THE MONOLOGUE
Contributions
are invited for an ACTR/ARTC Panel at the up-coming 2005 conference. Canada’s dramatic landscape has been and
continues to be populated by the monologue, or one-person show. “From the earliest history
of professional theatre in
this country, monologues have existed. Mark Twain and Charles Dickens
both
toured to Canada to present their stories. But because of the ticket
price to
size ratio, monologues were rarely seen by audiences (or critics) as a
good
theatre bargain unless they were fronted by truly international stars.”
(Encyclopedia of Canadian Theatre) The current situation is very
different. Many of Canada’s leading
theatre practioners, such as Robert Lepage, have created interesting
and
engaging monologues. As well, the form
has become a staple of the Canadian Fringe Festival.
This panel looks to explore a variety of
topics related to the monologue including, but not limited to, the
impact of
reduced arts funding as an impetus for producing one-person shows,
performance issues arising from the monologue’s unique requirements,
portrayal
of multiple characters, Mono-dramatic dramaturgy, questions of
identity, and
gender issues. Writers to be explored
might
include R. H. Thomson, Joan MacLeod, Guillermo Verdecchia, Kent
Stetson,
Anne-Marie Woods, Daniel MacIvor, and Linda Griffiths.
Potential participants are
asked to submit 1) a
750-word proposal, with bibliography, outlining the topic being
addressed; 2) a
100-word abstract; and 3) a 50-word biographical statement.
Please submit an
electronic copy of the proposal by
e-mail, in addition to three hard copies by regular mail by November
15,
2004 Completed papers should be
approximately 15 minutes in length. Please send email proposals to gdoran@upei.ca and hard copies to: Dr. Greg
Doran, Department
of English, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue,
Charlottetown,
PEI, C1A 4P3.