Why isn't the monologue being interrupted? Writing a dialogue has become more than just a conversation, there's direction and “action.” A drive to have something come of this exchange, or non-exchange. Watching the examples makes me even more excited about using monologue”s in my own script. But I'd be smart to remember the points made in both readings, such as identifying what works best with the script you've got. Contemporary monologues were cited as being unmotivated, and perhaps sounding them out yourself will show you where the mistakes lie.
ReplyDelete-Sandra Martinez
During my time in theatre when I was in Highschool, monologues were something important for an actor to have on hand because It was their audition piece, but I never understood why there were monologues. It always seemed like just a large block of words with one character speaking their mind out to the audience, but Spencer and Hatcher have helped me understand that it is important to have some monologues. It always seemed like these characters, when going off in a monologue, were speaking to no one in particular, but if you take what Spencer’s key device on “The key is using the audience as though they were a character” the monologue becomes something else and the audience becomes part of the play. I enjoy how Cheo’s venting in “Gas” because it’s only him with his monologue where he vents and it seems as if he’s venting to the audience, ranting to them like an old friend would. The passion that goes into their speeches, the way they portray their emotions through dialogue solely, is a powerful feat that not many can do, and when done right, like in “Gas” and “The Janitor” it can be powerful and evoke emotions with it alone.
ReplyDelete-Kimberly Villanueva
When I was reading the Spencer and Hatcher texts I found them to be really helpful. Spencer’s was easier to understand, I think due to his explanations on the different types of monologues and goes into more detail when he talks about direct address and soliloquy. For Hatcher I understood the example provided but felt a bit iffy about it. I had to reread it after a while because it didn’t catch my attention as much. I think what would have helped me was if I read Spencer’s first instead of Hatcher. That is not to say that Hatcher’s text wasn’t useful I could definitely use that type of style as an example for my monologue, as it is similar to the stage play style. The videos on Gas and the Janitor helped me by allowing me to actually see a visual representation of a monologue, especially since I haven’t seen one in a while. When making my monologue I did reference all the works we had to go over however instead of being confined to a certain style I decided, that in the end, I should just let my character speak for himself.
ReplyDelete-Naidelyn Ramos