Any audition monologue you choose has to fit you properly. If you don’t connect in some way with what you’re saying, you’re not going to get any of the emotion, any of the emphasis you need to win that part. And even once you find something that works for you, you have to work hard to make sure it’s the absolute best presentation you can give, especially if it’s a more common monologue. Most actors definitely try to shy away from those, but there are some that are timeless (obviously, Shakespeare is a go-to for classic pieces, and it’s hard to avoid sharing a lot of monologues).
There are lots of ways to connect to a monologue. My classic piece was a Phebe monologue from Shakespeare’s As You Like It. I first performed it when I was ten years old for a Shakespeare summer camp. It’s a piece about her love for Rosalind, who at that time was disguised as Ganymede. Of course, at ten, I knew nothing about love, or adoration, or those sort of feelings in general. But it was the first time I got to really deliver a monologue in front of an audience, and it just sort of stuck with me. As I grew and started to understand more of the world, I was able to feel the words more and more. But the initial connection was one of pride and excitement…incidentally, the type of character Phebe is.
My modern selection was an excerpt from The Shape of a Girl by Joan MacLeod, a one woman play that I know I’ve talked about many times before. My connection to that monologue was completely different from the Phebe one. First of all, the piece (and the show in general), is about bullying, and how mean girls can be to each other. It was actually inspired by a real life murder of a girl by her peers. My whole life, I had been bullied by others, especially girls. I definitely connected to the piece in that way. But it was more than that. That monologue was given to me during a very difficult time in my life. It brought up emotions that needed to surface for me to heal.
A monologue I had worked on as an adult but never got to use was an edited scene of Harper’s from Angels in America. I think Tony Kushner is a genius, and Angels in America is pretty much unmatched in the type of play it is. Harper isn’t a character I would think I would find a connection to, but as I delved more into the play, her part, and her words, I connected with her more. I may not have the mental illnesses she struggles with, but I have plenty of other ones. In some ways, we’re not so different. I can understand her in a different way. And that monologue was incredible. I would use it if the chance ever arose…I worked hard on it with my mentor the summer before she passed, and I know I would make her proud with it were I to pick it up again.
So there are a million ways you can connect with a monologue to make it an audition monologue. And it’s definitely good to have a lot of audition monologues in your arsenal, both contemporary and classic. Obviously, different auditions call for different types of monologues. When I auditioned for college, I had to do one of each (and got a rather impressed, “Very interesting audition.” from the auditor, though I didn’t get in). Maybe you’re feeling one piece over another for one audition or another. I think it’s great to go with your gut.
One thing I always wished I could do for an audition is one of my original pieces, but I’ve never heard of that being allowed. I guess it makes sense, especially if you’re not published, but those were always the things I felt the most connected to. I think I would have done great at an audition with an original writing, but there’s no way of the people you’re auditioning for knowing anything about something like that. I get it.
If I had continued with my acting, I would definitely have to retire audition monologues. It’s sort of inevitable if you start at a young age. My The Shape of a Girl piece would have to go, as at thirty-four, I’m obviously no longer a high school girl. The Phebe monologue would probably have to go as well. But that’s okay. As an adult, I’m going to have different connections to different plays, different roles. That’s just the way these things work. Those monologues will always have a special place in my heart, though.
I think you always know when you’ve found the right monologue. There’s just a feeling that comes along with it, at least in my experience. It’s something we have to really appreciate, as actors. There’s a certain experience we all have from being onstage, and that certainly translates to monologues we know may or may not work for us. It really does go back to that connection. There’s always something that’s going to trigger that.
Even though I can’t see myself onstage again, I suppose you really never know. Perhaps it’s time to break out that Harper monologue. It might be nice to have.
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