Here’s a look at a few photos from my recent shoot:
100 Monologues – Monologue #22: Island
100 Monologues is a project where I’m writing monologue scripts, performing, and filming the pieces. Since I’m beginning to dabble in acting, the project is meant as a means for me to acquire more acting experience where I can work on refining my craft. You can find out more about the project here.
Below is the script from the “Island” monologue. The script isn’t exact to my performance above, but my performance is based on it. If you’re a student who would like to perform this monologue for class, just make sure you credit me, Maggie Coyle, as the author. For any other use of the script, please contact me.
100 Monologues: #22 Island
I used to dream about living on an island – just me and mother nature. I’d build a tree house from driftwood and climb up into the trees every night to go to sleep, just listening to the waves murmuring in the distance. I would live off the land, scavenge for food in tide pools and shrubs in the wilderness. I would make bonfires to cook my food and fashion together necklaces with shells from the beach and make clothing from leaves stitched together. I would be one with nature.
I think I read too many adventure stories of protagonists that survived on their own in the wild. I loved those stories as a kid. And now my sense of adventure has drifted away. These days the furthest I’ll travel with nature is a long walk home after work. That’s as “one with nature” as I can get.
100 Monologues – Monologue #21: Cubicle
100 Monologues is a project where I’m writing monologue scripts, performing, and filming the pieces. Since I’m beginning to dabble in acting, the project is meant as a means for me to acquire more acting experience where I can work on refining my craft. You can find out more about the project here.
Below is the script from the “Cubicle” monologue. The script isn’t exact to my performance above, but my performance is based on it. If you’re a student who would like to perform this monologue for class, just make sure you credit me, Maggie Coyle, as the author. For any other use of the script, please contact me.
100 Monologues: #21 Cubicle
I work in an office and I do a lot of paperwork and administrative work and…I mean it probably doesn’t sound that fascinating but I’m confident that it’s going to turn into something better. Right now I’m working away in a cubicle every day. And that whole cubicle environment seems kind of silly. It’s almost like a zoo for people. We have these fake walls, florescent lights beating down on us…It’s kind of like we’re in all these different separate fish tanks or fish bowls. And you don’t see any other creature living this way. You don’t see some other animal scurrying away with a briefcase to go to work where they sit around for seven hours a day at a desk every day. It’s strange how people ended up doing this. But I mean for now it just seems like my days are filled with so much routine. But there has to be a starting point for everything and I’m confident that it’s going to turn into something bigger and better. I just have to keep moving forward and looking ahead. And things are going to go brilliantly.
Review: The Crafty Art of Playmaking
“The Crafty Art of Playmaking” by Alan Ayckbourn has some useful information on the art of playwriting. I especially enjoyed the highlighted “obvious rules” that Ayckbourn sprinkled throughout the book. They helped call attention to main points that were useful for me, an aspiring actress and script writer. I also thought it was interesting how it was divided into two sections, one on writing and the other on directing. From an actor’s perspective, it gave some helpful insight into the world of casting and directing. It also provided some good basic rules to refer to when playwriting. However, it was more of a brief overview of various aspects of a director/writer’s world, and didn’t focus too much time or attention on any one area.
100 Monologues – Monologue #20: Not Unreasonable
100 Monologues is a project where I’m writing monologue scripts, performing, and filming the pieces. Since I’m beginning to dabble in acting, the project is meant as a means for me to acquire more acting experience where I can work on refining my craft. You can find out more about the project here.
Below is the script from the “Not Unreasonable” monologue. The script isn’t exact to my performance above, but my performance is based on it. If you’re a student who would like to perform this monologue for class, just make sure you credit me, Maggie Coyle, as the author. For any other use of the script, please contact me.
100 Monologues: #20 Not Unreasonable
I’m not trying to be unreasonable. I’m trying to be as reasonable as possible. Only the problem is, it’s too easy to lose your head over things that don’t really matter. You know, at the time they seem to be the only things that matter. Like getting into college. I spent so many hours obsessing over grades, being a perfectionist. I was worried about getting into a good school. It turns out I don’t do well with multiple choice. Ever. Give me multiple choices, and chances are I’ll pick the wrong answer. Sometimes you can’t be right, no matter what.
100 Monologues – Monologue #19: Unexpected Inventor
100 Monologues is a project where I’m writing monologue scripts, performing, and filming the pieces. Since I’m beginning to dabble in acting, the project is meant as a means for me to acquire more acting experience where I can work on refining my craft. You can find out more about the project here.
Below is the script from the “Unexpected Inventor” monologue. The script isn’t exact to my performance above, but my performance is based on it. If you’re a student who would like to perform this monologue for class, just make sure you credit me, Maggie Coyle, as the author. For any other use of the script, please contact me.
100 Monologues: #19 Unexpected Inventor
The way I saw it, no one thought I’d ever make something of myself. They assumed I was destined for nothing. That I’d just be another face in the crowd. Live another average life. Have an average house and insignificant job. Become an average housewife and pass on my average genes by having average kids. They had no idea I’d rise above my supposed “predestined” life. That I’d find a drive to become something else. That I’d live and breathe science and inventions. That I’d make things. That I could make a living making things. That people would actually buy my inventions. No doubt in my mind that everyone couldn’t believe their ears when they heard what I was doing.
100 Monologues – Monologue #18: Talking In My Sleep
100 Monologues is a project where I’m writing monologue scripts, performing, and filming the pieces. Since I’m beginning to dabble in acting, the project is meant as a means for me to acquire more acting experience where I can work on refining my craft. You can find out more about the project here.
Below is the script from “Talking In My Sleep” monologue. The script isn’t exact to my performance above, but my performance is based on it. If you’re a student who would like to perform this monologue for class, just make sure you credit me, Maggie Coyle, as the author. For any other use of the script, please contact me.
100 Monologues #18: Talking In My Sleep
I have this perpetual problem with talking in my sleep. I’ve been told I usually string together nonsensical words or babble on in a language of my own invention. Sometimes I yell out words or phrases.
I’ve always had this fear of telling the world my secrets while I’m asleep. Not being able to control what I say, bugs me. It’s odd that when my mind is taking a break, resting, I subconsciously continue talking. I’m powerless to control it.
And the thing is, I have no way of knowing what I say. All I can do is rely on the word of boyfriends or roommates. They can easily lie to me about what I’ve said…for all I know, I’ve already met my greatest fear…and told them all my secrets.
100 Monologues – Monologue #17: The Funeral
100 Monologues is a project where I’m writing monologue scripts, performing, and filming the pieces. Since I’m beginning to dabble in acting, the project is meant as a means for me to acquire more acting experience where I can work on refining my craft. You can find out more about the project here.
Below is the script from “The Funeral” monologue. The script isn’t exact to my performance above, but my performance is based on it. If you’re a student who would like to perform this monologue for class, just make sure you credit me, Maggie Coyle, as the author. For any other use of the script, please contact me.
100 Monologues: #17 The Funeral
I guess I always assumed that everyone I knew and loved was invincible or immortal or something. I didn’t think anyone I cared about could die.
When my sister died from leukemia at 18, I lost it. My world collapsed. I collapsed. I had trouble getting up each day. I had trouble doing simple things like walking. I became obsessed with my memories of her and had cried until my body couldn’t make any more tears.
Her funeral was something I’ll never forget – it seemed like a hazy dream with the volume turned down real low. The eulogies, the praying, the remembering… Before she was carried to her grave, we took one last look at her in the casket. She almost looked like she was only asleep – as she lay there wearing her favorite blue dress, faded from all the years of wear and tear. I traced over every feature of her face with my eyes – committed a mental sketch to memory. And then she was gone.
Her loss was so powerful – it shook me for years and years. I still can’t talk about it without crying… It made me realize how useless and powerless and human I am.
Review: How to Audition for TV Commercials
“How to Audition for TV Commercials from the Ad Agency Point of View” by W.L. Jenkins was a pretty helpful read. I have only had a chance to audition for a couple of commercials thus far, and while reading W.L. Jenkin’s book, I realized that I have a tendency of making several mistakes that he pointed out. The best advice I took away from this book was don’t overact for commercial auditions, do your homework (research the agency, producer, etc. that you are auditioning for), and be calm, relaxed, and believable.
Aside from having several helpful tips and suggestions for ways to improve your craft at commercial auditioning (i.e. study commercials that are out there), Jenkins also reviews the commercial process from the ad agency’s perspective. I really enjoyed how he mentions the various stages in the process of creating a commercial. As a creative person, I am always fascinated by different creative processes, and I find it helpful knowing more about how a commercial is pieced together so I can feel more comfortable about the process the next time I have a commercial audition.
Jenkins touches upon the common styles of commercials, which gives an actor an idea of what to expect as far as commercial scripts are concerned. He also does a break down of the various terms used for “stage directions” in commercial scripts. And I thought his recommendations on questions to ask a casting director and questions you should definitely not ask were incredibly helpful words of advice.
Overall, I was pleased with the information Jenkins presented. After reading his book in one sitting, I feel more comfortable about the next time I stop by an ad agency for a casting call.
Review: How Not to Audition
I read “How Not to Audition: Avoiding the Common Mistakes Most Actors Make” by Ellie Kanner and Denny Martin Flinn all in one sitting. I liked the brevity of this book. Some “how-to” books have a tendency of being repetitive and not quick and to the point – this book did a great job of avoiding that problem.
Perhaps one of my favorite parts was how throughout every chapter there were little blurbs and quotes from actors or people in the entertainment industry sharing stories from auditions gone wrong or those that went well. It put a face on the experience of auditioning and helped round out the whole experience. Some of the tips and suggestions were things that I had heard before from reading other books on the same subject, while other tips were new to me – like the idea of playing a role and not a type. I also appreciated how the book reviewed how its best to avoid unproductive or negative attitudes which is something that’s easy to do when you’re pursuing creative work, a world where rejection occurs often.
It also provided some useful examples, like examples of acting resumes and headshots. I always think that the more good or bad examples that are pointed out and explained to me, the more I can improve with building my own resume or taking better headshots.
Overall, I finished this book finding myself inspired. I’m ready to get back out there with auditioning. And I’m also ready to start doing a better job at preparing for those auditions.