←Recommendations of Pep Talk - a monologue

A beautiful poigant monologue..down to every last word. It's real. Raw. Horny. Goodness is LAUREN horny! As a person whose also not been touched and is truly lonely, I really hopes it works out for LAUREN. Actors will love to sink their teeth into PEP TALK. Beautiful.

I feel slightly exposed reading this monologue, seeing as this feels like St. James just ripped these thoughts right out of my head. There's poetry in the panic that's so delightful to experience, and you end up hoping everything works out for our desperately horny protagonist.

Hayley St. James understands the inner monologues of characters so well, and in PEP TALK they deliver such a strong verbal monologue that combines all the nuance and emotional complexity we've all felt in quarantine. And at the core are such relatable desires to be touched and to be seen that transcend any one period in our time. Well done!

A encapsulation of dating in the time of quarantine and more specifically, Zoom. But how do you encapsulate all the nervous feelings - including desire - and thoughts that are breaking out of your pores? Hayley St. James does this and does it well. An actor will have a fine and fun time with this monologue.

A believable pep talk pre-Zoom date captures pent-up horniness and desire for connection during the pandemic. Funny and ridiculous because it's relatable. Every word, every line, every thought and choice this character makes makes us fall in love with her more. An actor could make effective and entertaining use of space and props in this physical/active monologue to win over a director in the audition room.
One of my favorite Covid-themed monologues on NPX.

HAYLEY ST. JAMES writes a charming play of the anxiety and hope of Lauren as she tries to get dressed in the perfect outfit for her Zoom date. “Pep Talk - A Monologue” captures the unease we can all feel when we want to impress our date but lack the total confidence in ourselves.

This play simultaneously demonstrates why I eschew the idea of Zoom dating yet totally salute those who take the online plunge and go for it!

St. James captures the frenzy, anxiety and preparation that goes into dating when quarantine has you lonely and touch deprived, craving sex yet yearning for connection, and knowing that, even though pants are optional, the only person getting past first base with you tonight IS YOU!

The monologue is peppered with salient details reminding us how the world has changed over the past year making Lauren’s trepidation and determination all the more heroic...

Who hasn't had this moment of hope and fear and anxiety and excitement. St. James is a maestro of capturing the real, the ordinary, the extraordinary, and making it sing.
I foresee this monologue being produced, and performed, and highly sought after, a LOT.

"Pep Talk" is so funny, so winning. Lauren's combination of insecurity, horniness, over-analysis, and enthusiasm made me root for her throughout this monologue. A wonderful character piece.

This is a charming and engaging piece that provides ample material for an actor to really shine. Easy and accessible on the surface, this monologue touches on the deeper insecurities of dating via app, particularly during the COVID19 pandemic. GREAT audition material.