Things You'll Need:
- You'll need access to libraries--local or, preferably, university or college libraries.
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Step 1
Read plays. Don't get a monologue from the internet, and don't use monologues from the books of monologues that are available in libraries and bookstores. You must be familiar with the entire play, and your monologue must be from an actual play--don't perform a poem or a section of a novel. Short plays are a great choice because they're a quick read and other actors use them infrequently.
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Step 2
University libraries usually have better selections of plays, especially recent ones. Look in the 'cast of characters' list in the beginning of the play to see if any characters are similar to you--don't stretch too much in an audition, perform a monologue by a character of your gender and approximately your age and physical type.
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Step 3
Pick (or assemble from a few smaller chunks of dialogue) a monologue that's active, which means avoid monologues where the character is describing a story or a memory. Choose a monologue in which your character is trying to get something from their imaginary scene partner--i.e., love or money or an apology.
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Step 4
Get help! Good monologue coaches can be found in many areas. Identify local actors who you find compelling and see if they do monologue coaching, or find local directors whose shows you like, and ask them for help. Most charge a fee, but will give you techniques that you can apply to other monologues and to your acting in general.
