Developing Ideas for Your Solo Show
One person connecting with an audience is the most basic form of theatre. Storytelling has been with us since before early humans even had formal spoken language. The story of taking down the lion, birthing the baby with an exceptionally large head, and forging the rivers were told around the fire for hundreds of years. The stories illustrate the big moments in life. The moments that inspired, motivated, terrified, and changed us are what an audience wants to see and everyone has a story that will stop your heart.
To start generating ideas for your solo show, it's important to be clear on the story you want to tell. It may not be the place you end up with but you need to start somewhere. Here are some ideas to help you begin:
1- Personal Experience: An autobiographical show is a common genre of solo. Think about a critical moment or experience that changed you. It could be overcoming an obstacle, going on an epic adventure, or finding your true calling. Some examples of topics that students have written about include: Trying to climb Everest. Getting arrested on a youth church trip. Growing up and out of a radical evangelical church. Adopting a child. Finding Love. Learning about life, love and death through the lens of food. Joan Didion's "Year of Magical Thinking” and “The New One” by comedian Mike Birbiglia is a great example of an autobiographical solo show.
2- A Call to Action: Is there something you believe in that you feel people need to understand or think about? Heidi Schenk's "What the Constitution Means to Me" is a great example of a solo show that tackles important social and political issues.
3- The Story That Won't Let You Go: Is there a story that keeps coming back to you, one that you can't stop thinking about? John Leguizamo's "Latin History For Morons" is a great example of a solo show that explores
4- Do you have a passion for historical, or cultural moments? Anna Deveare Smith is known for documentary theatre. Fires In The Mirror and Notes From The Field are two of her works.
5- Do you have a person or character that interests you? Students in classes have written beautiful solo shows about Elizabeth Taylor, Mark Twain, Frank Baum, the writer of the Wizard of Oz series and Margaret Sanger who fought to legalize birth control in the 1800s.
6- Everyone has a vast collection of stories. Here are some prompts that can help move your work forward:
Write your life story in exactly 100 words. See what you can glean.
List the 5 most important events in your life. Or Identify the 5 most important events about a person or character that interests you.
What was the moment that divided your life into before and after?
Write about leaving. Approach it in any way you want.
In 10 minutes, make a list of things that you've been obsessed with throughout your life. Write one minute on each.
A lesson you learned the hard way?
A secret no one knows about you?