As a performer the most grueling task is finding the best monologue for you. Well I have some tips for you that can make the process a lot easier. A lot of the things I am suggesting are from my own experiences searching monologues, if you have another way of doing so please share it with us. These few key things have really helped me and the research has led me into reading some amazing plays.

Things to consider when selecting a monologue

• The monologue should be from a play: It is important that it is not from your favourite movie.
• Know your casting type: that does not mean you cannot play other roles but it is valuable to be aware of your typecast so you can audition for a role that a director can envision you portraying.
• Know your age range: for example if you are typical casts as characters between the ages of 17-25 then choose a character within that age range. Your age range will fluctuate as you get older or as your style of performing shifts as well.
• Choose a character you like or even despise: A character you despise will be fascinating to explore and challenging as a performer, and being the villain is fun in comparison with a character you admire.
• A monologue that has a beginning,middle,and end: Essentially an arc to its story, knowing who you are,where you are, who you are talking to and what your objective is (their wants).
• Choose a monologue that can showcase your strengths: If you are great when it comes to comedic timing maybe select a monologue from a witty character or if you are great with emotional or passionate characters pick a monologue that will showcase that skill. As I mentioned before, as long as the monologue has an arc, and wants for the characters you can play anything.
• Be present: A monologue that requires you to be present is one that isn’t just retelling a story. You have an imaginary scene partner, that can be the audience, your dead lover, or even yourself always someone to address. This way it is more engaging and active.

Types of Monologues

There are four types of monologues; classical dramatic,classical comedic,contemporary dramatic and contemporary comedic.

“Classical” monologues are speeches generally written as far back to the ancient Greeks theatre and far forward into the Elizabethan and Restoration theatre period roughly into the 19th century. When an auditor asks for a “classical” monologue they would like to see how you work with “heightened” language in comparison to “plain” speech. Typically, actors reach for Shakespeare’s works to find classical monologues instead of ancient Greek monologues, however I think that there are some great monologues from that period that show the characters clear “wants” and “needs” stay tuned for a blog post on Greek monologues to audition with. With that being said it is more common for actors to be trained with Shakespeare’s works rather than Euripides and Sophocles. I would be careful with choosing works that hover on the line between classical and contemporary such as Chekhov and Ibsen plays. Anyhow, the hunt for classical monologues is fairly easy because of the free accessibility to these works.

When it comes to contemporary monologues your best resource is the drama library,libraries at school, and your fellow peers for recommendations. Another great outlet is searching for award nominated plays of the year or the past five years and picking a play with characters within your age range. This is a smart to get new and upcoming works that will be different from what other actors may be using and not only will your auditor be impressed but you might up end sharing a new works that they have not heard of or read.

 Here are the top Canadian dramatist and playwright awards categories:

• Carol Bolt Award
• RBC Emerging Playwright Award
• Sharon Enkin Plays for Young People Award
• Stage West Pechet Family Comedy Award
• Stage West Pechet Family Musical Award
• The Robert Beardsley Award
• Honorary Membership Award
• The Bra D’Or Award

https://playwrightsguild.ca/awards/

Thank you for reading this article on how to find great monologues for you!