The Monologue Search

Monologues are frequently used for auditions, and they pose several challenges for an actor. We have to do the text analysis, memorize the text, and fully act out the imagined scenario while staying present and going after what we want from our partners. However, in monologues, we now must also tackle the additional challenges of working off an imagined partner, creating and working in an invisible environment that’s confined, and on top of all of that, direct ourselves too! It’s the equivalent of putting on a full one-person-show in the span of one or two minutes. This balancing act is a skill that we must practice.

What is one way we can make our monologues more powerful and efficient before we’ve even started working on them? We can select strong material for a monologue.

Which brings us to the next question—where do we get strong material for a monologue?

The shortest answer available on this is this: read plays. Yet, it isn’t quite that simple.

Monologue material technically can be found essentially anywhere that words are written or spoken—books, journals, even Craigslist Ads and Amazon Reviews. Yet, consistently, the best material usually comes from playwrights whose plays are being published and performed widely right now, regardless of whether they are contemporary or classical.

There is a reason certain writers became popular. The characters they have written, more often than not, are profound and relatable enough in a way that it leaves the audience to be able to connect with them and tell a complete story. The best scripts include well-thought-out characters with needs, desires, a sense of urgency, obstacles, and each line is well-intentioned or has a reason that the character must say the line. There is also an understanding that these characters have to be working towards something and have an end goal—and those same factors are in direct correlation with what we should be looking to express in our performances. If we find a monologue in a well-written play that suits our type and we can relate to it—we have struck gold as actors.

Our choice of material reflects our work as actors. Combining a great actor with material that tells a complete story with a specific need or intention that is also well-suited for an actor’s type leaves a lasting impression. Casting is left with the notion that this is a “smart actor” that makes intelligent choices and is willing to put in the work to ensure everything they present is of high quality. 

When casting puts out a call for auditions requiring a monologue from a play, we will often see actors immediately jump to monologue books since they haven’t read enough plays. But this poses two significant problems: we are cutting ourselves off from the original source material, and we are putting ourselves in a position of using material that may be overseen and overdone. When we deny ourselves from reading the original text, we may be making choices that may not necessarily be rooted in the original material’s context, and some of it may not make sense whatsoever. If someone were to recognize the play, they might ask questions about why we chose to make certain choices, and if we don’t know the answer to these questions, it will reflect poorly on our work, which doesn’t leave a great impression. Also, monologue books are published to be helpful, yet, ultimately, so many people use them as reference material that the monologues in those books become popular quickly. The chance for comparison to someone else grows simply because more people end up doing them.

So how can you use monologue books to your advantage? Read them to find material from other plays by the same playwright. If their material was significant enough to be included, there is a chance that their other scripts are just as strong but potentially not as well-known.

And we may be thinking, “Well, what about film and television? Can’t we find strong material from there? Aren’t those almost the same thing as plays?” Although some great film and television scripts have great material in them, there are usually strong performances associated with this type of material. For example, it’s difficult to imagine another actor attempting to do the “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse” speech in the Godfather. Marlin Brando’s performance is so timeless that nearly everyone knows it (even people who have not seen the film are at least aware of this line!). Since most people are aware of this performance, it’s challenging to attempt to do this scene with different choices without constant comparison to one of the greatest actors of all time.

Does this mean we should never approach on-screen material? No. We should still most definitely look at this type of material and learn how to break it down as part of our practice, especially since most auditions are happening in this medium. However, it is also essential to distinguish what choices we are making as individuals and what is considered an imitation. We never want to duplicate someone else’s performance since it takes away our creativity, part of what makes acting an artform. 

There are some terrific monologues in lesser-known films and television shows that are not as generally known to the public that may be perfectly suitable for an audition, but be aware of who your audience is. It would be uncomfortable to perform a scene for a casting director who may have had involvement in the original performer’s casting somehow.

It requires a lot of patience and effort to scour through plays on bookshelves to stumble across a piece that suits our type and that we can also relate to in a personal way. But by allowing ourselves the time to find this material, we are investing in future opportunities to perform. If we are sincerely excited to perform a piece, it will shine through in our auditions, and that type of confidence can book any room.

By Diana Frankhauser

Now that we’re finding material for monologues, do you want to learn how to start making choices for it? Come check out our classes at the Houde School of Acting at https://www.houdeschoolofacting.com/online-registration