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Audition monologues

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Scenario: General regional auditions, requires a two-minute prepared           monologue. Question 1: Is it better to use a comic, serious, or serio-comic             monologue? Question 2: Would you consider it "acceptable" to use a monologue from a             musical for a "straight play" audition? (or vice-versa)? Or does either question even matter as long as you are comfortable with the material and it shows you at your best?

My Opinion:  (In reverse order of questions) Always do material you have well-rehearsed and are comfortable doing. Trying out a monologue you haven’t adequately prepared will most definitely not show you at your best. I personally don’t see any problem with using monologues from musicals in "straight" auditions or visa-versa, so long as it doesn’t have to be stitched together from several shorter speeches which might not transition together well.  Some directors might look at you a bit funny, but if you pull off the material well and it shows what you can do, then why not? In any case, always, if possible, find out what the theatre has scheduled for its upcoming season and select a monologue from your repertoire that plays to their selections.  Most theatres announce their season prior to auditions or the person making your appointment should be able to give you the information as well. Do well, CHRISTOPHER COMTE  "The Secret to great acting?  Learn your lines    and don’t bump into the furniture."                                               — Spencer Tracy                                 * * * * * [This message was posted to the ACTING-L mailing list and relayed to this newsgroup.  You may followup to the newsgroup or, if you are a  member of ACTING-L,  reply  to  the  list.   For  more  information  send E-mail to

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Scenario: General regional auditions, requires a two-minute prepared          monologue. Question 1: Is it better to use a comic, serious, or serio-comic            monologue?

Comic or serio-comic are better bets than serious, and here’s why: 1. I (and many, many other directors) believe comedy is harder to play than drama, and will take a good comic actor any day, to play comedy *or* drama. In fact, *especially* to play drama, because I want an actor who can find whatever comedy there is to be found in a drama. 2. Auditors in the situation you describe are sitting in a room all day, seeing, on average, 150 or more people each day.  We *want* to laugh once in a while!  We *remember* the people who made us laugh! Question 2: Would you consider it "acceptable" to use a monologue from a            musical for a "straight play" audition? (or vice-versa)?

Sure, but avoid Luisa’s monologue in Fantasticks, it’s overdone. Or does either question even matter as long as you are comfortable with the material and it shows you at your best?

It’s *almost* that simple, but not quite.  You *can* have a great audition with any suitable material that you’re comfortable with.  However, why not stack the deck in your favor a little more by taking into considerations things like "these-guys-have-been-there-all-day-and-are-dying-for-a-laugh"? I repeat something I’ve said before: the best way to learn about these auditions is to sit in on them.  Find a director or CD who is doing them, offer to gofer coffee, take notes, whatever, just so you can spend a day watching them. Jill (who watches 1,500+ auditions every spring) Jill Charles, Artistic Director American Theatre Works, Inc., P.O. Box 519, Dorset, VT 05251 Dorset Theatre Festival/Theatre Directories/Dorset Colony for Writers                                 * * * * * [This message was posted to the ACTING-L mailing list and relayed to this newsgroup.  You may followup to the newsgroup or, if you are a  member of ACTING-L,  reply  to  the  list.   For  more  information  send E-mail to

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Hello,         I just landed a part in an amateur production of Shakespeare’s *Winter’s Tale* in the role of Clown.  The role is small enough that I can tinker with various approaches and study the first folio, etc.  Last November I was in a production that used the Meisner technique.  I found it helpful, but I have misplaced my key notebook.  Also, having been bogged down of late with other stuff, I don’t remember the five-six major steps clearly and I can’t find them in a reference book.         The skeletal memory I retain is this:         1.  Read for overall color of the scene         2.  Paraphrase the emotion         3.  Construct a parallel         4.  Paraphrase the parallel         (There’s more in between I believe)         And I also recall that you need a hot-who (adjective+noun) to address and a trigger event that sets it all off. I’d appreciate any help anyone can give. Thanks, -Jay L.                                 * * * * * [This message was posted to the ACTING-L mailing list and relayed to this newsgroup.  You may followup to the newsgroup or, if you are a  member of ACTING-L,  reply  to  the  list.   For  more  information  send E-mail to

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The notebook is not a repetition, but a listing of steps for working a character outside of rehearsal, guideposts for development.  My original post concentrated mainly on the new show, not the old, so I didn’t go into detail about the Spoon River experience.  It was the culmination of a two-year Meisner course.  The class was predominantly female, with a mix of professional and non-professional actors.  I was brought in during the final six weeks with two other actors to fill out the show.   During this time I met with the director 3 hrs/week to work on my characters.  Because of the short time we had, I got a very quick exposure, but one long enough to recognize the technique’s value.  As it was so short a time, my memory of it is planed down, hence the request.  Unfortunately, the Meisner teacher no longer teaches the two-year course.   Thanks for the memory jogging and the new insight, it’ll help. -Jay "real" acting. But I have to ask, does this stuff honestly mean anything to you? Because if you’re just repeating what was in your notebook, then it won’t do any good. I highly recommend you TAKE a Meisner acting class, because you’ll learn far more than what a director can convey to you in a single production. I’m currently in a 2-year Meisner program and I don’t understand any of your jargon, but some things to remember are:

                                * * * * * [This message was posted to the ACTING-L mailing list and relayed to this newsgroup.  You may followup to the newsgroup or, if you are a  member of ACTING-L,  reply  to  the  list.   For  more  information  send E-mail to

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