Contemporary Audition Monologues for Women
"A Mother's Guide to Social Drinking" by Paula Vogel. Click here to read monologue on Google Books.
Synopsis: A mother gives her daughter essential tips on how to drink when on a date.
Notes: Paula Vogel is a brilliant writer with mountains of wit and this monologue is a prime illustration of that. There's a reason she won the 1998 Pullitzer for her play "How I Learned to Drive," in which this monologue appears. While the role for this monologue is "Female Greek Chorus" an actress in audition should approach this monologue as a mother's direct address to her daughter.
Notes on Use: Start with the line "A mother's guide to social drinking" end with "full speed ahead!"
Source: How I Learned to Drive
Age: Middle Aged Adult
Length: 2 minute monologue
Categories: Monologues for women by women, Womens monologues, Audition monologues for women, Contemporary monologues, Modern monologues, Monologues from published plays.
"Goodbye World" by Thornton Wilder Click here to read monologue on google books.
Synopsis: As Emily’s spirit passes on to the other side, she is compelled to take one last hard look at life as a mortal.
Notes: In the categories of "Monologues from plays" and "famous monologues" this famous monologue by Thornton Wilder has the potential to let an actor really express a deep appreciation for life - and frustration at those the monologue is addressed to, that they are missing it! The actress performing this has the potential to do something very profound: make the audience connect - if only for a moment - to how beautiful just being alive right now is.
Notes on Use: Here is how to cut text in script to get the monologue: Start on top of page 217: “Oh Mama, look at me…” Cut everything from “That in the yellow paper…” to the line “where’s my birthday girl.” Continue Emily’s monologue with “I can’t. I can’t go on,” include all of Emily’s lines that follow (cut all of interjections by other characters). The final line of Emily’s monologue is on the top of pg 217 is “I’m ready to go back”
Source: Our Town
Age: Young Adult
Length 1 minute or under
Categories: Monologues for women, Sad monologues, Female dramatic monologues, Dramatic female monologues, Dramatic monologues for women.
"Racism in America" by Rebecca Gilman. Click here to read monologue on google books.
Synopsis: A liberal white women struggles with racist thoughts and behaviors within herself.
Notes: Rebecca Gilman is an incredibly talented writer whose ideas challenge our assumptions and reveal the darker side of human nature. In her play "Spinning into Butter," she looks at the way in which a person who considers themselves liberal and accepting of all people has buried within her racist thoughts and feelings. Feelings which she is ashamed of and horrify her but she can't seem to shake. The character is a highly intelligent and conflicted one.
Notes on Use: Here is how to cut text in script to get the monologue: Start toward bottom of page 64: “I’ve been struggling with this…” Cut all of Ross’ lines. End on page 65 “you noticed the awful ones because they dominated the landscape.”
Source: Spinning into Butter
Age: Adult
Length: 2 mins or less
Categories: Female dramatic monologues, Dramatic female monologues, Dramatic monologues for women, Serious monologues, drama monologues, Monologues for women by women, Womens monologues, Audition monologues for women, Contemporary monologues, Modern monologues, Monologues from published plays.
“Fragile Devotion on the Subway” by Rebecca Gilman Click here to read monologue on google books.
Synopsis: A woman observes a man hanging onto his sanity by a thread.
Notes: Another insightful monologue by Rebecca Gilman from her play "Spinning into Butter." Here the character struggles with racist feelings which she is ashamed of and at the same time feels empathy and a kinship with the person whom she is observing. The character is a highly intelligent and conflicted one. This monologue becomes dramatic in so far as, the man who is hanging on by a thread with his fragile devotion, reflects the way she is currently feeling about herself. Is she, too, hanging on by a thread? Does she perhaps even envy the faith he is able to use to hang on? This monologue needs performance layers like this embedded to succeed in audition.
Notes on Use: Monologue starts with “I got on the subway and it was…” and ends with “like a beacon.”
Source: Spinning into Butter
Age: Adult
Length: 2 mins or less
Categories: Female dramatic monologues, Dramatic female monologues, Dramatic monologues for women, Serious monologues, drama monologues, Monologues for women by women, Womens monologues, Audition monologues for women, Contemporary monologues, Modern monologues, Monologues from published plays.
"Tuna Fish Breakdown" by Christopher Durang Click here to read monologue on google books.
Synopsis: A mentally unbalanced woman loses it when a man won't move out of her way at the grocery store.
Notes: This is a hilarious monologue. One of the best comic monologues for women out there. Well worn territory, however, this is such a funny monologue that it works even if the audience knows what is coming. If you can make pent up frustration funny, then you have your finger on the pulse of this humorous monologue.
Notes on Use: Monologue starts with line “I want to talk to you about life” and ends with “Would you kindly move, asshole!!”
Source: Laughing Wild
Age: Adult
Length: 2mins or less
Categories: Comedy monologues Free comedy monologues One minute comedy monologues Comedic monologues Comedic audition monologues Comic monologues Funny monologues Humorous monologues Short humorous monologues Hilarious monologues
Selected monologues from the play "Bad Dates" by Theresa Rebeck
Thumb through this funny one-woman show to find scores of potential material for audition monologues. I first became aware of this years ago when it first opened in New York at Playwright's Horizons and then later saw a production at the City Theatre Company. I would categorize this play as irreverent, sarcastic, romantic, both silly and sincere at the same time. If you can relate to a character who loves shoes and is open enough to dish on the disasters of her dating life, then this play is worth a look.
Selected monologues from the play "String of Pearls" by Michele Lowe
Michele Lowe has the ability to bring humor out of well-drawn moments filled with vulnerability and pain. This play has some character interaction, but mostly it is filled with beautiful "modern soliloquys." No one is speaking in old english here, rather normal women from all walks of everyday life speak in the natural rhythms of everyday speach but with a touch more poetic grace. The women are at various points in their lives, opening up to reveal personal stories related to a string of pearls that, without their awareness, connects them.
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