Two good contrasting contemporary monologues under one minute for "Our Town" auditions?

Question

I am auditioning for my school play. We are doing Thornton Wilder's "Our Town." For the audition, the director would like to see two contrasting contemporary monologues, each under one minute. By contrasting, that could mean contrasting in age or gender or character type or socio-economic staus, etc. I am stuck when it comes to picking monologues, so please help. Also, any "Our Town" info would be helpful too.

Answer 1

Sigh! So, is your school so large that there are lots of people auditioning for the play? It sounds to me like the director is trying to be "professional" or something. I directed 100's of plays in HS and College and Community and never used monologues for auditions, we always just read from the script, now if there are lots of people and the call backs read from the script, then maybe it is ok.

It would be dumb for someone to do a monolgue of a different sex. Where did this definition of contrasting come from? If from the director, then I know he is an idiot. If it is your interpretation, I understand your naivete. Contrasting ususally means one comic and one serious.

Try characters from Spoon River Anthology.

You will probably find Our Town in your town's library, maybe Spoon River Anthology also. ask the librarian for help

Answer 2

Our Town Monologues

Answer 3

One monologue that is my personal favourite is the Unsex me monologue from Macbeth. It has earned me many a role into plays and a place in my counties acting group. It is an emotionally intense scene and gives an actor alot of emotional context to work with if you believe that you can handle it. It is one that you really have to study to get right though. I am 15 and have managed it, so you should be able to at 13:) here it is! The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry 'Hold, hold!' For context, she is talking about the need to break away from her societal bonds as a woman so that she can have the courage and means to murder the king so that her husband becomes King.