Students trained to act alone are skilled at filling in the blanks on stage. These students understand character development and are able to apply their concepts to any role including those created in the spur of the moment during an improvised scene. Above all, these are students who own the stage they walk on, exuding confidence to the rafters and beyond. In reading Acting Alone, you–the drama teacher–will acquire a whole new way of looking at monologues and their multiplicity of uses in the classroom. You may choose to create a small unit devoted to monologue work in order to prepare your students for audition situations, or you may choose to use monologues to teach units on character development, movement, voice, acting, writing and directing. You will learn to teach your students how to write their own monologues and how to write monologues for your students. Or, use the author’s–100 are included! At the end of each chapter, a Survival Kit gives a concise summary of the important points covered in that chapter. While lesson planning, refer to the Survival Kit for inspiration or make it your “to do” list for the unit. So why not get started!
News & Reviews
“What sets Acting Alone apart from other monologue resources is that it not only allows students to create their own monologues, but it has an entire chapter filled with monologues written by Hajidiacos. This resource is packed full of useful tips for any classroom. English, History, and Drama teachers could use these ideas to create useful units to explore fictional characters or historical figures. As monologues are excellent for confidence building and oratorical skills, Acting Alone is a must in any drama classroom. I would give this a 4-star rating and a big ‘thank you’ to Hajidiacos for being inspired to create this much-needed resource.” —CM Magazine
“Hajidiacos finds ways to trick students into giving honest, truthful performances by just laying down rudimentary rules. If her ideas gain wide currency, it’s possible that high schools and universities across North America will be presenting mor powerful and honest performances than the Manhattan Theatre Club, Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Geffen Playhouse combined.” —American Theatre
About the Author
Demetra Hajidiacos is a writer, director, actor and educator. She has taught drama, improvisation, musical theatre, theatre arts and public speaking in the school system, as well as several courses for adults at Prairie Theatre Exchange. She is the author of Acting Alone: A Drama Teacher’s Monologue Survival Kit, as well as a theatre reviewer and columnist. Hajidiacos has a Bachelor of Education degree, a degree in Theatre Directing, and a Masters of Education degree. Demetra’s thesis centred on teaching drama to children with autism, and she created a drama program for children with autism that was first piloted at Manitoba Theatre for Young People.
