Need original monologues?
Most of these original monologues allow actors to show range and dictate how “big” they want their acting to be. Our original comedic monologues can be played from outrageous to subtle and everything in between. Similarly, our dramatic monologues do not require huge outpours of emotionality. All our dramatic monologues offer opportunities to showcase emotion, but as an actor or actress, you don’t have to feel like you have to turn on the waterworks or scream hysterically do deliver a good performance. This can be a nice break if you’re tired of all the over the top dramatic monologues out there.
These short monologues have been written carefully with a lot of subtext. This allows each performer to bring their own take and personality to the role by making up what is written “between the lines”. Since most of these original monologues stand alone and are not part of a play or film, you are free to make up the circumstances of the plot and to build your character from scratch. By imagining different circumstances and personality traits, you can change your delivery of the same monologue and adapt it to showcase a specific talent you have for an audition. You can even use these contemporary monologues as an acting exercise by imagining different circumstances every time! Just read the monologue descriptions to learn which choice will work the best for your situation.
What Makes a Good Dramatic Monologue?
The term “dramatic monologue” can be misleading. What casting directors mean when they ask for a dramatic monologue is something that’s not comic so they can see your acting abilities in a straight play. Unless you are auditioning for a project where your character is supposed to be highly emotional or have a breakdown, you usually don’t need a tragic monologue that involves hysterical crying or yelling. If you think of it, most roles don’t require that level of drama. Make sure you pick a dramatic monologue that showcases what is required in the role you are auditioning for and not something that will make your acting look too intense or “too big”. There are roles, of course, that require large outpouring of emotions, but for other auditions, most casting directors will welcome a break from watching intense dramatic monologues all day.
What Makes a Good Comedic Monologue?
It’s tempting to pick a very funny monologue to get the most laughs, but having the casting director on the floor laughing doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a callback. There are many styles of comedy – farce, slapstick, rom coms, etc. Each requires different qualities in an actor. Sometimes all that a casting director wants when they specify “comedic monologue” is something that’s not dramatic. The best way to choose the right monologue for a particular audition is to ask yourself what the casting director is looking for. Is he/she looking for characters, physical actors, comedic timing? The answer to these questions will help you choose the right comedic monologue.
The Home Base Monologue
Actors stretch themselves into a multitude of characters, but you’ll find that a lot of the roles you get, at least at the beginning of your acting career, are roles that are very close to your personality (or at least how you come across to other people). That’s why it makes sense to spend time looking for that one monologue that’s really you, something you really connect to and feel nobody could do as well as you can.
When you find a monologue you like, start by reading it aloud without doing any acting. If you feel this first “cold read” stirs reactions and emotions inside you and sparks ideas and images in your mind, you’re off to a good start. The next step is to talk to friends and family and ask them to best describe what makes you unique in three adjectives. It doesn’t have to be positive things, just specific things. Then pick the three terms that keep coming back and see if the monologue you like lends itself to these traits that make you… YOU!
Hope these tips help you find the perfect monologues!