How to Find the Perfect Monologue

There are many different qualities that actors all over the country use to define great auditioning monologues. Some credit the author to be the key, others swear by the humorous or dramatic quality of the piece. In truth, when auditioning for a director, you are giving them a bare snapshot of what you can do as a performer. Therefore, a number of qualities come into play when deciding on the perfect monologue for you.

Surprisingly, the author of a specific theatrical monologue does, indeed, matter. Most directors will not be impressed if you show up to your audition with a monologue that you wrote yourself about your cat dying. You might perform it beautifully, but the fact that you wrote it gives off a sense of fakeness and feels like you're cheating. It seems this way because you are not interpreting the literature at all, you are not getting into someone else's character-which is the true talent behind acting.

Similarly, finding a monologue off of the Internet whose author is "beachblonde007" is neither appropriate, humorous, nor appreciated. Directors are often previous English or theatre majors in college and have an extensive knowledge of literary goldmines in which you could have easily found a monologue. Find a monologue written by a credited and preferably published author or playwright and spare yourself those few points that you might lose with a director.

Now, this is not to say that the Internet is completely off limits when you're trying to find the perfect monologue. There are many sites online that sport published and credible texts. My personal favorite is www.playscripts.com, which allows you to essentially read entire plays online, free of charge. Playscripts is well organized and has many different search engines that will help you to find a great text to perform.

With that said, when you are searching, try to keep in mind what I like to call the believability factor. If you are a thirty-year-old man, please do not try to perform a monologue that was obviously Macaulay Culkin's from his first Home Alone film. This will not be believable to the director and will not put you in the best light as an actor. Stay, reasonably, within your age limit. A seventeen year old could easily portray a twenty-five or thirty year old, but never above forty. This goes both ways.

Also consider the specific show that you are trying out for. Notably, if it is a Shakespearean play, you should undoubtedly find a Shakespearean monologue, if not simply a classical scene from one of Ovid or Virgil's plays. Most Shakespearean directors will definitely require a classical monologue because performing Shakespeare is a different mode of theatre and thought altogether. However, if it is not a classical show you are auditioning for, Shakespeare or anything classical is never a good idea. Again, classical acting and contemporary acting are two extremely diverse peas in two incredibly different pods.

Along those same lines, when auditioning for a comedic show, have a humorous monologue! You might be able to make yourself cry onstage, but this will not help the director survey your comedic timing or ability if you are performing a dramatic piece. The same thing goes for auditioning for a dramatic show.
There is one sneaky exception to these rules that tends to work quite well. If you are auditioning for a dramatic show, try a dramedic monologue-yes, that's dramatic and comedic mixed together. Dramedies today are quite popular and entertaining; they employ the power of a drama but the wry, ironic timing of comedies. Do not try to audition for a comedy with a dramedic monologue, as this will seem a bit out of place.

When all of this is taken into consideration-author, mode, and genre-it is most necessary to find a piece that you are comfortable performing and that you can relate to. You want to be able to pack as much punch and personality into your piece as possible, and all within one or two minutes. When you find a character and a brief situation that you can slip into easily, something that will show the director the epitome of your skill in a small window of time, you will shine!

Remember, your monologue can come from anyplace credible: Playscripts, published novels and plays, and films if you'd like. Happy monologue hunting!