"Company" Monologue Question

[sadiem100]

Posted: 12/9/05 at 3:11pm

For school we were assigned monologues in our acting class. I'm doing one from Sondheim's Company. It's the one where April is talking to Robert in his bachelor pad. It starts with "Right after I became an airline stewardess, a friend of mine had a garden apartment..." and ends with "I got home and called him back and said, 'Listen, I'm a living thing too, you s***head!"

So for anyone who has seen it, what is April like? Thanks for your help.

[morosco]

Posted: 12/9/05 at 3:14pm

Think "Julie Hagerty".

[elphieisperky]

Posted: 12/9/05 at 3:20pm

I'm in Company right now, and when our April read it, she did a fantastic job, so I hope this helps:
April is stupid. She's just not smart, and starts off in this monologue tender, but not knowing much, then at the end, she's building up. And the funny part is (I don't know if you've seen this in writing), Robert gives this speech about how he and a woman wanted to "do it", and he went out to get wine, but got lost, and he never saw the woman again. So April is extremely touched by this, and as she and Robert start kissing and stuff, April sits up in bed and says something like, "Oh, so you're saying that the guy with the butterfly and you and that lady are alike! Wow!" And Robert looks to the heavens and whispers, "Thank you!"
So in that scene, you should play it ditsy. She's passionate, but at the same time odd. Hope I'm helpful!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/9/05 at 3:24pm

Who are you playing in Company Elphie?

[Danielm]

Posted: 12/9/05 at 3:29pm

You should read the whole play if you can. If I were directing it I don't think I would suggest she be "played" ditsy. I think she's extremely sincere, she really wants to believe the best in people. I think that though she is ditsy and not bright she shouldn't see herself that way.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 12/9/05 at 3:38pm

But April likes sex. Hal Prince threw in a wonderfully telling bit of direction in the original.

Robert begins undressing April. He gets her hat, then removes one shoe, then moves up toward something else. April with a knowing smile of what is coming, raises the other foot for that shoe to be taken off, and Robert in a take, knows she knows the score, and he also knows he's in like Flynn.

April is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but she knows what to do and when.

Check out her scene in Act One during Another Hundred People. "When I first came to New York. I wanted to live in Radio City. I thought it was a little town near New York. I'm very dumb." She's not that dumb. Real dummies don't know how dumb they are.

She's flaky and the great Susan Browning did her with a wonderfully surprised, birdy voice.

[sadiem100]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 4:00pm

Thanks a lot! You've been really helpful

[elphieisperky]

Posted: 12/11/05 at 6:56pm

No problem Sadiem.
OT: And to answer your question Bobby, I'm playing Jenny. We just strarted working on Poor Baby today, so I'm off a rocket.