Want to audition, but what is a monologue?!

 

Ok, so what is a monologue?
You are ready to act on the audition call, you are available, eager, willing to do your bit… if only you knew what to prepare.
A monologue is a part in a play where a character speaks alone. It is not a soliloque, where he/she speaks to him/herself, but the character shares thoughts with the audience, that usually enriches the play.
For example: your character was just in a conversation with another character about going on a road trip. Your character freaked out, the other characters stormed off, and you are left alone on stage. Your character starts a monologue, recollecting a scene from his/her past where something traumatic happened on a previous road trip. In this way, the audience is given information the other characters in the play do not have, which creates tension. They might have more empathy with your character, and in more than one way, the play is enriched.
So, a monologue is a speech where a character speaks alone, to an audience, about his/her own thoughts or feelings about something.
Where to find one? The best place is in an existing drama text, found in any library. If you are really desperate, it is possible to write your own, but do not attempt it for an audition if you have never done it before! Monologues can become quite melodramatic and self-indulgent.
If you’ve found one that speaks to you, read it, make it your own, and make that call!