You have an audition coming up –
WOO-HOO!
– and you have to have present a monologue.
<crickets…crickets…>
No need to raise your hand, but I’m curious:
How many of you rush to the Googles, type in something akin to
“monologue”
or “audition monologue”
or “teen audition monologue,”
and find something that’s *just fine* on the first page of results, print it, memorize it, and call it good?
OR…
You rush to the library or the book store, grab a Monologue Book, flip through it and find something that’s *just fine,* memorize it, and call it good?
If this describes your typical monologue-gathering routine, we need to chat.
Monologues chosen in this manner are not serving you. And frankly, they’re usually really awful monologues. And part of the reason they’re awful is you.
You don’t know anything about the context of this monologue. You don’t know anything about the character saying the words in this monologue. You don’t know the name of the person who wrote this monologue.
These are all things that weaken your audition.
It is impossible to make strong choices in your performance without knowing any of this. The remedy is simple:
Read More.
Read more plays. Read plays that are old. Read plays that are new. Read plays about things that interest you – that’s how I discovered one of my favorite playwrights. I found a play about women involved in astronomy in the early 1900s and discovered the playwright has lots of plays I like.
I get it, you’ve got SO. MUCH. going on in your life. So guess what?!
I’m starting a book club this summer to address this. You won’t even be alone in reading new plays! I’ll even pick them out! Be sure to sign up for my email list to be notified when registration begins for the summer play-reading club (in the Louisville, KY area).
In the meantime, here are two great places to find quality writing for young performers. Happy [script] reading!