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Performing A Monologue Tips

The document provides tips for performing a monologue at an audition. It recommends viewing auditions as opportunities to act and practice your craft in order to reduce pressure. It stresses the importance of confidence and comfort when entering the audition room. Actors should get started with their monologue promptly without unnecessary warmup in the room. Most will be asked to perform the monologue again with new direction, so it is important to rehearse flexibility and the ability to take direction. Gestures and movement should be minimized for most monologues. A proper warmup of at least 10 minutes is crucial for tuning your instrument and getting focused. Preparation is important but actors should be in the moment during the performance and not feel like they are

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Kara Lindsay
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210 views2 pages

Performing A Monologue Tips

The document provides tips for performing a monologue at an audition. It recommends viewing auditions as opportunities to act and practice your craft in order to reduce pressure. It stresses the importance of confidence and comfort when entering the audition room. Actors should get started with their monologue promptly without unnecessary warmup in the room. Most will be asked to perform the monologue again with new direction, so it is important to rehearse flexibility and the ability to take direction. Gestures and movement should be minimized for most monologues. A proper warmup of at least 10 minutes is crucial for tuning your instrument and getting focused. Preparation is important but actors should be in the moment during the performance and not feel like they are

Uploaded by

Kara Lindsay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Performing a Monologue Tips

1. An Opportunity to act
An audition is still acting.
Always think of any audition as an opportunity to act. It is a chance to do what you love.
We put so much pressure on auditions that we often forget that we are doing something
we enjoy. When you start to think about auditions as simply acting practice, or an acting
exercise, it takes some of the pressure off the audition.
2. Perform with Confidence
You are most likely preparing your monologue for an audition, whether that be for a
particular production, or to get into Drama School. As we just spoke about, you are likely
to be nervous and a little anxious. That’s great – that means you CARE! So instead of
giving in to your fears, overcome them and use it to fuel you. Most importantly, be
confident and comfortable as you walk into the audition room. All your interactions with
the casting director/panel/director are taken into account, whether intentionally or not,
so it’s important to be genuine, authentic and friendly. Say hello, introduce yourself with
a handshake and feel self-assured in knowing that they wanted to see you!
3. Get on with it.
Don’t waste time. It is absolutely fine to take a beat before you start your monologue,
but don’t do a full vocal warm up or meditation session in the audition room. Show them
that you are the kind of actor who loves to work. Get in there, be professional and get
the job done. At times it comes across as indulgent if you take a lot of time to prepare
before your monologue. Of course if it’s an emotional piece there is a little more room
here.
4. Be ready to take direction.
You will almost certainly be asked to do the monologue a second time with some new
direction. I recommend preparing your monologue a number of ways before you come
into the audition to prepare for this. Never fight with the director, be open and always try
to take on their direction as best you can. If you don’t understand something get them to
clarify. In some ways, this is a test – they are testing your ability to adapt in the moment
and your flexibility as an actor. You might do a great 1st take, but then if a director gives
you an obscure note, and you flounder – they may lose confidence in your ability to
adapt to their direction. So again, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! And have fun with it
when you do – why not rehearse whilst eating a bunch of grapes? or with a book on your
head? Anything you can do to loosen you up and bring some playfulness to your work.
Who knows what they may ask you to try!
5. Minimise gestures and movement.
Don’t use excessive gestures. In some circumstances it can really work to be very
physical, but for most monologues you are better off keeping movement to a minimum.
If you can stand (or sit) still and deliver a monologue that is very powerful and impressive.
But, this doesn’t mean completely ignore the possibility of movement. Perhaps your
character might lean back in their chair, or turn to one side, or brush their hair back etc.
Basically, you want your stillness to be a CHOICE, and not an indication of lack of
preparation.
6. Warm up before performing.
You simply have to warm up – no excuses!
Your body and voice is your instrument – you need to tune it and get it ready for
performance! Make some time to warm up before the audition. Even if it is just a 10
minute warm up, that is better than nothing. A solid 30 minute – 1 hour warm up will get
you focused and ready to go. I find it can help to dissipate some nerves, as it gets you out
of your head and into your body. It can also just make you feel more prepared, which
helps with audition anxiety. Everyone needs to warm up – I bet you Benedict
Cumberbatch does a warm up before an audition or a show, and why should you be any
different? By warming up you will not only perform better, you will feel better walking
into the audition. So why the hell wouldn’t you?
7. Don’t panic about your preparation. Be in the moment.
As we spoke about in how to rehearse a monologue, preparation is vital, but once you
are in the audition room and performing, don’t get caught up trying to remember all your
preparation. If you have rehearsed well it will be in your muscle memory and you will be
able to just relax and perform.
Rather than trying to delete your preparation in an audition, allow it to sit underneath your
acting work. It will inform it, but it shouldn’t ever be a mechanical repeat of what you’ve
practiced a hundred times at home. Remember, your character is saying these words for the
very first time – it can’t feel like you’re just regurgitating what you practiced (as tempting as it is
to do that!)

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