How to Prepare a Character Monologue

Many acting auditions require you to present a monologue: a single character speech that demonstrates an understanding of the character and the tone of the work being performed. Because you are alone on stage, with no other character to read with, monologues can be very intimidating. Fortunately, if you have a concrete method for analyzing the text and creating a memorable character, impressive monologues can become an important tool in getting the parts that you want. Whether you're preparing a monologue in advance, or auditioning with a cold read, the following steps can help you to quickly define and present a fully-formed character.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Time
• A Quiet Place to Focus
• Lots of Imagination!

1. Thoroughly read the monologue (or the entire play if you have the time) to identify specific character traits that will dictate how the character moves, acts and thinks. Read it once through for understanding, then go back and read it again for specific character information.

2. Ask questions that will lead you toward developing the physical and emotional presence of the character: What is the character's Age? Health? Energy Level? IQ? Economic Status? Social Status? Emotional Status. The answers to all of these questions will give you a complete picture of who this person is and how you can best manifest the qualities that will bring the character to life.

3. Define the character's place in the scene. Determine what took place immediately before the monologue begins. Identify the relationship that the character has with the other characters that are onstage when the speech takes place -- who is the person talking to? As an actor, it's critical to know what's at stake in any given scene. The most important part of this step is to understand the character's objective in the scene. What does this person want to accomplish? Knowing the motivation behind the words is the key to creating a believable character.

4. Find a voice for the character. Using the information you've gathered so far, think about how this character would talk. Make concrete choices about the speed, volume and energy level of the person's voice. Ask yourself if there are any specific vocal qualities (such as a stutter or accent) that will bring depth to the character.

5. Develop a physical presence that reflects the character. Think about how you can use your body to project the character's mood without speaking. More questions to ask! Does the person seem emotionally open or guarded? High, or low energy? Are there any gestures you can incorporate into the character? All these answers will direct you to finding out how to walk, sit or stand in character.

6. Finally, if you have time, develop a history for the character. If you have access to the entire play, some of the history may be defined, but if not, create one for yourself. It's important to know the experiences, relationships, and circumstances that brought the character to the specific time and place of the monologue.

Tips & Warnings

• Unless specifically directed, it's not recommended to use accents during cold-read auditions. Dialects can be tricky and unless you know you can nail it, you're better off finding other aspects of the character to portray.