How to Use this Website
This website is made up of three main sections:
Plays
There are 8 monologues contained in the Plays menu. Each is performed on video by a student of Dawson College Professional Theatre. Each video focuses on a specific challenge of the audition process and is accompanied by an annotation with direction for students preparing their own audition pieces.
How to use the Play pages
How to use the Play page
See below for details
(1) Icon top left:
a) The illustration indicates the genre of the monologue, whether it is a Comic, Tragic, Romantic or Serious speech.
b) Within the genre illustration, an icon containing the letter D, M or S indicates the type of speech, whether it is Descriptive, Messenger or Soliloquy.
(2) Annotation: An annotation gives direction to the student, providing clues to the character and audition issue presented in the video.
(3) Title: The audition issue that is the focus of the video
(4) Info: Information on the source of the monologue: play, scene, character, setting
(5) Student bio: Information about the featured student performer
(6) Slide show: Still images slide show of student performer
(7) Video: Video of featured monologue, demonstrating best practices or things that can go wrong
(8) Script: Script for personal practice and/or to follow along with the video
More about the Icons
Scansion
Actors in acting schools and those auditioning for roles with theatre companies that perform Shakespeare cannot afford to be without a solid knowledge of Scansion; it is the key to how Shakespeare’s verse works. Understanding Scansion will help students become aware of important rhythmic changes in their lines, note key words that are set against the prevailing rhythm and pronounce words and names correctly.
This website seeks to demystify Scansion by demonstrating its correct use through a multimedia presentation that explains the method simply while encouraging the student to have fun. The presentation serves to complement the chapter on Scansion in the manual ...and One Classical: A Shakespeare Audition Handbook.
Links
Montréal is famous for its thriving arts and cultural communities but it is not always easy for the anglophone actor to find resources, educational materials and places to develop acting experience. The Links page lists all the major schools available in the area, as well as other organizations that may prove helpful to the young actor.