8 Tips for Choosing a Monologue for the Role You Want (Without Auditioning as the Same Character)

Written by Ella Embry

June 8, 2017

Want to prove that you’re absolutely perfect for a certain role but don’t want to audition with a monologue from the same play? Here are a few tips on how to choose the perfect monologue from one play to show that you’re perfect for a role in a totally different play.

1. Make sure the two characters are the same age.

If the character you’re gunning for is in their 30s or 40s, don’t audition with a monologue for a teenager – even if that’s your type! Show the director that you can play the age of the character you want by bringing in a monologue that’s within the same age range.

2. Make sure the two characters are the same type.

If your desired character is an ingénue, don’t audition with a character monologue. It’s always great to have a large selection of audition monologues and if you don’t already have a few different types – now’s the time to find one that matches the character you want!

3. Make sure the two characters have similar goals.

What does the character you want, well, want? Love? Money? Figure that out and then be sure to find a monologue with a character who wants something similar. If the character you want wants to prove themselves, then find a monologue from another character that also wants to prove themselves.

4. Make sure the two characters are the same gender.

This may seem a little self-explanatory, but gender bending is on the rise! So while it’s great to take a song written for a boy and sing it as your 16 bar audition, it won’t help you show the director that you’re absolutely perfect for that girl part you want.

5. Check to see if the two plays in the same style of writing.

If the play you want to be in is a musical, then don’t audition with a Shakespearean monologue!  Let the director know that you can handle the style of the play you want to be in by auditioning with a piece that’s in the same style.

6. Check to see if the two plays are published close together in time.

If you’re having trouble figuring out what kind of style the play you want is written in, check out some other plays that were written during the same decade. You’ll be able to get a sense of the style and you may even be able to find a good monologue!

6. Check to see if the two plays are by the same playwright.

If you’re auditioning for multiple plays at once, then it’ll help show your interest for one play if you audition with a piece by the same playwright. So if you really want that role in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, pick a monologue from one of his other works!

7. Weigh your choices!

While it’s smart to try to check as many as these boxes as possible, sometimes that’s just not possible! So ask yourself some hard questions: which one of these criteria are going to help you out the most to show that you’re absolutely perfect for the role you want?



Need some advice? We’ve got you covered.

Ella Embry is currently a senior, honors student at the University of Southern Mississippi pursing a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theatre with an Emphasis in Performance. She is an actor, a playwright, and a Contributing Writer for PerformerStuff.com