Internal Monologue - Arizona Theatre Company

Recommended Age Level: Grades 9-12
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
LESSON PLAN
Playwriting: Developing an Internal Monologue
Recommended Experience Level: Good for a beginning theatre class
Time Required: 50 minutes (+ homework and future class assignments to be completed with classroom
teacher)
Materials Needed: Pencils, pens, paper, a collection hat, and especially our imaginations!
Lesson Description:
1. Think fast!: This is a mental warm-up for the playwriting unit. Distribute slips of paper and ask the
students to take ONE MINUTE to write down (in one paragraph or less) their most embarrassing moment.
Make sure it is something that the student feels comfortable sharing with the whole class. When that is
finished, collect the slips of paper in a collection hat, redistribute them randomly, and make sure that
everyone gets a moment other than their own. Do not share your moments at any time during this exercise,
unless given specific instructions!
2. True or False?: Have the students review the scenario, give the instructions and ask for volunteers (or
go around the circle). The rules are: the students must tell the class about "their" most embarrassing
moment, using as much detail as possible, and the students can either choose to tell their own moment or to
tell the other playwright's story. After the tale is told, it is up to the class to decide whether or not he/she
was telling the truth (that it happened to them) or if the story is false.
3. Reflection: Using the chalkboard (if available), have the students throw out ideas about why the "liars"
were successful in their storytelling. What did they do with their bodies.. the tone of their voice. - their
scenario? What details did they divulge? Why? How was he/she a good storyteller? Did the scenario help?
What makes it a good story? Spend a few minutes brainstorming and documenting these ideas on the board.
4. Welcome: "This exercise was to get your minds working in the playwriting and storytelling mode.
Today we are starting our playwriting unit which will result in the production of internal monologues
written by you." Explain that the monologues will be scripted this week and handed to an actor/classmate to
perform for the class. Playwriting is easiest to ease into (in most cases) by writing what you know first,
then embellishing or fine tuning.
5. Let's Talk: Using their own embarrassing story, pair off the students and let them tell them how they
remember it. Afterwards encourage the student partners to share what they found effective about the story
and what parts they were unclear about, details they might have missed. The pairs then switch and share the
other person's story with each other. After their workshop session, the students find a different partner and
repeat the whole process, this time incorporating the details that needed fine tuning in the last session.
Option: At this point the teacher can ask them to go back and write the scenario on paper again, using all
the pointers their partner's gave to them during the sessions.
6. Homework: Brainstorm ideas for monologues; at least ten solid storylines to turn in. These can be told
in first or third person, but it must always be told from your point of view (your impression of what
happened). It can be funny or serious, but it must be something that can be shared by all and that you feel

comfortable talking about. Please circle your top two choices and come prepared with details to share with
a partner, just like today.
CLOSURE / EVALUATION-
How did the stories evolve? Was it for better or for worse?
What details should you be looking for when you script your own monologue?
What made the stories funny - the story, the storyteller, or both?