Contemporary Monologues for Audition and Competition
Hi, I'm Gabriel Davis creator of Monologue Genie - a website designed to help you find great audition monologues fast.
Why did I create such a website? Because, basically, I feel your pain. Before earning my MFA in Playwriting from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, I was an acting major and I can't begin to tell you how many hours I spent searching through monologue books for the right material. If only finding great audition pieces had been as easy as rubbing a magic lamp. Hopefully, with me on your side to help, it can be!
Peruse the monologue categories below to find the perfect monologue for you. Happy hunting!
Why did I create such a website? Because, basically, I feel your pain. Before earning my MFA in Playwriting from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, I was an acting major and I can't begin to tell you how many hours I spent searching through monologue books for the right material. If only finding great audition pieces had been as easy as rubbing a magic lamp. Hopefully, with me on your side to help, it can be!
Peruse the monologue categories below to find the perfect monologue for you. Happy hunting!
Monologue of the Month # 1: I Hate the Divorce Papers
by Gabriel Davis
NOVEMBER, 2022
The "I Ate the Divorce Papers" monologue has taken on a life within the theatre community, particularly amongst young theatre people, that I could never have imagined. For some it's been a great resource, for others like an over-played pop song it haunts them and just when they think they'e escaped it, it comes back into their life. Having a little fun with that premise here with "I Hate the Divorce Papers." Enjoy! - Gabriel Davis-
(Monologist is eating at a restaurant. Perhaps on a date with a young man in financial services)
I hate the divorce papers. Please get that ketchup away. I don’t know, flag down the waiter. As a little girl I used to love ketchup. Now I can’t look at it without thinking of that monologue. You know that monologue “I Ate the Divorce Papers”? The one that basically haunts every theatre kid’s life. Some guy posted it on the internet and now no matter what monologue you’re looking for online, that’s the one you find. You could type “To Be or Not To Be” into Google and you would get back “To eat the divorce papers or not to eat the divorce papers.” Not! Please Not!
You can’t escape that monologue. I begged our theatre teacher to ban that monologue from our school and … he did! It was heaven. People started doing Moliere and Marlowe and Mamet. Williams and Wild and Wilder. Finally. But then over the summer, that theatre teacher who banned “the divorce papers” won the lottery. So he was gone. And guess what came back? That’s right everyone went right back to chewing the scenery by “eating the divorce papers” and I was so sick of it.
And then my worst nightmare happened. My boyfriend was like, “I’m going to audition for Juilliard with ‘I Ate the Divorce Papers’.” [Monologue continues here.]
The "I Ate the Divorce Papers" monologue has taken on a life within the theatre community, particularly amongst young theatre people, that I could never have imagined. For some it's been a great resource, for others like an over-played pop song it haunts them and just when they think they'e escaped it, it comes back into their life. Having a little fun with that premise here with "I Hate the Divorce Papers." Enjoy! - Gabriel Davis-
(Monologist is eating at a restaurant. Perhaps on a date with a young man in financial services)
I hate the divorce papers. Please get that ketchup away. I don’t know, flag down the waiter. As a little girl I used to love ketchup. Now I can’t look at it without thinking of that monologue. You know that monologue “I Ate the Divorce Papers”? The one that basically haunts every theatre kid’s life. Some guy posted it on the internet and now no matter what monologue you’re looking for online, that’s the one you find. You could type “To Be or Not To Be” into Google and you would get back “To eat the divorce papers or not to eat the divorce papers.” Not! Please Not!
You can’t escape that monologue. I begged our theatre teacher to ban that monologue from our school and … he did! It was heaven. People started doing Moliere and Marlowe and Mamet. Williams and Wild and Wilder. Finally. But then over the summer, that theatre teacher who banned “the divorce papers” won the lottery. So he was gone. And guess what came back? That’s right everyone went right back to chewing the scenery by “eating the divorce papers” and I was so sick of it.
And then my worst nightmare happened. My boyfriend was like, “I’m going to audition for Juilliard with ‘I Ate the Divorce Papers’.” [Monologue continues here.]
@casehightheatre.co I Ate The Divorce Papers #MusicalTheatre #Theatrekid #Fyp #ForYou ♬ original sound - Case High Theatre Co
Monologue of the Month #2: Just the Three of Us
by Gabriel Davis
NOVEMBER, 2022
This 433 word roughly 4 minute monologue explores the character Victoria's fear of taking a huge relationship step and moving in with her boyfriend, to whom she's recently also become engaged. Fortunately, Victoria has a solid plan to get over her fear, she's going to have her mother move into her boyfriend's place with her. Now she just has to convince her fiance thqt their life together will be better with her mommy there. A shorter 219 word 2 minute version of this monologue is available [view the 2 minute version here] -Gabriel Davis
(Victoria stands in front of her fiance, Greg, who is relaxing in bed. He was hoping for a laid back night in, instead he gets this)
VICTORIA
Moving in with you is a big step. Which is why I’ve decided … to bring my mother. Hear me out.
I have dreamt about what it would be like here with you. Waking in this bed every morning bathed in your love. Gazing into your baby blues yearning for something hot: cappuccino. But who will make it? My mother. That’s who.
Would it be weird having my mom here? I mean not unless you make it weird. Its not like she’d come between us.
Like if mom comes in and we’re spooning it’s not like she’d squeeze in the middle. She’d take an end. I’m kidding. She wouldn’t sleep in our bed. She’d be on the floor holding my hand. Joking!
Mother’s not keeping me warm at night. You totally are. After mother tucks me in.
No cmon! If she were here we’d hardly notice her. She’d spend most of her time in her room making scrapbooks of my accomplishments. I’m not joking about that part. She loves her scrapbooks.
And I can just imagine the scrapbook she’d make of our wedding, which, I might add we can’t afford without a solid plan to save money. Like splitting rent three ways.
(Singing) “Just the three of us. We can make it if we try. Just the three of us. You and I .. and mother.”
[Monologue continues here.]
This 433 word roughly 4 minute monologue explores the character Victoria's fear of taking a huge relationship step and moving in with her boyfriend, to whom she's recently also become engaged. Fortunately, Victoria has a solid plan to get over her fear, she's going to have her mother move into her boyfriend's place with her. Now she just has to convince her fiance thqt their life together will be better with her mommy there. A shorter 219 word 2 minute version of this monologue is available [view the 2 minute version here] -Gabriel Davis
(Victoria stands in front of her fiance, Greg, who is relaxing in bed. He was hoping for a laid back night in, instead he gets this)
VICTORIA
Moving in with you is a big step. Which is why I’ve decided … to bring my mother. Hear me out.
I have dreamt about what it would be like here with you. Waking in this bed every morning bathed in your love. Gazing into your baby blues yearning for something hot: cappuccino. But who will make it? My mother. That’s who.
Would it be weird having my mom here? I mean not unless you make it weird. Its not like she’d come between us.
Like if mom comes in and we’re spooning it’s not like she’d squeeze in the middle. She’d take an end. I’m kidding. She wouldn’t sleep in our bed. She’d be on the floor holding my hand. Joking!
Mother’s not keeping me warm at night. You totally are. After mother tucks me in.
No cmon! If she were here we’d hardly notice her. She’d spend most of her time in her room making scrapbooks of my accomplishments. I’m not joking about that part. She loves her scrapbooks.
And I can just imagine the scrapbook she’d make of our wedding, which, I might add we can’t afford without a solid plan to save money. Like splitting rent three ways.
(Singing) “Just the three of us. We can make it if we try. Just the three of us. You and I .. and mother.”
[Monologue continues here.]
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