LANDIA MONOLOGUE, WITH

ANNOTATED STANISLAVSKIAN
TECHNIQUES:
JEF
 April 25, 2021  Joseph Arnone
This is the story of JEF, the most advanced humanoid robot to ever exist.  Landia lost her
boyfriend JEF but has replaced him with JEF the replica.
Is it possible for Landia to love JEF the replica?

LANDIA:
I` want to let you in to the things I’m feeling and I know you will be responsive, exactly how I need
you to be but it’s wrong – (SMALL CIRCLE OF ATTENTION.) ( LONG PAUSE, BREATH, LOOK AT FLOOR.)
…it feels wrong,
even though what you do and say seem correct… (PHYSICAL ACTION – LOOK AT ROBOT UP AND
DOWN {ANALYSING AND CONFUSED.}
it’s off, you are off, we are off…for a while I lived inside this fantasy with you, thinking it was real,
imagining everything was as it should be and to think I’ve even forgotten the real you, and I’m sick
about that… (EMOTIONAL MEMORY OF PAST RELATIONSHIP.)
it’s suddenly dawned on me how wrong all of this is…no matter how perfect you are, no matter how
great you try and make me feel, it’s all false, this whole existence is fake. I’m all twisted up inside
with how I feel about you because when I look at you, you are him, you sound just like him, you feel
just like he did but (SHIFT, BREATH, FURROW BROWS, SWALLOW VISIBLY HURT.) it’s programmed,
you are a program and I can see it. I can see the ones and zeros to the program and it’s broken for
me, this illusion, everything in it, it’s shattered because there’s a heightened truth to things, there’s
a higher realm that penetrates the lie. He did things, he used to do randomly crazy things that made
me laugh, outlandish things that you can’t invent spontaneously unless you are a real living,
breathing human being…he’s, he was one of a kind and I was so madly in love with him that I can’t
ever be happy with his shadow… (GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES – LOOKS AT ROBOT’S BLANK EXPRESSION)
you aren’t Jef.
Jef is dead. (TEARS, LOW VOICE TREMBLING) I need to end this immediately. I’m sorry, I’m so, so
sorry but I have to shut you down.

INFLUENCES:

Blade runner
Irobot
The Terminator
Ghost in a shell

Video footage of these stimuli:

Blade runner –  https://youtu.be/NoAzpa1x7jU
Irobot – https://youtu.be/Ouht1xip9NQ

The terminator - https://youtu.be/tYc2jQaM8gM

Ghost in a shell - https://youtu.be/G4VmJcZR0Yg

OBSERVATION:
All stimuli come from a Science Fiction background in a futuristic city, which is presumably
the setting for this play.
Given the lack of context provided for this monologue there is an opportunity as an actor to
explore the character’s emotional memory and practice the Stanislavskian exercise I learnt
last year called “Life of the human spirit” which consists of developing an extract, painting
an image of the character’s everyday life, to help an actor develop their characterisation.
Different contexts to the piece can completely change the tone, delivery and impact on the
audience.

LANDIA’S CORE WOUND:

Because of the lack of context there is also room for interpretation in
assigning a core wound to the character of Landia.
A Given Circumstance of the character of Landia is that she used to
have a husband, which is now absent in her life which is why she
decides to buy a robotic replica of him. What has happened to the
husband isn’t specified, as to whether he has decided to leave or if
he has died.

TUTOR FEEDBACK:
 Great use of facial expression.
 Great pace.
 Clear portrayal of internal conflict.
 Clear portrayal of motivation.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM:
 Use more physicality.
  Use levels, at the moment only hunched low to the
floor (diversify.)
 Use a greater amount of gesture. (hair fiddling,
fiddling with fingers, touching face, punching back
of neck.)
 Connect with the environment, ( pace around the
room, pick something up. )

I have created a list of gestures that I can incorporate

into the piece:
 Hair grabbing / pulling
 Punching the back of my neck
 Fiddling with fingers
 Gripping my hand tightly
 Tilt of head
 Moving jaw
 Blinking
 Hitting the floor.

RENDERED SCRIPT:
(On the floor, Slumped against the wall, hugging legs, head down, slowly look upwards) I`
want to let you in to the things I’m feeling and I know you will be responsive, (tilt head
away) exactly how I need you to be (pause) but it’s wrong – (SMALL CIRCLE OF
ATTENTION.) ( LONG PAUSE, BREATH, LOOK AT FLOOR.)
…it feels wrong,
even though what you do and say seem correct…
(PHYSICAL ACTION – LOOK AT ROBOT UP AND DOWN {ANALYSING AND CONFUSED.}
it’s off, you are off,(Move away from the imagined man) we are off…for a while I lived
inside this fantasy with you, thinking it was real, imagining everything was as it should be
and to think I’ve even forgotten the real you, and I’m sick about that… (EMOTIONAL
MEMORY OF PAST RELATIONSHIP.)
(Quickly gets up from lying, swivels body to kneeling position.) it’s suddenly dawned on me
how wrong all of this is… (stands up) no matter how perfect you are, (Steps towards “man”
points) no matter how great you try and make me feel, (pause, mouth open, look up) it’s all
false, (Steps backwards, eyes move from left to right.) this whole existence is fake. (hands
come upwards, grabs back of head, tugs on hair.) I’m all twisted up inside with how I feel
about you (leans on chair, steadies herself) because when I look at you, (looks towards
him) you are him, you sound just like him, (Looks down towards hand, grasping hand
tightly) you feel just like he did but (SHIFT, BREATH, FURROW BROWS, SWALLOW VISIBLY
HURT.) it’s programmed, you are a program and I can see it. (pacing up and down) I can see
the ones (finger up to head) and zeros (lift other finger up to head) to the program and it’s
broken for me, this illusion, (stretched out hands) everything in it, it’s shattered because
there’s a heightened truth to things, (lifting hands up, clasping head) there’s a higher realm
that penetrates the lie. (pause) He did things, he used to do randomly crazy things that
made me laugh, outlandish things that you can’t invent spontaneously unless you are a real
living, breathing human being…he’s, he was one of a kind and I was so madly in love with
him that I can’t ever be happy with his shadow… (GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES – LOOKS AT
ROBOT’S BLANK EXPRESSION) you aren’t Jef.
Jef is dead. (TEARS, LOW VOICE TREMBLING) I need to end this immediately. I’m sorry, I’m
so, so sorry but I have to shut you down.

PEER FEEDBACK:
After my Landia Monologue Showcase Performance in
class, I received some peer feedback as follows:
 Very effective use of spacing and physical
movement that demonstrated the character’s
mentality.
 Vivid facial expressions.
 Could see the “hurting” of the character (internal
conflict).
 Consistent use of voice and projection,
demonstrated a sense of control about the
character.