Ever since I can remember, I've had a dream to become an actor but was always afraid of what everyone else would think or that they would laugh at me (and not because I was telling a funny joke). I want this badly. It is all I think about most of the time. I have not persued it till now because I am always doing what everyone expects of me. I have always been the responsible one to take care of things and work hard to make 'em proud. It keeps me from being happy because I have waited so long. I am 34 years old. I have a wife and two children and need my regular job. Anyway, I live in the Houston area. I have an appointment with a talent agency in Houston in a couple of weeks and they want me to memorize a monologue and "act' it when I meet with them. I am scared to death. Like I said, I want it but have never done this before so I don't know what to expect. I don't have a monologue. It can be either comedic or dramatic. Any tips, suggestions? What do you think?
2007-05-02 06:13:20 · 7 answers · asked by dluke94 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Theater & Acting
You've gotten some good advice here about finding a monologue, so I'll leave that be. Especially if you expect to be a nervous wreck, rehearse, rehearse, then rehearse some more. And rehearse in front of people who will give you honest feedback if you can.
Remember, you have nothing to lose at your audition and everything to gain, even if just the knowledge that you gave it a shot. So relax and have fun with it!
2007-05-02 08:52:35 · answer #1 · answered by Jan C 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gahhhhhh. Okay, look. Here's the deal. I'm an actor, and I've been to these sorts of calls before. The LAST thing you want to do is use a monologue you found in a book or that someone provided for you. Pick your favorite play, or even movie, and find a monologue in there.
The reason is simple. Without context, a monologue means nothing. If you do a good job, they will ask you "Where did you get this from?" and you'll have to be able to tell them why that speech matters. You cannot get that from simply reading a page out of a book. It has to mean something to you.
I'd also recommend trying to pick something that isn't used over and over again. Don't do Shakespeare. Period. You're not trained in it, and cannot hope to perform it well enough. Neil Simon has some wonderful comedic monologues, as does Tom Stoppard. Ira Levin and Edward Albee are some of the best dramatists of the 20th century.
One of my personal favorites is from Albee's Zoo Story. You'll know it when you see it. Good luck.
2007-05-02 06:47:29 · answer #2 · answered by Daniel C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While I myself have never auditioned, I can offer some general tips on what you might do. First and foremost, choose a monologue that suits YOU. Despite popular belief, not everyone can act as any character. If you're an outgoing, funny sort of person, then perhaps Chad from High School Musical would be good. Are you a sharp, witty person? Then maybe try the logician from Rhinoceros. Do you feel like you always get the short end of the stick? Then try Nathan Detroit from Guys and Dolls. Parts that feel natural to you will feel natural to them, and keep their attention. As far as the length, consider this your resume. A normal business owner usually glances at a resume for up to 10 seconds to see if it catches their eye. With acting, this time is a little more focused and drawn out by nature. I'd suggest somewhere between 30 seconds to a minute. Be prepared to go longer if the agent requests it however! How you dress should depend on the character whose lines you're reciting. Costumes are encouraged! Do your homework, master your lines, and you should be fine.
2016-05-18 23:00:32 · answer #3 · answered by malisa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would prepare both a comedic and a dramatic. I would go comedic first because I believe they will like you better personality wise, then you can bring out the dramatic if they ask to see something else. I wouldn't go over the top with the comedy. They're smart, they'll get it.
You can find scripts from almost any TV show or film online. www.script-o-rama.com is one site that I know of, but you can search for others. If there's a character from a show that you are a lot like or can do very well, go with that! Also, don't focus so hard on memorizing the monologue that you forget about the character that you're trying to portray. If you have to glance at your paper from time to time, it's ok... really! Better that than a technical verbatim reciting of the monologue. Focus on character, memorization will come for the most part but just go with the flow on that.
Also, always have a story to ready to tell (even if it's not necessarily true) just to make small talk. Like something you saw on the way to their office or something your daughter did that morning (that really may have happened 3 years ago, but who's counting?), just be 'real', have a light personality, be someone who seems easy to work with, a nice guy, and when it's over... leave. Don't hang around looking desperate. They really will call you if they're interested. Make sure your name and phone number are on your photo AND your resume in case they get separated for some reason. Take a couple extra copies but don't give any to them unless asked.
Don't forget to take a hanky to dab your brow before you go in. Oh, and if you have sweaty palms, I suggest unscented antiperspirant in the palms :-) If they ask you to sign something right away, I would go for a 90 day trial contract to see if you like each others style first and if things work out you can sign a 2 year contract. You want to make sure in the trial period that they are submitting you for they types of parts that you want to play and that you are going out on as many interviews as you were hoping for or that they have good reasons for why that's not happening... Break a leg!
2007-05-02 06:52:55 · answer #4 · answered by Marianne D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would prepare two monologues, one comedic and one dramatic, that way you can ask for their preference. And its always good to have a back up monologue because they may ask to see more, especially if they like you. i often visit www.monologuesearch.com for monologues. you can look through the "Advanced Search" and add in the specifics, for example, a male comedic monologue. Go and check it out :)
2007-05-02 08:08:48 · answer #5 · answered by savanna m 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask my friend julia she is in acting carrer her email is :prankstergrrl916@yahoo.com shes reali kool she has found a lot of monologus for audtions so email her
2007-05-02 06:23:14 · answer #6 · answered by Samantha 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The same question shows up again
2016-08-24 01:12:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋