THE COLLEGE AUDITION MONOLOGUE BREAKDOWN
Musical Theatre applicants will need 3 monologues total:
A contemporary dramatic monologue
A contemporary comedic monologue
A classical monologue that contrasts your favorite/best contemporary mono.
Acting Applicants will need 4 monologues total:
A contemporary dramatic monologue
A contemporary comedic monologue
A classical dramatic monologue
A classical comedic monologue
How To Choose
“Plain and simple. Audition pieces should be chosen because the performer in question has a strong connection with the message of the piece, or the piece shows off that performer’s talents particularly well...preferably both. While suggestions can be helpful, you will have a better chance of doing well at the audition if blood, sweat, and tears went into preparing for it.”
4 Steps to Choosing Strong Material
Catalog your acting strengths. Make a list: Vulnerable, Strong, Funny, etc.
Honestly analyze your type (INGENUE, LEADING PERSON, THE OTHER, JUVENILE, CHARACTER ACTOR)
Choose one strength per piece (from your answers to the above questions).
Use contrasting pieces to show different strengths--also versatility and range.
All monologues will have the following components
Age Appropriate – the character should be near your age range.
Interesting – we don’t want to bore anyone to death!
An intact narrative structure – a clear beginning, middle and end.
A STRONG objective that is integral to the piece. “I want X from you, now!”
Self-explanatory set-up – you don’t have the luxury of introducing the situation.
Performable in any space.
No props necessary.
SHORT! 90 seconds
Shows off you and your talents – now isn’t the time to stretch!
“PLAY TO TYPE. This is something a lot of people don’t realize about college auditions. While out in the “real” theater world it can be refreshing for a casting director to see a new take on something, don’t do it for the colleges. If you are a young attractive soprano, don’t do King Lear. When in doubt, ask yourself, “As of this very moment, would I get cast in this role?” If the answer is, “Well, no, but I really make it my own out of context!” move on to something else.”
Male Contemporary
Amy Tofte’s The Scrambling Class
Anne Hanley’s Ring Around the Rosies
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Ashley Rose Wellman’s Willed Bodies
Brandon Rashad Butts’ Beach Body
Cody Goulder’s The Halfway House
David French’s Of The Fields, Lately
David MacGregor’s Consider the Oyster
Dawson Moore’s Dead Middle-Aged Whore
Dawson Moore’s Revenge Fantasy
Dawson Moore’s Termination Dust
Dawson Moore’s Tori Amos with a Lisp, Gene-Spliced with a Mule
Drew Hayden Taylor’s Toronto at Dreamer’s Rock
Elijah Cox’s Boner- A Symphony
Erik Gernard’s The Beautiful Dark
Gail High’s Breathe In Breathe Out
Howard Meyer’s Welcome, This is a Neighborhood Watch Community
Jackie Martin’s Abigail, For Now
Jennifer O’Grady’s Circumnavigation
Jennifer Williams’ I Actually Wanted You to Say
Joe Barne’s The Day She Went Away
Joe Barnes’ Dirty Little Secrets
John Eller’s Evolution Love Time
John Patrick Shanley’s The Red Coat
John Pervich’s Another Healthy Relationship
John Pervich’s Another Healthy Relationship 2
John Pervich’s Another Healthy Relationship 3
Kara Emily Krantz’s All Bark, No Bite
Lawrence Aronovitch’s Book of Daniel
Matthew Weaver’s Bridget In The Pool
Mattie Roquel Rydalch’s Verne’s Diner
Michael Sepesy’s The Alice Seed
Parker Jenkin’s Backroad Heaven
Paul Braverman’s Captive Audition
Paul Brynner’s Taking Shortcuts
Rachel Bykowski’s Big Fucking Giant
Steven A. Butler, Jr.’s Chocolate Covered Ants
Steven A. Butler, Jr.’s Chocolate Covered Ants 2
Steven A. Butler, Jr.’s Chocolate Covered Ants 3
Steven A. Butler, Jr.’s Chocolate Covered Ants 4
Steven A. Butler, Jr.’s Chocolate Covered Ants 5
Susan Rogers’ and Chris Drummond’s Night Letters
William Inge’s The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
male Classical Comedic
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream 3
William Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It 2
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It 3
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It 4
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It 5
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It 6
William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline
William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost
William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost 2
William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost 3
William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost 4
William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost 5
William Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure
William Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure 2
William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing
William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing 2
William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing 3
William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing 4
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors 2
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors 3
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice 2
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice 3
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice 4
William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew
William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew 2
William Shakespeare’s The Winter's Tale
William Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida
William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
William Shakespeare’s Two Gentleman of Verona
William Shakespeare’s Two Gentleman of Verona 2
male Classical Dramatic
William Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part I
William Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part I 2
William Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part II
William Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part III
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet 2
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet 3
William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus
Gender Neutral shakespeare
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream 2
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream 3
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream 4
FEMALE CONTEMPORARY
Ali Viterbi’s Period Sisters 2
Alice Stanley’s Not Being Manipulated!
Anne Hanley’s Ring Around the Rosie
Arthur M. Jolly’s Childish Things
Ashley Rose Wellman’s Better Lakes Elsewhere
Ashley Rose Wellman’s Hot Tragic Dead Thing
Ashley Rose Wellman’s Hot Tragic Dead Thing 2
Briandaniel Oglesby ‘s Basement Demons and Trailer Saints
Catherine Weingarten’s A Roller Rink Temptation
Catherine Weingarten’s Educational, Career Relevant Summer Jobs are Important for Young Women!
Catherine Weingarten’s Whipped Dream- A Fantasia
Charles Mee’s The Perfect Wedding
Cherie Bennett’s John Lennon & Me
Corey Ann Haydu’s Café Manhattan
Damon Chua’s Film Chinois The Ghost Building
David MacGregor’s Consider the Oyster
Dawson Moore’s Cacophony Amore
Daysha Veronica’s 9/20 Vision 2
Elana Gartner’s Because of Beth
Elena Hartwell’s The Last Train to Hicksville
Frank Wedekind’s Spring’s Awakening
Gina Femia’s Annie and the Fat Man
Hannah Kime’s The Best Damn Thing
Hannah Kime’s The Best Damn Thing 2
Hannah Kime’s The Best Damn Thing 3
Jackie Martin’s Abigail, For Now
Jackie Martin’s Abigail, For Now 2
Jennifer O’Grady’s Circumnavigation
Jerry D. McDonnell’s Back Home
Joe Barnes’ The Day She Went Away
John Patrick Shanley’s Woman Of Manhattan
Jonathan Minton’s The Monkey Virus of Mildred
Joyce Fontana’s There’s More To It Than Zombies
Julia Lederer’s The Best Plan For Living Happily
Julia Lederer’s With Love and a Major Organ
Kellie Powell’s And Turning, Stay
Kellie Powell’s Your Money’s Worth
Kerri Kochanski’s The Food Monologues
Lisa M. Konoplisky’s Original Sin
Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
Merridawn Duckler’s Fire, Bird
Nicholas Pilapil’s Before and After
Nicholas Walker Herbert’s Georgia’s Dream
Nicholas Walker Herbert’s The Name of Love
Nicky Silver’s Raised In Captivity
Robin Lice Lichtig’s Allie’s Appendix
Sandra Mander's Other People's Children
Steven A. Butler, Jr.’s Chocolate Covered Ants 6
Viraj Shriwardhankar’s Class Of…
Viraj Shriwardhankar’s Class Of… 2
William Inge’s A Loss Of Roses
Female Classical Comedic
William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream 2
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream 3
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream 4
William Shakespeare’s All Well That Ends Well
William Shakespeare’s All Well That Ends Well 2
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It
William Shakespeare's As You Like It 2
William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline
William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline 2
William Shakespeare’s Love's Labours Lost
William Shakespeare’s Love's Labour's Lost 2
William Shakespeare’s Love's Labour's Lost 3
William Shakespeare’s Love's Labour's Lost 4
William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure
William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure 2
William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice
William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice 2
William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing
William Shakespeare’s Pericles
William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew
William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew 2
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors 2
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors 3
William Shakespeare’s The Tempest
William Shakespeare’s The Winter's Tale
William Shakespeare’s The Winter's Tale 2
William Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida
William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night 2
William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night 3
William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night 4
William Shakespeare’s Two Gentleman of Verona
William Shakespeare’s Two Gentleman of Verona 2
Female Classical Dramatic
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet 2
William Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part I
William Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part II
William Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part I
William Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part I 2
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare’s King Lear
William Shakespeare’s Othello 2
William Shakespeare’s Othello 3
William Shakespeare’s Richard III
William Shakespeare’s Richard III 2
