17

Decorating Decisions
With so many folks staying in right now, we’re guessing home improvement projects are at an all-time high, and that’s what today’s monologue is about.
It’s no secret that a new coat of paint can really freshen up a place. But for kiddos, it can be a really big deal. In today’s monologue, “Decorating Decisions,” from Ups and Downs, a boy or girl is getting their room painted. But with alternate suggested scenarios, it’s up to you whether the kid is confident about the matter or concerned they might get it all wrong!
Try both scenarios, then try a third time with still a different emotion that you determine! But don’t just jump in! First, deliberate about your character. How old are they? Do they have any brothers or sisters? What scenario, what emotion feels like the right one? And why does your character feel that way? Is there some backstory we don’t know? (Hint: There always is, you just need to create it!)
Since the monologue remains the same, it’s imperative to be in touch with your character’s feelings in order to properly convey the emotion. The words might remain the same, but how they’re delivered says everything about what those words mean.
Along with 20 monologues offering two different scenarios, Ups and Downs also has 30 sets of paired monologues from different perspectives and 20 monologues with two different suggested scenarios. That’s a total of 70 monologues that can be played in hundreds of different ways, with different emotions and/or perspective!
Teachers, keep encouraging your students to sign up for our newsletter. For more tips on how to share these monologues, or to find additional monologues from past newsletters, visit our newsletter archives!
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Here is today’s monologue:
https://www.PioneerDrama.com/Newsletter/Teaching_Resources/Decorating_Decisions.pdf

Ups and Downs
This unique book of 100 monologues invites elementary school students to explore a wide range of emotions, developing empathy as well as acting skills.