monologer

A monologer is a person who delivers a monologue—an extended speech to an audience—often within a performance, narrative, or literary work. The term is descriptive rather than a formal job title, and it can refer to a solo performer in a one-person show, a spoken-word artist, or a fictional character whose sustained speech carries the work.

Etymology and usage: The word combines monologue with the agent suffix -er and is attested in English from the 19th century. In criticism and program notes, monologer is used to signal a focus on a single speaker delivering lengthier, uninterrupted speech, rather than a dialogue between multiple characters.

Relation to related terms: A monologue is the speech itself; a monologer is the person delivering it. A soliloquy, by contrast, is a dramatic device in which a character speaks thoughts aloud while alone or believing themselves alone. Monologues may be directed to other characters, to an audience, or to the performance space.

Contexts and examples: In theatre and performance art, solo shows and spoken-word performances often center on a monologer who guides the narrative through the voice and perspective of a single speaker. Historical traditions of solo performance include various forms; contemporary practitioners such as Spalding Gray and Anna Deavere Smith are associated with monologue-driven work.