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Posters of Hope: Write a Monologue with a Message

An Activity Brought to You in Partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia

The teaching artists of Mural Arts Philadelphia each designed a poster to communicate a message to the community that they felt was important during this time of quarantine. Consider using one of these posters as inspiration for a monologue that you can submit to our Digital Monologue Festival! 
There is a printable version of this activity that you can download.
posters_of_hope_write_a_monologue_with_a_message.pdf
File Size: 149 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


You will need…
  • To visit Homeschool with Mural Arts Webpage
  • ​Something to write with. (Pen, Pencil, Computer)


Homeschool with Mural Arts
STEP ONE: Choose a Poster

Browse through the gallery of posters by visiting the Homeschool with Mural Arts webpage (scroll down the page to find the poster gallery). Consider the colors of each poster, the style, the different images, and of course the poster’s message. Is there a poster that taps into something that’s been on your mind? Or, is there a poster that inspires an idea for a character? If so, that’s the poster for you! In a few simple steps, we’ll help you transform that poster into a monologue with a message.
​

You can follow the steps below to write your monologue, or you download them as a printable handout. ​
STEP TWO: Why This Poster?

Before you connect this poster to a story, think about why it’s connecting to you. In one sentence, describe why this poster interests you.

STEP THREE: Connect the Poster to a Character

When something is important to us, it fuels our sense of urgency. The same is true for characters! To find your character’s urgency, imagine a change that your character is trying to make within themselves or in their community. Or, you can imagine a challenge that your character has to face. How might your character’s change or challenge connect to the poster?

STEP FOUR: Connect the Character to a Change or Challenge

When something is important to us, it fuels our sense of urgency. The same is true for characters! To find your character’s urgency, imagine a change that your character is trying to make within themselves or in their community. Or, you can imagine a challenge that your character has to face. How might your character’s change or challenge connect to the poster?
 
STEP FIVE: Give that Change or Challenge Voice - Write a Monologue!
In theatre, a monologue is a moment on stage when only one person is speaking. (You can watch a monologue called Neighborhood Blue written by 12th grader Autumn Angelettie here.)

To start your monologue, imagine a specific moment in your character’s life when they are striving for that change or facing their challenge. Who could they talk to as they advocate for themselves or their community? What would they say? ​
If you’re not sure how to start off your monologue, try one of these sentence starters:

  • It’s time for you to listen…
  • There’s no more time to wait…
  • Why can’t you understand…
  • I refuse to…
  • I never thought...
Need some more writing support?
Check our our Self-Guided Monologue Writing

Resident Teaching Artist Steve Gravelle will walk you through the writing process through a series of videos and exercises.
Self Guided Monologue Writing
Congratulations! You just wrote a monologue by starting with your message. Don’t forget to submit your monologue to our Digital Monologue Festival by May 4th.

​
©Philadelphia Young Playwrights 2020
Digital Monologue Festival
Picture
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License.

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  • About
    • Mission & History
    • Programs >
      • In School Programs
      • Annual Playwriting Festival
      • Classes & Mentorship Programs
      • Community-Based Programs
    • People
    • Podcast
    • Alumni
    • Supporters
    • Press
    • Careers
    • Donate >
      • Works in Progress: Dourdan
      • Works in Progress: Pryor
      • Works in Progress: Jackson Jr.
      • PYP Store
  • Classes
  • On Stage
  • Resources
    • PYP at Home
    • Quarantine Challenge
    • For Students >
      • Submit your Play or Monologue
    • For Educators
    • For Parents
  • Blog
  • PDS Rutgers-Camden 2023