FOR COMEDIES OR DRAMAS

Follow the specifics provided by the director in the audition notice or choose a one to two-minute monologue in the style of the play - comedy or drama.  Never memorize a monologue from the play for which you are auditioning unless a director has specifically asked the actors to do so. 

One to two-minute Monologues are best found from full plays.  Try to choose from a play that isn't extremely well known, so you can delight your director with something they haven't heard 100 times before.  It's okay to choose a monologue from a book of monologues, but they are over-used.  Writing your own is not recommended.

Unless the theatre asks for something specific, choose a monologue that is:

- age and gender appropriate,

- involves no accents or only briefly touches on accents, such as pitching the voice to quote someone,

- does not mimic a recognizable person.

Then memorize and prepare until the lines are unwavering in your memory. Next, practice your monologue before an "audience" - a friend or several (If you are not used to the process of audition, you will be surprised at how a piece you were certain of will disappear from memory when presented before people and will help you realize how much more solidly the work must be memorized).

Actors typically keep three monologues in their toolbox: comic, dramatic and classic (such as Shakespeare).

On Audition Day: Come to audition space at your appointed time, sign in and fill out an audition form.   When it's your turn, a staff member will call you into the audition room. Upon Entering, smile as you make make eye contact with the theatre staff.  Be confident.  Assume they will love you.  Greet them by saying, "Hello, my name is Theda/Theodore Thespian, and I'd like to present Polly's monologue from To Wit, to Woo.

To Present: step back and take a moment to center yourself in the character. Take just a few seconds - don't make this a production.  Begin your monologue, focusing your eyes on a space about two feet above the staff members' heads, i.e., if the monologue is meant to be spoken to one person, imagine the other person is standing two feet above the staff and speak only to them. If the monologue is meant to address a crowd, address the crowd back and forth two feet above the heads of the staff.

Do not make eye contact with staff members during a monologue (if you're wondering why, it's because they need to be taking notes... and because they aren't in the scene).   When you're done, take another moment to come out of character, then look at the staff, smile and say, "Thank you."

In professional theatre, the staff members are likely to simply say "Thank you" in reply, and that is your cue to exit.  In community theatre, they're more likely to speak to you and ask you a couple questions before saying goodbye. If a director asks you to do a "cold reading" (read lines from the play with a staff member or another actor) and haven't thought to say, "read this over and tell us when you're ready," it is perfectly acceptable to ask to have a moment to familiarize yourself with the lines.

FOR MUSICALS OR OPERA

For Musicals, you'll be expected to present a monologue as above and then a song, and possibly do a cold reading. A piano accompanist will be provided, so BRING SHEET MUSIC.  Specific Musicals will have specific audition requirements (i.e., 16 bars, a certain range, a type of song, such as "upbeat" or "ballad," etc.), so check the audition requirements carefully as you make your audition appointment.  

For opera, you will be expected to bring sheet music and to provide a fee to the accompanist for services (amount is usually stated on audition notice) and typically you will be expected to present the entire piece; if there is no time to do so, the staff will warn you they may need to interrupt your presentation.

Now... BREAK A LEG!

Meredith Bean McMath, 2010