[NoticeMeHorton]

Hi y'all! I had a quick question for those who are more experienced than I...

I have found a monologue that I really connect well with and I feel is a good showcase of my abilities, but there's one problem with it - the first half of it (roughly 45 seconds) is a "letter" that my character reads and responds (read: thinks aloud) to. If I use this as an audition piece, I will need to have a piece of paper in my hand to distinguish between what my character is reading and what she's thinking/saying. I don't want the CD to think I have my mono written on that paper, though, as if I were too lazy to memorize. Is there a way I can accomplish this, or must I scrap the mono altogether?

Thanks in advance.

~Holly

[Celeste_SM]

I don't think you should worry about it. If you were on stage you very well could have the "letter" with the words on it anyway. But if you're concerned, then use a piece of paper from the audition site. Grab a flier, or a spare audition form or audition number, any piece of paper that is identifiable as being theirs.

Or just use a blank piece of paper. They will see there is no writing.

[pish123c]

[MaryMag]

My past acting coaches have suggested reading a letter is not very active. Whenever I've had a letter monologue, she's always had me tweak so it that I was just speaking to someone. For example, I do Popo's letter to her parents in a Nicky Silver play, and instead of reading the letter, I just take out "dear mom and dad" and just begin the letter as if I'm speaking to them in person at the mental hospital. Another example, I had to read a college application essay for a mono and I changed it so that it was as if I was making a presentation to a college board.

Or is it that you're reading a letter someone else has written to you? If so, I've never encountered that and got no suggestions unfortunately... : (

[NoticeMeHorton]

Celeste - I hadn't thought of using paper identifiable as theirs... I'll have to see if there's anything there I can use. Otherwise, I'll have blank paper on hand to use. I had thought of the blank paper before - I just didn't want to potentially "lose points" for being careless with my prop (i.e. holding it in a way that would allow the "audience" to see that it's blank). But I do believe I'm over analyzing things here...

MaryMag - I wish that would work for this mono! Unfortunately, it's a letter that my character has received from someone else, and she is reading it for the first time.

Thanks so much for the advice, y'all!

[music is my life!!!]

when my friends did the letter from billy elliot, the kid singing billy's part had a piece of peper with the first few words of the spoken bit on it.... i think that if it's says to use it in the monologue, do what it says. if not, you may look like you were scared not to use the paper

[NoticeMeHorton]

Thanks. I think I've decided to bring blank paper with me, but when I get there, scout around for some of their paper.

Thanks a bunch, y'all!