The Phenomenology of Monologue Writing as Pedagogy

Abstract

This article explores the notion that for playwrights, actors, students of theatre or indeed anyone,
the writing of monologues can be the catalyst for reflection on the nature of human existence, as
well as an exercise in educational phenomenology. It also suggests that the playwright’s processes,
such as monologue writing, can be seen as a form of pedagogical practice and building on
that, a form of public pedagogy.
The practice-led research drawn on in this article involves students participating in the process of
monologue writing workshops conducted in two settings: in a secondary school with a group of
drama students (nine students and two teachers), and in a university teacher-training setting (23
pre-service teachers). In the first setting the process was used to explore issues of social labelling,
and in the second setting, the pre-service teachers were asked to consider the point of view of students from whom they felt a sense of disconnection. The creative process of writing monologues,
traditionally confined to theatre practice and the drama classroom, was used with the aim of
fostering empathy between the pre-service teachers and their students.