You know you’re going to an audition, and you know you need to prepare a monologue. Whether it’s a high school play or a professional production, these tips will help you land that role.
The cult of personality.
The director or casting panel will see many, many people. By the end of the day, the hopefuls will all look and sound the same. You shouldn’t need the director to be freshly caffeinated to grab her full attention, though. Whether you deliver your monologue first or last, you want your audition to be unforgettable. That’s where personality comes in.
Choose a monologue for your audition that has a real character to portray. Reciting an interesting story isn’t enough. You need a monologue written in such a way as to give you a strong personality to work with, and a personality that comes through instantly.
Take your own personality into consideration. Choose a character that fascinates you and reflects some of your own unique qualities.
Don’t disregard the story in search of the perfect character. Telling a great story is another surefire way to be memorable. After all, we remember great stories for years after we forget the passing acquaintances who told them.
If you know a great story, don’t be afraid to turn it into a monologue. Pull material from favorite books, graphic novels, and family history. If the story fascinates you enough, there’s a good chance you can turn it into a compelling monologue.
If you know what part you’re auditioning for, you have a serious competitive edge. (Hint: If you’re not familiar with the play’s characters, do some research!) Having a character in mind means you can choose a monologue to give in the same type of role. Trying out for the part of the axe murderer? Don’t do Sandy from Grease. You may prove to the director that you can act, but not for the part you actually want.
Do your homework.
Don’t think you’ll find the perfect monologue in one night. You’ll need to devote some time to research. Go to the library, go to the used bookstore, visit theater friends’ personal collections of old scripts.
If you’re going to auditions regularly, consider building your own collection of audition monologues to save yourself time in the future. Don’t just buy books of monologues, though. Short plays, flash fiction (also called micro fiction), and literary magazines all have short pieces that could easily be adapted for an audition monologue.
Pick something well written.
If you’re not sure about this one, ask an English major or a writer for help. You’ll want to steer clear of monologues using clunky language or awkward phrasing. Auditions are hard enough-you don’t also want to have to overcome bad writing for a natural delivery.
On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with picking something a little erudite. Just make sure you can correctly pronounce and define any previously unfamiliar words. Nothing will lose you more points at an audition than mispronouncing a word and distracting the director from your performance.
Don’t choose an overdone monologue. If you’ve been paying any attention to American Idol, you know you’re putting yourself at a serious disadvantage by doing something well-known and well-loved. Jane Smith from Bottom Hole, Arkansas will never be as fabulous as Janis Joplin. If you are poor Jane Smith auditioning for American Idol, singing “Me and My Bobby McGee” will only invite Simon’s unfavorable comparisons and subsequent wrath.
Likewise, you are not Vivian Lee, so clutching a radish skyward and swearing off hunger is a bad move. Steer clear of the temptation to philosophize at poor Yorrick’s skull. Never scream, “You can’t handle the truth!” You get the point.
Choose a monologue that will sound fresh and new. That way, you’re creating a brand new character free of historical associations, right before the director’s eyes.
Simon also says…
Follow the directions. If you are told to prepare a two-minute monologue, you don’t really get five. If you take more than your fair share of time, you look like a jerk or a diva. Worse, you risk being cut off.
Practice to find a monologue that fits the time allotment. If you have chosen a monologue you love, but it’s too long, cut it down to size. If you can’t, move on.
