Position:Home>Theater & Acting> Monologue for 15 year old auditioning for school drama?

"!.!.!. But what of that!? Demitrius thinks not so!.!.!."

Sorry!. I love Midsummer Night's!.

Anyway, if you really want a great part, Shakespeare can be impressive!. Many of his heroines were young - Miranda, Juliet, etc!. Shakespeare can be a good choice if you can get your head around the language and make it clear what is being said - a feat many professional actors find it difficult to accomplish!. If you do go with Willy the Shakes, don't pick a monologue with too much complex or antiquated language, and pick one that will really let you show a lot of emotion!.

If you choose a monologue from a movie, DO NOT do it exactly as it was done in the movie!. Books of monologues are available, some for specific ages and genders, others for a variety of actors!. Check your library, my school's drama program is crap and we still have books of monologues!. But don't just look at one book - many books of monologues feature only monologues written by one author and they all use the same diction which can be very annoying!.

Once you choose a monologue, stick with it!. Say it at least once a day, aloud, and if you really want a great part, record yourself saying it and listen to yourself!.

Go through the monologue!. Know who the character is talking to, what happened just before the monologue began, and why they are saying the lines!. There is a reason that every line is said!. At the beginning of the Midsummer monologue that was used as an example earlier, the character is wallowing in self-pity and moaning about getting dumped by the guy she'd obsessed with for one of her best friends!. Or, alternatively, there's jealous, righteous anger behind her words: "throughout Athens I am thought as fair as she!" Then, the realization that life sucks, it isn't fair, and what other people think doesn't matter: "But what of that!? Demitrius thinks not so!.!.!.", which could be played despairingly, sulkily, or in a variety of different ways!.

Monologues require a lot of thought, and a lot of work - probably more thought and work than you'll put into most of your lines in the play!. When you're a part of a play, you have the part, you're part of an ensemble, and your audience comes in expecting to be entertained; they want to like you!. With a monologue, you're competing, you're alone, and your audience will be comparing you to every other person there, looking for your flaws!. When I get stage fright, it's always during an audition!.

lol Sorry I'm rambling - your question was whether or not I knew of good monologues for a fifteen-year-old!. Check online, check your local bookstore or library, ask the drama teacher!. And break a leg!Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I know it's tempting, but stay away from Shakespeare unless you really know what you're doing!. The people examining you will have a lot more experience picking apart the Bard, and they will only concentrate on your technical mistakes rather than your wonderful acting!.

If you still want to do something period, try Roxane's bit from Cyrano de Bergerac which starts "Say nothing! You cannot understand!" Act 4 scene 8!.

But if you're not sold on restoration drama, you could always try Isabelle's "you drain me" speech from "The Secret Rapture!." It's not too well known!. (You want to do something relatively obscure so that the judge isn't /comparing/ you to other performances of the same material)Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I was 15 last year and i did a monologue from A Mid Summers Night Dream!. It was spoken by Hermia and it had a lot of places to show various emotions!. it starts off like this

" How happy some are, other some can be
through Athens i was thought as fair as she!.!.!.

it shows her vulnerability, insecurity, and jealousy!. I like it because i could relate!. good luck =)Www@QuestionHome@Com

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