10 Short Dramatic Monologues for Your 90-Second Musical Theatre Audition

Written by Meghan Mitchell

January 5, 2018

Looking for a short dramatic monologue to pair with a song? The pressure is on! You only have 90 seconds to show your best stuff! Below are 10 short dramatic monologue audition cuts that can be paired up to create that memorable musical theatre audition package.

A monologue from Her Mouth is Moving by Tara Meddaugh

(Female, Dramatic, Teens-50s)
Meghan has murdered a “frenemie” out of rage and now is face to face with the dead corpse. At least, she is pretty sure the victim is dead, except that it seems the woman’s mouth is still moving and this is really freaking Meghan out. Meghan is filled with horror and guilt at her own actions, and can barely understand what she has done, but she is starting to grasp the reality and the terrible consequences that she will now face. This monologue would pair with a song that is self-contemplative (i.e. “Easy to be Hard” (Hair) or “How Could I Ever Know” (The Secret Garden)).

Get the monologue here.

A monologue from Scribbles by R.J. Ryland

(Male/Female, Dramatic, Kids/Juniors)
A child talks about their experience with reading and writing. It has been frustrating. They cannot read yet, and they are very, very frustrated. Currently, their parents are sitting in a parent-teacher conference trying to figure out what to do about their child’s school performance. This makes the child even more worried about their reading skills. All they want to do is learn to read! This monologue would pair well with a confident/self-discovery song (i.e. “Take Me to the World” (Evening Primrose) or “A Place Called Home” (A Christmas Carol)).

Get the monologue here.

A monologue from Crawl by Crystal Skillman

(Male, Dramatic/Serio-Comedic, 30s-40s)
Alex has come all the way from Long Beach to help Ty sell their parents’ place. Alex accuses Ty of getting sentimental about the house, which segues into why Alex doesn’t get emotional about movies, namely Avatar. Rather than being a monologue strictly about Avatar, Alex’s views on the film represent his perspective on how “perfect culture” is represented as truth when the world around him is falling to pieces. This would work best with a song that expresses finally letting go/surrender attitude (i.e. “Why God Why” (Miss Saigon) or “This is the Moment” (Jekyll & Hyde)).

Get the monologue here.

A Monologue from Shelley Knows by Tara Meddaugh

(Female, Dramatic, Teens-50s)
In a moment of passion, Louise has just murdered her friend, Shelley. Now she is facing the dead corpse, but she is freaking out because she feels Shelley can read her mind from beyond the grave. She is afraid that she is going to come after her now, and she wonders if fleeing the town will be enough to save herself, or if she will have to also die. This would pair well with a powerful song about self-discovery (i.e. “Now That I’ve Seen Her” (Miss Saigon) or “If You Hadn’t But You Did” (Two on the Aisle)).

Get the monologue here.

A monologue from The Jacket by Ricardo Soltero-Brown

(Male, Dramatic, 30s-50s)
Jeremy, Hanna, Ben, and Dean are sitting in Jeremy’s living room having a business dinner/meeting. Jeremy has taken a liking to Dean’s assertiveness, and offers him a partnership here. Dean has been his friend for a long time, but Jeremy makes a power-play over him to assert his dominance. This monologue would be best paired with a song of frustration/brooding (i.e. “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught” (South Pacific) or “Lonely Room” (Oklahoma!)).

Get the monologue here.

A monologue from Holy Crab! by Zhu Yi

(Female, Dramatic, Late Teens-20s)
Xia, a Chinese girl who came to the US for Master program on Chinese History, was convinced by her brother to quit school and work for his black market business illegally. The night before Xia’s deportation, she visits her brother in prison. Here, she tells him of her childhood dream to grow up and fall in love. This monologue would be best paired with a song of longing/searching (i.e. “Waiting for Life” (Once on this Island) or “Christmas Lullaby” (Songs for a New World)).

Get the monologue here.

A monologue from To The Test by Ricardo Soltero-Brown

(Female, Dramatic, 20s-40s)
Cynthia is in a meeting with Fox, Anne, and Denise for Cynthia’s annual evaluation. They are examining her teaching practices and asking her questions about her teaching style, noting that many of her students have low standardized test scores. The panel’s idea of teaching is streamlined, eliminating the view that students are individuals with lives outside the classroom. Here, Cynthia responds to Fox’s insinuation that Cynthia has no idea what students need.  This song would work well with a contemplative/driven female solo (i.e. “You Can Always Count on Me” (City of Angels) or “Come to Your Senses” (Tick Tick Boom)).

Get the monologue here.

A monologue from Nighthawks by Evan Guilford-Blake

(Male, Dramatic, 20s-40s)
Jimmy, a middle aged man, works the night shift in the diner. He enlisted in World War I, but the war ended before he had the chance to go overseas. Jimmy wishes that he had the opportunity to make a difference in the war. He expresses his feelings to Wray, a recently returned black solider sitting in the dinner. Jimmy asks Wray for a story, and Wray responds with this. This monologue would pair well with a determined male song that involves nature (i.e. “I’d Rather Be Sailing” (A New Brain) or “Giants in the Sky” (Into the Woods)).

Get the monologue here.

A monologue from Montgomery Clift and the All-Girl Fan Club by Rosary O’Neill

(Male, Dramatic, 20s-40s)
Six months after a devastating car crash, Montgomery Clift finds his face unrecognizable after surgery. Unwilling to give up his career in films, he is more determined than ever to act a lead again. No good offers have come his way; he struggles to get himself back on the boards. He is frantic. He defies all and refuses sympathy calls from his friends. But they appear as hallucinations to help him find out how he confronted calamity before.  This monologue would pair well with a devious/mischievous male number (i.e. “What Is It About Her” (Wild Party) or “Soliloquy” (Carousel)).

Get the monologue here.

A monologue from Seven Makes Ten by R.J. Ryland

(Male/Female, Dramatic, Kids/Juniors)
A child shares with us their experience at an arcade where a girl the child’s brother used to go to school with works. The child is skipping school, and the girl at the cash register gives the child the wrong change. This results in the child’s decision to go home instead of skipping school. A good monologue for an actor exploring a character type that enjoys mischief; this monologue would work well with a powerful/“stick-it-to-the-man” type song (i.e. “I Want It Now” (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) or “Electricity” (Billy Elliot)).

Get the monologue here.



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Meghan Mitchell is a working actor who graduated cum laude from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois with a B.A. in Musical Theatre. She loves Shakespeare and nightly fireworks, and after working regionally and on ships, she is now proud to call Orlando her home.