An Ode to Radio Drama

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We all have exposure to actors on the big and small screen, and many of us have the joy to experience drama from stage actors in theatre. But while we do know some of the voices behind animated characters, we don't as often think of the good ole fashioned radio actors anymore. This is no surprise since radio drama has mostly been usurped by television and film.  And believe me, I love a good movie (just saw The Double, which I raved about in a previous post), but there is something quite unique about radio drama.  And I personally have a very soft spot for it.

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Netflix guesses I will give The Double 4.9 stars. It's pretty darn close...

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There are certain movies that just stand out to you. Certain ones that speak to you, excite you, energize you. Maybe they feel relevant to something you're going through at the time, maybe they remind you of something you love, maybe they keep you on your toes and your adrenaline goes through the roof, maybe they just make you laugh really hard. But we all have those 5-star-netflix worthy movies...

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New Christmas-themed comedic children's monologue: Shepherd Superheroes

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If you’re looking for a comedic Christmas monologue, great for kids (or adults who want to have fun playing a kid!), check out my monologue, SHEPHERD SUPERHEROES. In the monologue, Sam explains to the Christmas pageant director why having his shepherd’s costume muddy right before the performance is actually a good thing.

The monologue runs around 1 minute and while it is written for a male actor, the monologue is fine for any gender. Shepherd Superheroes comes from the one-act Christmas play, Christmas Superpowers and Believing in Blitzen. Enjoy!

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Captivating performance of my monologue, "I am a Shark"

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Check out this performance of my monologue, "I am a Shark." Antonio De Matteo clearly knows how to captivate an audience with his tone and his eyes. I found myself mesmerized just watching him.

Share your thoughts! Have you performed this monologue with a different interpretation?  How powerful do you find it when an actor looks directly into the camera? Looks away from the camera? What are ways you can be effective using only your face and voice?

New Children's/Teen Monologue, "Ipad Fury"

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How would you like to perform a monologue that's brand-spankin'-new to the public?  Well, children and teenagers, here's one for you!  As always, contact me for request of use. Enjoy!

IPAD FURY By Tara Meddaugh © 2015

JUSTIN, a boy, 7-15 years old, is sitting in the driver’s side of his mom’s Toyota Sienna minivan. The keys are in the ignition, the doors are locked. The window is open about 1 inch. Justin’s mom is standing next to the driver’s side of the car, locked out.

____________________

JUSTIN

Just because I’m not a teenager yet doesn’t mean I can’t drive a car. You think I won’t do it?

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An instructor's analysis of my monologue, The Beanstalk

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The Beanstalk monologue, featuring Jack of fairytale fame, has been used all over the world, by theatres, at universities, in high schools and middle schools, contests, festivals, and of course for actors' auditions.  Below, an instructor in Australia, analyzes this monologue in terms of structure, tense usage, punctuation, and sentence construction:

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The Submission Guidelines that are stirring up the theatrical community...

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So as most of you probably know, playwrights do not make a lot of money living off of their creative words.  And as most of you probably know, artists don't enter the artistic field in pursuit of money. There are various reasons, but most people enter their artistic field because it is what they do. What they can't stop doing.  You paint because you must paint. You write because you must write.  You create because you must create. It's what we do....Still.

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Youth (Teen) Playwriting Contest

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YouthPLAYS, a publisher of youth-oriented theatre, featuring award-winning playwrights and exciting new theatre, sponsors their "New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights" each year.  If you're a playwright, 19 years old or younger, you can submit a one-act play with the chance of winning a monetary award, dramatic writing software, publication and that fabulous validation that always feels good! :) 

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Youth (Teen) Playwriting Mentorship

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Check out this great opportunity for aspiring young writers:

Application Due October 1, 2015

This opportunity is comprised of a 6-month mentorship for an early career playwright.  The youth mentorship is designed to encourage talented young playwrights to hone their craft, gain confidence, skills, and foster the desire to bring innovative theatre to the public.  Tara believes that by encouraging youth to pursue playwriting, we encourage new, vibrant theatre to exist, evolve, and give voice to the next generation through this dynamic form of art.  

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Talented actors take "Holding Ginger" to State Competition

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One of my favorite things as a writer is to receive personal emails from actors relaying their positive experiences with my monologues or plays. You might not think I read all the emails, but I actually read each one personally. I can't be present at many performances, so I appreciate hearing how things go, especially when a performance is well-received, or confidently played.

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Female performer: Actor or Actress?

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I love language.  And not just speaking it, or using it (although I love both of those), but also in dissecting it, analyzing it, trending on it.  I remember very clearly learning how to use double and single quotation marks, along with indenting for dialogue when I was 7 years old. When I was 11, I soaked up the unit on Grammar when everyone else was wishing it would end.

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The "Casting Couch" in theatre--real or cliche?

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I recently heard an interview on Studio 360 with playwright, Julie Jordan, who spoke on the realities of the age-old cliche of the "casting couch" (originating with the idea that one must sleep with someone to land a role, although now the phrase is used more generally, for anyone performing sexual favors to advance in a career).   She is calling for Actors Equity to tighten its policies and procedures on harassment, and further, bring more awareness to this issue that is often glossed over in theatre.

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