By TG Studio NYC’s Acting Coach Beatrice Owens
1. Read the play. Yes, you heard me right. You have to read the play…the whole play. Why? Well, you’d be surprised how few actors actually read the play their monologues are from and let me tell you…it’s pretty obvious. Reading the play gives you much-needed context like who your character is talking to, what happens just before the monologue, and what other major events have brought your character to this pivotal moment.
And, no, watching a slime tutorial doesn’t count. Watching another actor perform the monologue is just going to show you how they interpreted the piece. It will get in the way of you finding true, personal, and organic choices.
Don’t want to buy the play? Head to The Drama Book Shop. They have a sitting area for folks to sit and read plays, free of charge. Plus you’ll make other theatre nerd friends!
2. Don’t be tied to the classics. By ‘classics,’ I don’t just mean Shakespeare. Just like there are ‘Do Not Sing’ lists of overdone audition songs, there are monologues that get done all the time. This is particularly true for our tweens and teens.
Think outside the box! As long as it’s not going against the audition specifications, there is no reason you can’t turn to your favorite tv shows and movies for unique monologues. Looking for a contemporary play? Steer clear of the monologue audition books that are boasting the same dozen monologues from the 90s/00s and check out what’s been published and produced in the last couple of years.
3. Stay true to YOU. Your monologue is an extension of you. If you’re an alto, you’re not going to walk into an audition singing a song suited to a soprano voice.
Look for material that is close to you in age, circumstances, and personality. Think of your audition as a chance to show off what is unique about you and pick material that helps you showcase that.
4. Shock value is overrated. Just because the audition breakdown requests a ‘dramatic monologue’ does not mean you need to break out the tear stick. In fact, I recommend staying away from material that is too dark or disturbing. Drama doesn’t only mean the most intense tragedy you’ve ever seen in your life.
An audition panel wants to get a sense of who you are, your talent, and skill level. This is hard to do when they’re made uncomfortable by material that’s too intense. For tweens and teens, steer clear of monologues with curse words, gratuitous violence, or adult themes.
5. Don’t be afraid to do some Frankenstein-ing. Especially with current plays, we are moving away from the days of page-long monologues. So, how do you find a good audition piece? Look through your plays and see if there is a scene with some decent chunks of dialogue that could be strung together to create a coherent monologue.
The added bonus here is you’re guaranteed to end up with an active monologue since it is coming from a scene where there is a give and take between characters.
6. Find something you love. It sounds simple but it’s the thing we most often forget. If you don’t love the monologue, the audition panel won’t love the monologue.
Look for plays and monologues that excite you. If you’re immediately connected to a piece, you’re going to enjoy working on it and using it in auditions that much more. There’s so much material out there, don’t settle for something you hate.
7. Get help when you need it. Does the idea of finding and working on a monologue still feel daunting? That’s when it’s time to bring in a coach! At TG Studio NYC, we can help you through every step of the process. From finding a monologue to getting it polished and audition ready, we have got your back.
Ready to get started? Book a session now!
Beatrice Owens (she/her) is an actor, playwright, and theatre educator based in Astoria, Queens. She has a BA in Theatre Performance from James Madison University and an MA in Musical Theatre Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has a wide-range of theatre education experience from 1:1 style coachings in acting and audition techniques to large group theatre-based activities in school and summer camp settings. Beatrice has coached children and young adults for the last 5 years and is committed to empowering her students to make big, bold choices in their art and lives. She is familiar with a huge range of repertoire and excels at finding great audition monologues.