How to Choose an Audition Monologue

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While there’s not a “golden list” of monologues that an actor should choose from, there are some tips that can help you pick the best monologue for your audition:

  • Choose an appropriate length. If the audition calls for a one minute monologue, do not show up with a three to five minute monologue. It’s happened to us before and most of the time, the first comment after is “they can’t follow directions.”
  • Do not choose anything from a movie, especially a well-known one. The urge to copy tone and speech pattern is often too strong and hard to break. There’s also the possibility that even if you do a bang-up job, you will end up inadvertently suffering by comparison.
  • Try to choose something from a play and read the whole play. Monologue books have some okay pieces, but reading an entire play and choosing a monologue from it will REALLY help you get some nice context for your character.
  • Make sure it’s not “one-note.” Is your monologue one minute of pure anger/sadness/joy? Either pick a new one or work on finding a variety of emotions within your monologue. Casting directors are looking for how well you can characterize as well as your range.
  • Know the play you’re auditioning for (and do not do a monologue from it). Don’t audition for a Disney musical with a Shakespearean monologue (unless for some reason, it’s specifically asked for).
  • Unless it is asked for, do not use an accent/dialect. If the director wants to hear you use an accent, they will usually ask after your initial audition or at a callback. Save your dialect/accent skills for your resume.
  • Pick a monologue that’s “you.” If you’re a teen, don’t play the role of a middle aged person (or vice versa). Pick a monologue that’s believable for your age and appearance.

Subscription Series

The Dallas Theater is excited to announce that you can now purchase a subscription series for our current season of shows. For each subscription you are guaranteed the seats you choose for each show included in the series. Subscription series must be purchased over the phone or at the Dallas Theater Box Office. Subscription series will go on sale August 1st, 2019.

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