Open Forum

I have a student going to an intensive theatre program in NY and one requirement is to bring a literary villain monologue to work on...and not Shakespeare. When put on the spot I could only think of Iago, etc. and he can't bring that- any thoughts?

-------------------------------------------
Diana Driver
Amherst VA
-------------------------------------------

What about one from either Jekyll and Hyde or Dracula? Depending on your view Frankenstein can also be considered a villain... ------------------------------------------- Shira Schwartz Chandler Unified School District Chandler AZ -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-01-2014 10:22 From: Diana Driver Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue I have a student going to an intensive theatre program in NY and one requirement is to bring a literary villain monologue to work on...and not Shakespeare. When put on the spot I could only think of Iago, etc. and he can't bring that- any thoughts? ------------------------------------------- Diana Driver Amherst VA -------------------------------------------

Charles Dickens has some really wonderful male villains! I have done a theatrical adaptation of Barnaby Rudge and I would imagine many of his other novels would work very well. ------------------------------------------- Chelsey Cavender Membership Service Specialist Educational Theatre Association Hamilton OH -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-01-2014 10:22 From: Diana Driver Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue I have a student going to an intensive theatre program in NY and one requirement is to bring a literary villain monologue to work on...and not Shakespeare. When put on the spot I could only think of Iago, etc. and he can't bring that- any thoughts? ------------------------------------------- Diana Driver Amherst VA -------------------------------------------

Judge Wargrave's closing monologue to Vera in Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None where he reveals how he killed 8 people on the island and wants her to hang herself. It is a challenging monologue, but he is really a twisted and chilling villain if played well. ------------------------------------------- Marla Blasko Theatre Arts Director Columbia MD -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-01-2014 10:22 From: Diana Driver Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue I have a student going to an intensive theatre program in NY and one requirement is to bring a literary villain monologue to work on...and not Shakespeare. When put on the spot I could only think of Iago, etc. and he can't bring that- any thoughts? ------------------------------------------- Diana Driver Amherst VA -------------------------------------------

The killer in "Night Must Fall" by Emlyn Williams is a young man. Dan's scene with Olivia near the end of the play is all venom and bravado--great fun. The 1935 has been scanned by archive.org. The scans haven't been cleaned up, but most mistakes (such as I being read by the scanner as /) are easy to figure out. ------------------------------------------- C. J. Breland Asheville NC -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-02-2014 08:34 From: Marla Blasko Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue Judge Wargrave's closing monologue to Vera in Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None where he reveals how he killed 8 people on the island and wants her to hang herself. It is a challenging monologue, but he is really a twisted and chilling villain if played well. ------------------------------------------- Marla Blasko Theatre Arts Director Columbia MD -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-01-2014 10:22 From: Diana Driver Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue I have a student going to an intensive theatre program in NY and one requirement is to bring a literary villain monologue to work on...and not Shakespeare. When put on the spot I could only think of Iago, etc. and he can't bring that- any thoughts? ------------------------------------------- Diana Driver Amherst VA -------------------------------------------

There's also Stanley's monologue to the dead judge in "Greater Tuna." Twisted, funny, and a little sad. Good challenge for an advanced student. ------------------------------------------- Josh Ruben Fine Arts Head Chattanooga TN -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-02-2014 08:34 From: Marla Blasko Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue Judge Wargrave's closing monologue to Vera in Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None where he reveals how he killed 8 people on the island and wants her to hang herself. It is a challenging monologue, but he is really a twisted and chilling villain if played well. ------------------------------------------- Marla Blasko Theatre Arts Director Columbia MD -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-01-2014 10:22 From: Diana Driver Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue I have a student going to an intensive theatre program in NY and one requirement is to bring a literary villain monologue to work on...and not Shakespeare. When put on the spot I could only think of Iago, etc. and he can't bring that- any thoughts? ------------------------------------------- Diana Driver Amherst VA -------------------------------------------

If Shakespeare is forbidden but the Elizabethans are not, I would go with something by Marlowe. There is a great one from the second part of Tamburlaine that begins "Well, bark, ye dogs!" Marlowe's Faustus could be another great source. Jason in Euripedes' Medea could also work. If he wants to stay classic but go for prose, I would look at Strindberg. If there is time to create a monologues Shurtleff style, I would look at Ibsen's Enemy of the People. ------------------------------------------- Joshua Brady Menifee CA -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-01-2014 10:22 From: Diana Driver Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue I have a student going to an intensive theatre program in NY and one requirement is to bring a literary villain monologue to work on...and not Shakespeare. When put on the spot I could only think of Iago, etc. and he can't bring that- any thoughts? ------------------------------------------- Diana Driver Amherst VA -------------------------------------------

A villain who also has some humor is Jonathan Brewster from ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, and he has a monologue or two. Depending on how you define 'villain,' Ebenezer Scrooge is good for a couple excellent monologues. Bill Sikes from OLIVER TWIST (not sure if he has a monologue) There's so many versions of Dracula in stage literature that you can probably get a really juicy monologue from one of them. And there's always Satan! (PARADISE LOST) Good luck! ------------------------------------------- Josh Kauffman Teacher Winfield City Schools Winfield AL -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-01-2014 10:22 From: Diana Driver Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue I have a student going to an intensive theatre program in NY and one requirement is to bring a literary villain monologue to work on...and not Shakespeare. When put on the spot I could only think of Iago, etc. and he can't bring that- any thoughts? ------------------------------------------- Diana Driver Amherst VA -------------------------------------------

?De Dondé? by Mary Galligher has 2 scenes with a South American general coercing a young girl that could probably be pieced together as a monologue - chilling!(Not sure I spelled her name correctly.) ------------------------------------------- Marilynn Zeljeznjak Blacksburg VA -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-03-2014 10:43 From: Josh Kauffman Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue A villain who also has some humor is Jonathan Brewster from ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, and he has a monologue or two. Depending on how you define 'villain,' Ebenezer Scrooge is good for a couple excellent monologues. Bill Sikes from OLIVER TWIST (not sure if he has a monologue) There's so many versions of Dracula in stage literature that you can probably get a really juicy monologue from one of them. And there's always Satan! (PARADISE LOST) Good luck! ------------------------------------------- Josh Kauffman Teacher Winfield City Schools Winfield AL -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 07-01-2014 10:22 From: Diana Driver Subject: Need a literary villain male monologue I have a student going to an intensive theatre program in NY and one requirement is to bring a literary villain monologue to work on...and not Shakespeare. When put on the spot I could only think of Iago, etc. and he can't bring that- any thoughts? ------------------------------------------- Diana Driver Amherst VA -------------------------------------------