Catalogue of Curriculum Monologues & Vignettes
We invite you to browse ELA’s theatrical list & descriptions.
Each of the monologues & vignettes—our unique arts-based method for emotion literacy exploration—serve as catalysts for self-reflective writing & discussion.*
The stories—in twenty curriculum monologues—excerpted from Pamela’s Two Minutes To Shine book series (Samuel French, New York)—and the five vignettes of ELA’s flagship learning tool ELSOTA! Emotion Literacy School ON THE AIR—represent universal facets of human communication, the mechanics of which are brought to even brighter light by participants’ own reflection and response-writing to a set of evocative questions, following the audios.
Each piece captures and characterizes the often incongruent relationship between what we feel and how we behave, as well as the telling relationship between how we think, what we need and what we say, especially in peak moments. Our theatrical format yields a relatable set of communication archetypes ripe for observation and emotion literacy exploration.
Note:
Our monologues are performed in front of live audiences.
ELSOTA! multi-character vignettes
(& the monologue Out of It)
were recorded at KUOW studios, Seattle’s NPR affiliate.
Who, What, Where: characters and scenarios on parade
Monologues
That Philosophy (actress to theatre director)
—performance anxiety meets gumption with a proviso or two
Up Here (performer at open mic)
—comedian trades jokes for begging
Radical Flaw (customer to clerk)
—when conditional self-love is impeded by its own conditions, the love of projecting a flaw elsewhere prevails = a man blaming his shoes
Just That Way (spouse to spouse)
—a demonstration of extenuated triumph raised up on the back of defeat as winner contends to the end
Primary Need (brother to sister)
—the malleable nature of words on diplomatic display, steeped in residual motivation
From Scratch (office-building mate to office-building mate)
—party girl push-pulls her way around a ghost of a feeling with memories, needs and associations in tow
To Do (suitor to suitee)
—be here now collides with was there then as self-protector tends to new prospect with deferred attendance
My Bags (son to father)
—enmeshed son cuts the cord with blunt instrument
Up in Arms (father about young son)
—cautionary father teeters off the edge of simulated nonchalance
Nothin’ Special (young man in young love)
—the tenderhearted braves the stormy sea of uncertainty with words for paddles
Lucky Guy (young woman to camera)
—solicitous woman paints wishfully thought-out picture, in no uncertain terms, en route to ideal date
For Me (date to date)
—self-preservationist pits ‘best of both worlds’ against ‘mutually exclusive’
Wait (woman to witness)
—bereft, pleading for patience and a second chance
And the Moon (classmate to classmate)
—young hopeful hopes against the inevitable as nature takes its course
Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! (significant other to driver)
—man in flight unravels reason to land
One on One (consort to consort)
—hedged lover attempts to un-hedge
Out of It (teen to tutor)
—grief-stricken student obscures the essence
We All Know (man to his club members)
—terminally jilted conceals grudge under self-appointed leadership
Okay (girlfriend to boyfriend)
—disappointed self-helper builds case with stumbling blocks
Plenty (member to support group)
—neglected individual elicits applause while climbing the heights of justification
Vignettes I-V
ELSOTA! (Emotion Literacy School ON THE AIR) vignettes feature Freddy, emotion literacy student, and his trials and tribulations through interactions with his teacher, ELA’s founder Pamela Sackett, and other characters that happen by, like Roz and Elliot. Freddy’s avenues of discovery include:
- recognizing the value of knowing feelings
- engaging responsibly in daily and high-pressure situations with insight
- meeting new relationships and unfamiliar circumstances openly with self-awareness
Episode #1: Road Rage Meets Emotion Literacy
In a rush, in a bind, the safest, quickest, clearest travel route, inside and out: name feelings instead of name-calling.
Episode #2: Romantic Intrigue Meets Emotion Literacy
What do we think, what do we know, what do we say to ourselves and what do we show: rethinking our response to love and betrayal.
Episode #3: Right Versus Wrong Meets Emotion Literacy
In the context of memory, association and unmet needs, there’s more to behavior than meets the mind and more to the mind than morality.
Episode #4: Tears & Crying Meet Emotion Literacy
A shift from disparaging a fundamental phenomenon—through unfavorable associations and discounting words—to learning that the shared phenomenon of crying qualifies as a gift, and not just because it wins, for us, scientifically sanctioned physiological rewards.
Episode #5: Assumptions & Fears Meet Emotion Literacy
Basing an opinion on appearance and behavior feeds assumptions about unfamiliar people…embrace the mystery lest fears about how others see you will profoundly influence your way of seeing others.
Image Credit
Theatre icon: Megan Basaldua
*For those who seek and achieve ELA certification,
a license for you to add any of the scripts
to your educator’s tool kit will be provided.