College Monologue

I'm auditioning for NYU Early Decision for it's Educational Theatre program. I need a monologue that's up to 2 minutes.
I would love any feedback or recomendations on how to go about presenting myself, as well as a monologue. Are there any books that I should look at that would be really great?

Btw, I'm a 16 year old female, so if you know of any monologues that are fitting, I'd GREATLY appreciate it.

There is also a book called "The Modern Monologue." I have the male edition but I'm sure there is a female edition. Since I don't have it I can't tell you what would be in it. However, I find my edition very useful. It gives you one, two, or three page monologues from popular "modern" shows. (Ionesco, Pinter, Miller, Shaw, Simon, and the likes.) Barnes and Noble sells the series.

I was wondering if you're sure that Nora's "broadway" monologue is 2 minutes? Because I read it, and it seems like 1 minute-ish. I guess I could add lines that she says afterwards in the script...?

Any other suggestions?

My only thoughts are to make sure you choose something:

-age appropriate
-from a play you've read, liked, and understood
-something not totally overdone
-something active...something in which your character needs something from whomever you're addressing. NOT just telling a story.

Also, you should feel free to cut/paste a monologue as you see fit--like you were mentioning with adding additional lines of Nora's to the piece--as long as it fits with your action, some extra lines should be fine.

And don't feel obliged to make it an exact 120 seconds. You're much better off with a really strong 90 seconds than a strong minute followed by a mish-mashed 2nd minute, you know?

You could also check out Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive, Neil LaBute's Bash, Kenneth Lonergan's This is Our Youth, or even Wendy Wasserstein's Uncommon Women and Others.

Break a leg!

Updated On: 11/5/04 at 06:24 PM

The Woolgatherer (William Mastrosimone)--great play, great monologues, great writing. BUT--this one really does fall into the often-done (if not overdone) category.

I don't know if you've ever heard of it, but there are some beyond-words-brilliant monologues from a play called Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon. It's originally a book by Marjorie Kellogg.

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