Monodrama

A monodrama is a specific type of theatrical or dramatic work. It features a single actor or performer on stage. This performer usually portrays just one character throughout the piece. This format is unique because the entire story rests on one person. Monodramas can be musical, like an opera, or spoken, like a play. They offer a focused way to explore a single perspective or story.

In the world of opera, monodramas often function as melodramas. A melodrama is a dramatic piece that uses music to support the action. For example, Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote Pygmalion in 1762. This work was first staged in Lyon in 1770. Georg Benda also composed a work called Pygmalion in 1779. These early works established the idea of a single role being the center of an opera. Modern composers still use this single-soloist approach today.

There are different ways to structure a musical monodrama. Some works feature only one soloist. Arnold Schoenberg's Die glückliche Hand, written in 1924, is a modern example. This piece includes a protagonist and two silent roles. It also uses a choral prologue and epilogue. Other works, like Erwartung (1909) and La voix humaine (1959), follow the traditional single-performer definition more closely. In Peter Maxwell Davies' Eight Songs for a Mad King (1969), the instrumentalists actually join the action on stage.

Spoken monodramas have a long history in English drama. The first English example was Pandora, written by Frank Sayers in 1790. This piece used a recitation style with voices heard off-stage. Other writers, such as Robert Southey, produced many such works between 1793 and 1804. Matthew Lewis also wrote a highly melodramatic piece called The Captive. Eventually, these spoken works lost their close connection to music. Many people began using the term "dramatic monologue" for these pieces instead.

Despite the shift in names, the term monodrama remained important in literary circles. The poet Tennyson referred to his work Maud in 1855 as a monodrama. In 1864, William Lancaster published a collection titled Eclogues and Monodramas. Many famous writers later used the term for spoken plays. Anton Chekhov wrote On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco. Samuel Beckett wrote Krapp's Last Tape in 1958. Nurul Momen wrote Nemesis in 1944. Patrick Süskind also used this style in Der Kontrabaß in 1981.

A specialized version of monodrama focuses on the internal human experience. Russian symbolist Nikolai Evreinov helped develop this concept. He described it in his 1927 book, The Theatre in Life. In this style, the play represents what happens inside an individual mind. Every event witnessed on the stage is shown through the protagonist's mental state. This creates a deep connection between the character's thoughts and the audience.

Today, monodramas are celebrated through large-scale international events. The United Solo festival is the largest solo theatre festival in the world. It takes place annually at Theatre Row in New York City. In 2013, this festival featured more than 120 different productions. There is also a dedicated event in Kiel, Germany. This is called the Thespis International Monodrama Festival. These festivals show how much people value the skill of solo performers.