Monologues
As someone who fancies herself as a creative problem solver, I like to challenge myself, so monologue hunting for me was always this sort of mental obstacle course. A piece must not be too vague, cannot ever begin with or contain the phrases "I had this dream once…", or "When I was a kid…" (gag), and must be short (I shoot for 1:30 or under) while at the same time showing a good range*.
*Folks, I know I'm not your acting coach but I've seen and heard this so often I feel I must state it publicly: being mad does not mean yelling the whole way through and being sad does not mean crying. I don't know about you but when my folks were pissed and didn't yell, that's when I was glad I'd written my last will and testament out in my pink flamingo diary. And if you've ever lost someone close to you, you know the deafening heartbreak that sits in your chest and has no route of escape – not even though tears. Humans are complex and we have more levels and subtlety than instant messaging emoticons, so let's not sell ourselves short.
Anyway, I've found many monologues that fit my criteria over the years but a lot of times I felt there was a little trick to them somewhere and that I had to be really on my game when I did them. That is until recently, when I found this monologue that is so straightforward and simple I almost didn't take it because it seemed too "easy". The character is just plain pissed and hops from an "I don't care" cavalier attitude, to a "How could you do this?!" rage, to a menacing "Sleep with your eyes open" saccharine sneer. It's so fun and so simple I feel like I'm always prepared now…
That is, for my dramatic piece. But what about comedic?
Every actress I've talked to has had the same complaint: There are too few good female comedic monos. And the ones that are great audition pieces have been used so many times you can hear people's eyes rolling when you do them. So I've taken to using alternative resources – like movies and TV shows – for lesser-known good comedic monologues. I even took a class with this girl once who did a monologue from the male lead of a well-known movie. And it worked brilliantly! Some people even like to write their own stuff, but to me that's a little tricky to pass off (I'll stick to published/produced work for now, personally).
Monologue hunting is a tedious job when you're a girl. 3+ years after I restarted my search for a great, contemporary comedic piece that fits like a glove (the way my dramatic does) and I'm still looking! But I keep rooting around and have taken to trying alternative resources.
Wish me luck.
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