Asks Quote by Stephen Sondheim
“Sometimes I'll ask the book writer to write a monologue, not to be performed, just as if they were notes for the character.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing Musical Theatre Craft, 1995
Writers can craft monologues as internal notes, enriching character depth without performance.
In simple terms: Writers can write private monologues for characters.
Key Takeaway
Use monologue notes to deepen character insight.
Themes
writing
character
theatre
process
Mood
analytical
curious
Type
creative
instructional
When to use this quote
- playwriting
- character development
- rehearsal preparation
Key Concepts
dramatic monologue
creative process
Questions to Reflect On
- How does a private monologue affect performance?
- When is it better to keep a monologue unperformed?
A Different Perspective
May limit actors' spontaneous interpretation.
![“["Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas"] is a very hard book to translate to film because there's so much interior monologue. The what if factor. I tried to write it cinematically and let the dialogue carry it but I forgot about the interior monologue. It's kind of hard to show what's going on in the…” quote by Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/398/hunter-s-thompson-278_book_fear-loathing-in-las-vegas-is-a-very-har_780146.jpg)
