1. Choosing a Monologue

2. DOS

3. Pick a Monologue from a Script • Monologues that are actually from a full-length script are best because there is a true story behind the words and character. • Read the full play before performing the monologue, so that you can put yourself in your character’s shoes more readily. • Monologues from novels also work well.

4. Choose an Age Appropriate Piece • As our casts are limited to students of your age, of course you will be playing roles much older than yourselves in productions. However… • True judges really enjoy seeing you in age-appropriate roles, so they can cast you in the most fitting roles possible.

5. Look for Active Monologues • Pick a monologue where the character has the opportunity to DO something other than just stand with their hands in their pockets.

6. Keep It Short • Monologues should be 1-2 minutes long, ideally 90 seconds (1 ½ minutes). • Judges can tell what they want within the first five to ten seconds of a monologue (sometimes earlier).

7. DON’TS

8. Don’t Pick a Monologue with a Dialect • It’s hard to perform a dialect correctly enough with training. Without training, you might as well just stay away. (You are not British, get over it.)

9. Don’t Pick a Piece That Can’t Stand on Its Own • Your monologue needs to make sense, 100%, even out of context of the play it is from.

10. Don’t Use Profanity or Sexual Content • A. Inappropriate for your age. • B. This may make your auditor uncomfortable. • C. This doesn’t show someone you’d be willing to do “anything,” it shows someone you think you have to be crude to be good. Boo.

11. Don’t Write Your Own Monologue • It’s tempting to write your own monologue because it makes the search easier. However… • Sometimes writing your own monologue can leave your judge more confused than impressed. • The judge may mistake bad writing for bad acting.

12. Don’t Imitate an Original Performance Exactly • It’s good to look at an original for guidelines, but ultimately, your portrayal of a character must be different and new than any other portrayal because you are a different person.

13. Good Monologue Search Engine • www.actorama.com/monologues/