They are some of the hardest pieces an actor can perform, but one-person shows can be infinitely rewarding to all involved. And as the actor/audience relationship is so close by default, the opportunity to make strong emotional connections and convey ideas are unparalleled in all dramatic forms. For actors who love the process of script analysis and creating layered characters, there is a wealth of material to work from in a one-person text. Just you, the audience, and pages of text with which to weave some magic.īut there is magic to be had. It’s acting without a safety net: there are no exits, no fellow actors to rely on, and often little in the way of set or props. They present an enormous challenge for the performer, who is tasked with carrying the whole damn show on their back using a mixture of skills such as narration, physical expression, character work, dialogue and even stand-up comedy. One-person plays are often intimate, forthright and engaging much of an actor’s efforts usually concentrated on other performers is focused directly towards the audience. Finding their origins in oration (the foundation of all modern Western drama), as well as lecture and poetry recital, the 20th century saw the play for a single actor take a strong foothold in the vastness of the contemporary canon.
One-person plays, often called one-man or one-woman shows (which we think is perhaps a bit reductive, so we’re going to call them one-person plays) occupy a unique space in modern theatre.
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