How to Find a Monologue for College Auditions

For college auditions, finding monologues that actually feel like you can be one of the hardest parts of the process. Most schools require monologues to come from published plays - and there’s a reason for that. Using published material ensures the writing has been professionally developed and gives faculty a clearer sense of how you work with strong, established text.

It also prevents students from bringing in original pieces written by themselves or friends, which often haven’t gone through the kind of development that makes a monologue truly effective in an audition setting.

In general, avoid monologues from musicals, TV, or film unless a school specifically says they are allowed. The industry standard for college theatre auditions is to use monologues from published plays.

1. Check out similar types – Let’s say you’re perfect for Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Google who has played her in various regional productions in the past few years. Write those actor's names down and google each one, seeing what else they've played in the past. Look at the characters in those plays. 

2. Say there’s a theatre that does really great new work that you love, like Playwright's Horizons in NYC or Shakespeare Theatre Company in D.C. Look at their past ten seasons. Look at each play. Does it look like there would have been a role for you? Who played it? You know what to do!

3. Publisher's email lists - Join the email lists for Concord Theatricals and Oberon Books. They often send out emails about newly published titles.

4. See Plays! 

- Use streaming platforms such as Drama Online, BroadwayHD, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and PBS Great Performances. Your local library may have subscriptions to some of these services and more. 

- Join the email lists of some professional theaters who do new works to find out about in-person and online productions. 

5. Research plays and writers that have won or been nominated for Tony’s, Obie’s, Lucille Lortels, Drama Desks, etc. awards. Some regional markets have their own awards shows too, like the Helen Hayes in DC, and archives of who has won or been nominated each year.

6. Research writers who are currently in or have come out of prestigious fellowships and training programs like The McDowell Colony, New Dramatists, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Columbia (woot!), Juilliard, Yale, etc. Up and coming writers are awesome and won’t be overdone. Check out New Play Exchange. 

7. Look at the Kilroys List. Another great way to discover new writers.

8. Your Local / School Library – comb the aisles and open random plays you know nothing about. Skim for speeches.

9. Search stageready’s curated monologue database built specifically for college theatre auditions. With 300+ audition-appropriate monologues that align with common college guidelines, students can confidently choose material that works for their prescreens and auditions. Use filters like age range, race, theme, year, and style to find monologues that fit both the actor and the audition requirements.

Try stageready free with a 7-day trial.

*What if I find a play that I'm interested in, but I don't have the money to buy a play and hope it has a good monologue for me?

- Ask your Librarian or Media Specialist if they can order the item for you or if the library has subscriptions to any databases that have online versions. There's no harm in asking! You may also be able to borrow from another library through ILL (Interlibrary Loan)

• Another option is to contact the nearest college or university drama department or library, explain your situation and hope that they might help you

- Check out Scribd 

At the end of the day, if you find something that’s super common but you connect to it and you love the crap out of it, do it! Just remember to always take care of the character, get them what they want and always play for truth, never for laughs.

Also know that you don’t have to do a comedic monologue. Contrasting does not have to mean comedic and dramatic. It can mean an angel and a devil. Mature and young. There are so many options to show your personality. 

Happy hunting!

Brigitte, Co-founder & CEO