[NoHo Arts District, CA] – This month’s Soaring Solo blog focuses on “There Are No Small Parts in a Solo Show.”
“Remember, there are no small parts, only small actors.” -Constantin Stanislavksi
Not every solo show features multiple characters, but many do. If your vision for your solo production includes a myriad of characters, then this month’s blog entry will help you to treat every character as if they deeply matter, because they definitely do.
Whether they have one line or 50, honor their presence in your story.
The solo aArtist is uniquely positioned to play the entire cast of characters in their show. This can feel like an overwhelming feat, especially if you don’t consider yourself a character actor to begin with. So, given the enormity of the task, many solo artists may give in to the temptation to deem some of their characters as “small roles” and therefore see them as “throw away” characters. This looks like not really committing to any particular choice, giving a stereotypical portrayal, or simply being unmemorable and muddy.
Yet, in order for you to present an impressive one-person play, it is vital to realize that there truly are no disposable characters in your script. If they’ve made it into the final edit, then they need to be fully realized on stage.
When a solo artist labels a character as unworthy of proper delineation, the audience will likely pick up on this. An ambiguous character leads to confusion as to who is who in your portrayals. It can also result in less emotional investment from your audience. After all, why should they care about a character that you don’t care enough about to make a special and nuanced entity? And it can bring down the overall integrity of your performance with noticeable inconsistencies in character embodiment.
So, how do you ensure you don’t play favorites with your solo characters and instead give each of them their proper representation on stage?
1) Apply a similar character study to creating and defining your entire solo show “cast” as you would to creating and defining a single character in an ensemble play. For example, ask yourself about their backstory, their desires, their age, gender, and ethnicity, where they grew up, what their religious belief are, etc.
2) Learn and implement solo theatre performance techniques. So, much of character distinction begins in the voice and the body. Check out this past blog entry about creating captivating characters by utilizing tried and true solo theatre tools.
3) Give yourself time to be in your creative process. Maybe every character won’t realistically be at the same level of distinction by your opening night, but if you are dedicated to deeply discovering them over time, that’s all that matters. I recall seeing a One Woman Show where the performer shared that she had been doing her show for over two decades and had just discovered the truth of one of her characters’ personalities that night. The point is that she had been seeking to understand the character for more than twenty years. I am sure the work that she was putting into defining this character over that span of time was evident to the audience, despite the character being in development.
These are just a few tips to help you make every character a captivating character in your solo show. As long as you have the mindset that every character deserves to be dynamic and distinct, you’ll have your audience forgetting that they’re watching just one person as they get lost in the diverse cast you’ve created.
I hope this month’s blog has offered you some powerful insights to help you feel like a confident chameleon when you hit the stage.
Please continue to persist along on your solo journey. It may not be easy, but it is so worth it!
Jessica Lynn Johnson
Founder & CEO of Soaring Solo LLC
SoaringSoloArtist@gmail.com
www.SoaringSoloStudios.com
Enjoy these Solo Theatre Resources to further guide you on your solo journey!
Tune in and Support the Soaring Solo Community as we share our stories from stage!
Award-winning director and developer, Jessica Lynn Johnson, hosts a slew of powerful solo show script readings and full staged productions addressing various impactful and inspiring topics.
This enticing lineup can be found by CLICKING HERE FOR MORE INFO.
Start writing your own solo show one Freewrite at a time with “FREEWrite Friday”!
Join BEST NATIONAL SOLO ARTIST WINNER Jessica Lynn Johnson for FREEWrite Friday!
Utilizing thought-provoking writing prompts, Jessica will lead you in writing exercises that are sure to assist you in the development of your solo show.
A one-person play is not typically written in one fell swoop. Rather, the Soaring Solo Methodology teaches that the creation of solo art is much like that of creating a Mosaic…one beautiful piece at a time.
All that is required to attend this inspiring event is a willingness to explore, having a pen, paper, or some other means of capturing your thoughts, the ability to access Zoom, and signing up on this page as your official RSVP.
We look forward to having you join the Soaring Solo Community in this event because your story matters!
CLICK HERE TO RSVP and obtain the Zoom link and password.
Attend the Soaring Solo FREE One-Person Play Development class ONLINE!
No matter where you are in the creation of your solo show, idea phase, curiosity phase, full draft written, touring the festival and college market, BEST NATIONAL SOLO ARTIST & Founder of Soaring Solo, Jessica Lynn Johnson, will meet you where you are at and take you to the next level! All that is required to attend is a willingness to explore, a pen, and some paper. No previous writing or performance experience necessary, and no need to have written anything to bring to class. Each week Jessica will guide you in exercises to help generate and stage NEW material! So come and meet other creatives in a supportive space for expression and exploration! The class is ongoing and so you may pop in and out as you please as long as you RSVP by clicking here for this FREE ONE PERSON PLAY CLASS.
Schedule an Online Coaching Consultation with Jessica Lynn Johnson to discuss the possibilities for your solo show!
Jessica brings her 15+ years of solo theatre expertise to work privately with solo artists from all over the world on an as needed basis.
A 1 on 1 Consultation is for you if…
-You are curious about creating a solo show, but you need writing prompts to help you generate material.
– You are tossing around ideas for your solo show, but you need some accountability and encouragement to commit those ideas to the page.
-You have already written some material, but you need expert feedback on editing, story structure and play formatting.
-You have a great first draft, but need guidance on how to utilize multimedia and solo theatre technique in order to make your show a dynamic piece of solo theatre.
-You already premiered your solo show and now you want some tips on how to tour colleges and festivals, and garner accolades and great reviews!
-You have heard great things about Jessica’s work and you’re curious about hiring her as a Director & Developer for your solo show, but first you want to feel her out and see if she is the right fit for you and your project.
Wherever you may find yourself on your solo journey, Jessica will help you overcome whatever immediate obstacle stands between you and your solo success.
If you resonate with many of the things on this list, then take the next step by emailing SoaringSoloArtist@gmail.com for more information.