[SunshineFace]

I'm auditioning for a local, teen, repertory (sort of) group in November, and to do so, I'm required to prepare a monologue (1 minute) and a song (16-32 measures). There is also a dance audition, but that consists of learning a combination while there and then performing it.

So anyway, the group is doing 6 shows this year:

Fame
The Importance of Being Earnest (yes, I know that's not MT)
The Pirates of Penzance
A variety show
Sweet Charity
Damn Yankees

The auditions are general auditions to get cast as any part in any of these shows...And since they're all extremely different, pretty much, the suggestion is to audition with material that you feel showcases you the best.

For songs, I have absolutely no idea since I don't really know that many MT songs...I'm a mezzo-soprano, but I guess mezzo suits me better, and I really don't know what else I should be looking for.

For monologues, I'm looking at the following:

Character Name: Louise
Gender: Female
Age Range: 15-23
Duration: 0-1 minutes
Monologue Type: Dramatic, Contemporary
Show: Gypsy

Notes: None

I said turn it off! Nobody laughs at me, because I laugh first. At me. Me from Seattle. Me with no education. Me with no talent, as you've kept reminding me my whole life! Well, Mama, look at me now. Look! Look where I live. Look at my friends. Look where I'm going. I'm not staying in burlesque, I'm moving. Maybe up maybe down. But wherever I'm going, I'm having the time of my life, because for the first time, it is my life! And I love it! I love every second of it! I am Gypsy Rose Lee! And I love her! And if you don't you can just clear out! Now!

Oleanna by David Mamet
Character: Carol
Gender: Female
Age (range): 18-22
Style: Drama
Length: 1 minute
Background Info: Carol is speaking with her college professor. The setting is the professor's office. The two started the discussion about Carol's grades, but the discussion rapidly turned to a heated debate.

Why do you hate me? Because you think me wrong? No. Because I have, you think, power over you. Listen to me. Listen to me, Professor (pause) It is the power that you hate. So deeply that, that any atmosphere of free discussion is impossible. It s not unlikely. It's impossible. Isn't it? Now. The thing which you find so cruel is the selfsame process of selection I, and my group, go through every day of our lives. In admittance to school. In our tests, in our class rankings Is it unfair? I can't tell you. But, if it is fair. Or even if it is unfortunate but necessary for us, then, by God, so must it be for you. (pause)

You write of your responsibility to the young. Treat us with respect, and that will show you your responsibility. You write that education is just hazing. (pause) But we worked to get to this school. (pause) And some of us. (pause) Overcame prejudices. Economic, sexual, you cannot begin to imagine. And endured humiliations I pray that you and those you love never will encounter. (pause) To gain admittance here. To pursue that same dream of security you pursue. We, who, who are, at any moment, in danger of being deprived of it. By the administration. By the teachers. By you. By, say, one low grade, that keeps us out of graduate school; by one, say, one capricious or inventive answer on our parts, which, perhaps, you don t find amusing. Now you know, do you see? What it is to be subject to that power. Who do you think I am? To come here and be taken in by a smile. You little yapping fool. You think I want revenge. I don t want revenge. I WANT UNDERSTANDING.

I Don't Know by Manar
Character: Meg
Gender: Female
Age (range): Teens
Style: Drama
Length: 1 minute
Background Info:Meg has just been rejected by her friends

Sure, I'm a clown. I'm a joke a minute! No, Gina, wait! Don't turn away too, I wanna explain. See, I used to have a great group of friends. We did everything together. But something changed. I don't what I did or what I said. But one day I walked up to my friends in front of the school. They were laughing and talking like we always did. But they were standing in this tight little circle, and when I tried to stand next to somebody, they wouldn't let me in! Well, they didn't really push me out. they just wouldn't let me in. I thought maybe they were playing or something, but they weren't. I wanted to cry, but instead I just started laughing, and I've been trying to keep laughing ever since.

Perhaps a Brother by Rachel
Character: Lacy
Gender: Female
Age (range): 13-17
Style: Drama
Length: 2 minutes

Background Info: Lacy is sitting with a therapist trying to tell her about her eating disorder. No one knows. It is hard for her and she gets very emotional.

Monologue: My home life? It's okay. I guess most people would think my family's a happy little family. And well I guess... they are. I act like a part of this happy little family. But on the inside I'm screaming trying to get out. My parents just don't get. All they do is scream and shout at me yell and yell even louder. It's like their anger comes out on me...
(beat)

...this is hard. I've never told anyone about this before. I'm like any other girl. Afraid she's not skinny or prettier enough. So I eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner... but, it's not like it stays in me for very long. My parents don't get it because they don't know. They don't know that after every single meal I eat... my head ends up in the toilet and my finger down my throat. They don't see it because they don't care. Sometimes I think they would have been better off with another son. At least then he wouldn't have some dumb ass eating disorder.

Gain The Pain by Whitney Perret
Character: Grace
Gender: Female
Age (range): 12-16
Style: Drama
Length: 2 minutes
Background Info: She is talking to her mother in the scene.

What were you going to say? Let me guess... you’re just a kid. That’s what it always boils down to, isn’t it? But, just like any other human on this planet, I do have feelings. Yes, I do. I feel pain. I feel sadness and sometimes like my life’s not worth anything.

But, I’m always too young to understand right? Then tell me, when are my feelings going to count for something? When is my life going to mean something? If us "kids" really are just kidding ourselves, and we just don’t experience any true emotions, Then how is it that so many adult are screwed up because their childhood was a mess? You know why? Because they did feel something. It’s because no one bothers to pay attention to you because your feelings aren’t real.

It happened to you, so what are you letting it happen to me? Your no different than your mother, and her mother before her, your just like everyone else, continuing this... this vicious cycle! Where’s it going to stop Mom?

I'm 16, almost 17, (obviously) female, I'm adopted, I have 6 siblings, so my family is absolutely insane...I don't really know. I'm new at picking monologues, but these are ones that I can relate to pretty well, so I figured they're probably a good starting point.

I guess the other thing I could (and probably should) do is ask my theater teacher if she knows any monologues that would suit me. I think she knows enough about me to be helpful, especially considering the number of monologues that she has and knows!

Anyway, thanks in advance for all your help!

[SunshineFace]

So, I've been looking for songs, and so far, the song possibilities I've come up with are:

It's A Perfect Relationship - Bells are Ringing
Tell Me It's Not True - Blood Brothers
I'm Not Afraid of Anything - Songs For A New World

All of these are easy to sing with my range, and I really like the lyrics and music to all of them.

Opinions?

[Bianca.]

Wow.

I enjoy how well prepared you are.


Vocally, I'm thinking Songs for a New World is a bad idea, as it's by Jason Robert Brown, and is fairly new, and easily falls into the 'overdone' faux pas.


I'll definitely think on it, and I'll read your monologue suggestions in a bit, but my study hall is over.. so It'll have to be in a few hours.

[theatreisme]

Im not afraid of anything

PERFECT

its a beautifal song

[SunshineFace]

Thanks guys.

I'm not too worried about doing something that's overdone...I mean, this is a youth thing, for middle and high schoolers, so it's not hard core or anything. They pretty much just want to see your best, and since there are so many shows, it's likely that most everyone will be cast in at least one.

[SunshineFace]

I still NEED a monologue!

[ConverseSneaker]

As a general rule, monologues from musicals are never a good idea for auditions. So, you can eliminate the first one.


I am also new to the world of monologues, but my best advice is go with the one you feel the most comfortable with and you can relate to the best. Good Luck!

[SunshineFace]

[ConverseSneaker]

Just what I've always been told. Besides, most mononlogues in musicals are actually songs. Songs take the place of the monologue usually, so I doubt you would want to take a song and say all the lyrics as a monologue.

[SunshineFace]

Huh.

Interesting.

[belloftheball]

I just got into my local MT rep company...I sang "I'm the Greatest Star" from Funny Girl because I could act it and belt it. But I'd say "I'm Not Afraid of Anything" is a pretty good choice, provided you can perform it well.

Monologue-wise, I'd pick something that's opposite of your song (so if you're doing a comedic song, pick a dramatic monologue). I'd agree with the whole not-doing-a-monologue-from-a-musical thing. I think it's because musicals are fueled by music, rather than the book. Thus, the book is never "deep" enough to perform in a situation where you're trying to show off your acting abilities.

[SunshineFace]

Well...I found a monologue "The Party" from "The Colored Museum" by George C. Wolfe, but the problem is that the monologue in its entirety is about 2 1/2 minutes long. I've tried looking at ways to put pieces of it together, but it's really hard to make a section that's 1 minute long that makes sense!

So...Does this make sense? It's pieces of the entire thing put together. I skipped over some parts, but other than that, nothing is changed. All the words, phrasing and all that are the same, and the different sections are in the same order as if it were the entire thing. If it doesn't make sense, please tell me...I've read the monologue so many times that I can't really tell anymore.

Here it goes:

Have yaw ever been to a party where there was one fool in the middle of the room, dancing harder, and yelling louder than everybody in the entire place? Well hunny, that fool was me! And then everybody joined in. I tell you all the children was just all up in there, dancing to the rhythm of one beat. Dancing to the rhythm of their own definition. Celebrating their cultural madness. And here, all this time I been thinking we gave up our drums. But, naw, we still got 'em. I know I got mine. They're here, in my speech, my walk, my hair, my God, my style, my smile, and my eyes. And everything I need to get over in this world, is inside here, connecting me to everybody and everything that's ever been. So hunny, don't waste your time trying to label or define me 'cause I'm not what I was ten years ago or ten minutes ago. I'm all of that and then some. And whereas I can't live inside yesterday's pain, I can't live without it.