Audition monologues: how to choose, cut and perform one

An audition monologue is a short speech from a play, usually about two minutes, that you memorize and perform alone to show who you are as an actor. Pick one from a published play you have read in full, about a character near your own age, in which the character is fighting for something right now, then cut it to fit the time limit and rehearse it until you can play it rather than recite it.

The University of Washington School of Drama defines a monologue as "a portion of a play where just one person speaks, often directly to the audience," and says actors are often asked to prepare one or two (UW School of Drama). You need them most for drama school and college applications, theater auditions such as Equity Principal Auditions (EPAs) and season generals, and youth competitions. For film and TV roles you are normally sent sides, scenes from the actual script, which the cold reading guide and the self-tape guide cover. Monologues still turn up on the screen side, though: the Michelle Danner Acting Studio says they "still matter in LA movie auditions, even with self-tapes and on-camera sides" (Michelle Danner Acting Studio), and an agent meeting can include one (see how to get an acting agent).

Arlo does not reprint monologue text. Script and monologue text lives on Offbook; this guide is about choosing, cutting and performing the piece once you have it.

Requirements differ, so read the notice before choosing. Published rules for several programs, two of them in Los Angeles:

• USC School of Dramatic Arts (BFA Acting for Stage and Screen): two separately filmed monologues, each "no longer than 90 seconds," one classical (written before 1900) and one contemporary (written after 1900), both from published plays, with characters suited to your natural age range. No added accents, no costumes. The deadline for this cycle is December 1, 2026 (USC).
• CalArts School of Theater (Acting): two monologues "of contrasting nature," each no longer than two minutes, one from Shakespeare and one from a contemporary published play (late 20th century to today), plus one reserve piece in case faculty ask for a third. Live auditions are held in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago (CalArts).
• The Juilliard School (Actor Training Program): four memorized monologues, two classical and two contemporary, each about two minutes. One classical piece must be Shakespeare, classical pieces must be in verse rather than prose, and contemporary means Chekhov to the present (Juilliard).
• UNC School of the Arts (BFA Acting): three monologues, one classical (preferably Shakespeare or a contemporary of his) and two contemporary (20th century or later), with the monologues and a 16-bar song together not exceeding six minutes (UNCSA).
• YoungArts 2027 (Theater, Spoken): two filmed monologues for theater, not film: one contemporary (1950s to present) and one classical (written before 1950), each no longer than two minutes, from existing plays rather than anthologies (YoungArts).
• An Equity Principal Audition at the Equity office in North Hollywood: a June 2026 EPA for Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara asked for material "appropriate for the season" and limited each slot to three minutes total (Equity listing via BroadwayWorld).

"Classical" and "contemporary" have no single definition. USC splits at 1900, YoungArts at 1950, Juilliard counts Chekhov as contemporary, CalArts wants late 20th century or newer, and UW says classical "usually means something written prior to the 19th century." Match the definition in the notice in front of you, not the one you learned last time.

When a notice says nothing about length, the UW glossary's rule of thumb is "about two minutes (unless the audition notice specifies otherwise)" (UW School of Drama).

In a Theatre Bay Area roundup, Melissa Hillman and casting directors Amy Potozkin, Meryl Shaw and Josh Costello gave advice that lines up closely with the school rules above (Theatre Bay Area). Run any candidate piece through these tests:

1. Does it fit you right now? Choose a character you could plausibly be cast as today. Potozkin's advice is to pick a monologue that "allows you to express the uniqueness of who you are"; USC asks for characters suited to your natural age range, and adds that you are not limited to characters matching your gender identity.
2. Is something happening now? Shaw looks for pieces where "the action is going on right now, right here." A character fighting for something from the person in front of them reads better than one recalling a memory.
3. Does it change? Costello's line is "Transitions are where good acting happens." Avoid pieces that are one note, all shouting or all weeping, and look for two or three clear shifts.
4. Is it from a play you have read? Juilliard asks you not to choose from monologue books and to read the entire play; UNCSA rules out "speeches from movies or generic monologue books"; YoungArts excludes anthologies and collections.
5. Will they understand it out of context? Hillman warns that it is "impossible to tell from a nonlinear, poetic monologue what your acting skillset is." UNCSA says each piece "should stand on its own."
6. Can you do it in your own voice? Shaw wants to hear your natural voice, and Casting Frontier advises against accents unless asked (Casting Frontier). USC says not to add one. Juilliard is an exception: it allows an accent if the piece warrants it.
7. Is it right for a job interview? Shaw calls graphic violence or sexual content "just in bad taste at an audition," and Casting Frontier adds shock-value political and religious material to the list.

Theatre Bay Area adds two more cautions: skip a speech from a production you have already performed, because the old staging is hard to shake, and skip self-written pieces and sonnets.

Advice splits here. Casting Frontier tells actors to avoid popular monologues because they make you blend in (Casting Frontier). Meryl Shaw takes the opposite view: "If a popular piece is perfect for you, and you do it amazingly, use it and own it" (Theatre Bay Area). Juilliard refuses to publish a list of pieces to avoid and asks applicants to choose pieces they feel connected to, "whether they are commonly used or obscure" (Juilliard).

A practical reading of all three: fit and connection come first. If you are choosing between two pieces that suit you equally, take the one the panel is less likely to have heard that morning. Reading whole plays, not collections, is how you find it.

When a notice asks for contrasting monologues, it means pieces that "are different styles, from different periods, or that showcase different aspects" of what you can do (UW School of Drama). Contrast does not have to be comedy against drama; Juilliard says it "may be achieved by means other than comedic vs. dramatic" (Juilliard). Different eras, different language, a character who is winning against one who is losing, or a quiet piece against an expansive one all count.

Because requirements vary, a working actor's repertoire usually holds more than two pieces. A useful set:

• A contemporary piece in your casting range, the one you would do on short notice for an agent or a general audition.
• A second contemporary piece in a different key, so you can offer contrast without reaching for classical text.
• A classical verse piece, ideally Shakespeare, since Juilliard, CalArts and UNCSA all ask for or prefer it.
• A reserve, the extra piece CalArts asks applicants to have ready in case the faculty want a third.
• Both lengths of each: a full version near two minutes and a cut near 60 to 90 seconds, so a 90-second limit like USC's or a three-minute EPA slot never forces a rewrite the night before.

Start with plays, not lists of speeches. Offbook hosts monologue and script text, and any published play from a library or bookstore works. Once a speech catches you, read the whole play: Juilliard asks applicants to read the entire play, and USC wants each piece performed in the context of the entire play (Juilliard, USC).

Non-play sources are a judgment call. Casting Frontier suggests a passage from a favorite book as a way to stand out (Casting Frontier), but most school rules forbid it: USC and YoungArts want plays, UNCSA excludes movies, and Juilliard tolerates one non-play contemporary piece only if your other monologues come from plays. For a school or competition, stay with plays.

To cut a long speech down to time:

1. Find the spine. Mark what the character wants from the listener and the moments where their tactic changes. Those transitions stay; repeated arguments and side stories go first.
2. Remove other characters' lines. If someone interrupts, cut the interruption and stitch the speech together so it still makes sense.
3. Keep a clear start and a clean end. The first line should launch the action; the last should land a decision or a turn.
4. Time it out loud, at performance pace. Juilliard does not run a timer and says a few seconds over two minutes is fine, but asks applicants to respect the limit (Juilliard). A three-minute EPA slot is the whole slot, not just the speech, so aim comfortably under.

• Play an objective, not a mood. The Danner studio lists, among the most common mistakes, actors "trying to look sad, angry, or intense, instead of going after what your character wants" (Michelle Danner Acting Studio).
• Know exactly who you are talking to. "A monologue is still a conversation, even if the other character never speaks." Decide who the listener is and what they do between your lines, then react to it.
• Do the text work. The same studio warns that actors who only memorize lines go flat under pressure; know what happened just before the speech and what the character risks.
• Cut unmotivated movement and props. Hillman says unneeded movement "just distracts from your acting skills" (Theatre Bay Area). Casting Frontier says to use a prop only if it is essential, never bring a weapon, avoid miming, and decide in advance whether you will sit or stand (Casting Frontier).
• Rehearse the whole audition. Run the entrance, introduction, piece and exit together, in front of people.

1. Introduce the piece simply. Your name, the play and the playwright is the standard USC asks for on tape; YoungArts uses "My piece is from (title of play) by (author) in the (role/character)" (USC, YoungArts).
2. Settle before you start. The Danner studio lists starting before you have settled in among common etiquette mistakes (Michelle Danner Acting Studio).
3. Pick a focal point. Casting Frontier says not to talk to the air: place the listener at a fixed point, don't look at the casting director unless asked, and face a direction where they can see your face (Casting Frontier).
4. Don't rush. Nerves speed actors up, and both Casting Frontier and the Danner studio name rushing as a mistake; the stage fright guide has a routine for the minutes before you go in.
5. Finish cleanly. Hold the last moment, then come out of it. The Danner studio's example of what not to do is "ending with an awkward 'uh, that's it' instead of a clean button."
6. Take the adjustment. If the panel redirects you, that is an invitation to show you can change, not a sign it went badly. The callback guide covers what usually happens next.

Many applications now start with video. USC wants each monologue filmed separately: the contemporary piece in a close-up from the top of your head to your chest, the classical piece full body (USC). CalArts requires each self-taped monologue in a single take with no edits or cuts (CalArts). YoungArts asks you to edit out any earlier recording that shows your name or other identifying details (YoungArts).

Scale the performance to the frame. The Danner studio warns that big stage gestures and fidgeting read badly on camera, and that staring into the lens when you are not supposed to weakens the work (Michelle Danner Acting Studio). The self-tape guide covers framing, light, sound and eyeline in detail.

A monologue improves fastest in front of a teacher and a room. Arlo lists LA audition prep classes with each school's stated schedule and price, and weekly scene study classes where you can bring a piece back week after week. If you can, audit a class before you pay, and check the LA Acting Class Price Index for what classes cost.

Applying to a degree program? CalArts holds live auditions in Los Angeles, and USC's BFA takes filmed monologues by its December 1 deadline. For professional theater, Equity's Los Angeles office in North Hollywood hosts EPAs like the one above; the casting calls guide explains where those notices are posted, and the acting resume guide covers the resume you hand over at check-in.