NOCCA Theatre Arts Department Drama Audition Monologues  

Male Selections from Classical Drama Please familiarize yourself with the play from which your monologue is drawn. Young Shepherd- Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare (Act III, Scene 3) I have seen two such sights, by sea and by land! But I am not to say it is a sea, for it is now the Sky; betwixt the firmament and it you cannot thrust A bodkin’s point. I would you did but see how it Chafes, how it rages, how it takes up the shore! But that’s not to the point. O, the most piteous Cries of the poor souls! Sometimes to see ‘em, And not to see ‘em; now the ship boring the moon With her main-mast, and anon swallowed with yeast And froth as you’d thrust a cork into a hogshead. And then for the land service, to see how the bear Tore out his shoulder-bone; how he cried to me for Help and said his name was Antigonus, a nobleman. Hotspur- Henry IV by William Shakespeare (Act III, Scene 1) I cannot choose. Sometimes he angers me With telling me of the moldwarp and the ant, Of the dreamer Merlin and his prophecies, And of a dragon and a finless fish, A clip-winged griffin and a moulten rave, A couching lion and ramping cat, And such a deal of skimble-skamble stuff As puts me from my faith. I tell you whatHe held me last night at least nine hours In reckoning up the several devils’ names That were his lackeys. I cried ‘hum’ and ‘well, go to’ But marked him not a word. O, he is as tedious As a tired horse, a railing wife, Worse than a smoky house- I had rather live With cheese and garlic in a windmill, far, Than feed on cates and have him talk to me In any summer house in Christendom

Aaron- Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare (Act IV, Scene 1) Stay murderous villains! Will you kill your brother? Now by the burning tapers of the sky That shone so brightly when this boy was got, He dies upon my scimitar’s sharp point That touches this my first-born son and heir! I tell you, younglings, not Enceladus With all the threatening band of Typhon’s brood, Nor great Alcides, nor the god of war Shall seize this prey out of his father’s hands. What, what, ye shallow, sanguine-hearted boys! Ye white-limed walls! Ye alehouse painted signs! Coal-black is better than another hue; For all the water in the ocean Can never turn the swan’s black legs to white Although she lave them hourly in the flood. Tell the empress from me, I am of age To keep mine own, excuse it how she can.

NOCCA Theatre Arts Department Drama Audition Monologues  

NOCCA Theatre Arts Department Drama Audition Monologues  

Male Selections from Contemporary Drama Please familiarize yourself with the play from which your monologue is drawn. George- Our Town by Thornton Wilder Emily, I’m glad you spoke to me about that – that fault in my character. What you said was right; but there was one thing wrong with it. That’s where you said I wasn’t noticing – people – and you, for instance – why, you say you were watchin’ me when I did everything – Why, I was doing the same about you all the time. Why, sure – I always thought of you as one of the chief people I thought about. I always made sure where you were sitting on the bleachers, and who you were talking with, and for three days now I’ve tried to walk home with you; but something always got in the way. Yesterday, I was standing over by the wall waiting for you, and you walked home with Miss Corcoran. Listen, Emily, I’m going to tell you why I’m not going to Agricultural School. I think once you’ve found a person you’re very fond of – I mean a person who’s fond of you, too, and who likes you well enough to be interested in your character – Well, I think that’s just as important as college is, and even more so. That’s what I think: Emily, if I do improve, and make a big change, would you be – I mean, could you be?

Troy- Fences by August Wilson I ain’t making up nothing. I’m telling you the facts of what happened. I wrestled with Death for three days and three nights and I’m standing here to tell you about it. (Pause) All right. At the end of the third night we done weakened each other to where we can’t hardly move. Death stood up, throwed on his robe … had him a white robe with a hood on it. He throwed on that robe and went off to look for his sickle. Say, “I’ll be back.” Just like that. “I’ll be back.” I told him, say, “Yeah, but … you gonna have to find me!” I wasn’t no fool. I wasn’t going looking for him. Death ain’t nothing to play with. And I know he’s gonna get me. I know I got to join the army… his camp followers. But as long as I keep my strength and see him coming … as long as I keep up my vigilance … he’s gonna have to fight to get me. I ain’t going easy.

Horace- Valentine’s Day by Horton Foote When I was nine I had some chickens that I raised as pets. They were the only pets I’d ever had and I loved them. They would eat out of my hand when I fed them and would follow me around the yard like dogs do their owners. Mama had a boarding house then and on the Christmas of my ninth year, she had no money to feed her boarders, so without telling me she went out back and killed my chickens for their Christmas dinner. (pause) When I found out I became ill. I had a raging fever for a week. They despaired for my life. Mama says the illness was never diagnosed. (pause) When I see her now she is all smiles and honey. She doesn’t know the pain and bitterness and unhappiness she has caused me. Sometimes when I’m around her I have to walk out of the room to keep from telling her. I am no orphan, but I think of myself as an orphan, belonging to no one but you. In intend to have everything I didn’t have before. A house with some land of my own, some land, a yard, and in that yard I will plant growing things, fruitful things, fig trees, pecan trees, pear trees, peach trees... and I will have a garden and chickens. (pause) And I do believe I might now have these things, because you married me. I said to myself before our marriage, “She’ll never marry you, no matter how much she loves you, because her father will stop it. He’s a powerful man and he will prevail as he does in all ways.” But he didn’t stop us; you did marry me, and I tell you I’ve begun to know happiness for the first time in my life. I adore you. I worship you... and I thank you for marrying me.

NOCCA Theatre Arts Department Drama Audition Monologues  

Walter- A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Talking ‘bout life, Mama. You all always telling me to see life like it is. Well- I laid in there on my back today... and I figured it out. Life just like it is. Who gets and who don’t get. (He sits down with his coat on and laughs) Mama, you know it’s all divided up. Life is. Sure enough. Between the takers and the “tooken.” (He laughs) I’ve figured it out finally. (He looks around at them) Yeah. Some of us always getting “tooken.” (He laughs) People like Willy Harris, they don’t never get “tooken.” And you why the rest of us do? ‘Cause we get all mixed up. Mixed up bad. We get looking ‘round for the right and the wrong; we worry about it and cry about it and stay up nights trying to figure out ‘bout the wrong and the right of things all the time... And all the time, man, them takers is out there operating, just taking and taking. Willy Harris? Shoot - Willy Harris don’t even count. He don’t even count in the big scheme of things. But I’ll say one thing for old Willy Harris... he’s taught me something. He’s taught me to keep an eye on what counts in this world. Yeah (shouting a little) Thanks, Willy!

  Willium- The Nerd by Larry Shue Six days. Has it been just six days? To think, a week ago, the day before my birthday...Tansy was leaving. My hotel design was getting rejected and rejected. I found out I was getting audited by the IRS. He follows me everywhere you know. He seems to have unlimited time... unlimited funds. I guess he takes an interest in my work. He goes with me into town. Just last week…. I'm not sure if I can talk about this yet. Just last week, I had to take the commute into St. Louis. That's where the outside elevator on the Regency is being built. Ric wanted to come along. So, I said "Ok, but it probably isn't going to be much fun." So Ric came along, everything was fine. He was sitting next to me on the plane.... the DC 8 I think. He's wearing this pilot's hat he bought at the airport and leafing through his bound copy of Redbook and suddenly, the plane starts shaking and the safety belt lights come on and in fact, people are starting to get a little alarmed, and what does Ric do in the middle of all this? He jumps up and shouts "Urinate! Urinate before your kidneys explode!" and, I think, actually I'm pretty sure some people actually did. And he was wearing this little pilot's hat and that shirt and tie he always wears. And in a panicked situation like that... well naturally the next thing we heard was the pilot's voice saying, "We experienced a little turbulence back there, but we're out of it now and we'll be arriving in St. Louis in one minute. So, Ric just sits down, with no idea of how many people want to murder him. I think the only reason he really escaped is because those who really had the grounds, didn't want to stand up.”

NOCCA Theatre Arts Department Drama Audition Monologues  

Female Selections from Classical Drama Please familiarize yourself with the play from which your monologue is drawn. Adriana- Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare (Act II, Scene 1) His company must do his minions grace Whilst I at home starve for a merry look. Hath homely age th’alluring beauty took From my poor cheek? Then he hath wasted it. Are my discourses dull? Barren my wit? If voluble and sharp discourse be marr’d, Unkindness blunts it more than marble hard. Do their gay vestments his affections bait? That’s not my fault, he’s master of my state. What ruins are in my that can be found By him not ruin’d? Then he is the ground Of my defeatures; my decayed fair A sunny look of his would soon repair; But, too unruly deer, he breaks the pale And feeds from home, poor I am but his stale. Helena- Love’s Labours Lost by William Shakespeare (Act V, Scene 2) O, were that all! I think not on my father And these great tears grace his remembrance more Than those I shed for him. What was he like? I have forgot him; my imagination Carries no favour in’t but Bertram’s I am undone: there is no living, none, If Bertram be away. ‘Twere all one That I should love a bright particular star And think to wed it, he is so far above me: In his bright radiance and collateral light Must I be comforted, not in his sphere. The ambition in my love thus plagues itself: The hind that would be mated by the lion Must die for love.

Hermia- A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare (Act II, Scene 2) Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! Ay me, for pity, what a dream was here! Lysander, look how I do quake with fear! Methought a serpent eat my heart away And you sat smiling at his cruel prey. Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! Lord! What, out of hearing? Gone? No sound, no word? Alack, where are you? Speak, and if you hear. Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear. No? Then I well perceive you are not nigh. Either death or you I’ll find immediately.

NOCCA Theatre Arts Department Drama Audition Monologues  

NOCCA Theatre Arts Department Drama Audition Monologues  

Female Selections from Contemporary Drama Please familiarize yourself with the play from which your monologue is drawn. Frankie- The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers I just now thought of something. I know where I'm going. It's like I've known it all my life. Tomorrow I will tell everybody. (Dreamily)  After the wedding, I'm going with them to Winter Hill. I'm going off with them after the wedding.    Shush, just now I realized something. The trouble with me is that for a long time I have been just an "I" person. All other people can say "we". When Bernice says "We", she means her lodge and church. Soldiers can say "we" and mean the army. All people belong to a "we" except me. Not to belong to a "we" makes you too lonesome. Until this afternoon, I didn't have a "we", but now after seeing Janice and Jarvis I suddenly realize something. I know that the bride and my brother are the "we" of me. So I'm going with them, and joining with the wedding. This coming Sunday, when my brother and the bride leave this town, I'm going with the two of them to Winter Hill. And after that to whatever place that they will ever go. (Pause) I love the two of them so much and we belong together. I love the two of them so much because they are the "we" of me.

Emily- Our Town by Thornton Wilder (Softly, more in wonder than in grief) I can't bear it. They're so young and beautiful. Why did they ever have to get old? Mama, I'm here. I'm grown up. I love you all, everything. I can’t look at everything hard enough. (Pause, talking to her mother who does not hear her. She speaks with mounting urgency) Oh, Mama, just look at me one minute as though you really saw me. Mama, fourteen years have gone by. I'm dead. You're a grandmother, Mama. I married George Gibbs, Mama. Wally's dead, too. Mama, his appendix burst on a camping trip to North Conway. We felt just terrible about it - don't you remember? But, just for a moment now we're all together. Mama, just for a moment we're happy. Let's look at one another. I can't. I can't go on. It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at one another. I didn't realize. All that was going on in life and we never noticed. Take me back - up the hill - to my grave. But first: Wait! One more look. Good-bye, Good-bye, world. Good-bye, Grover's Corners? Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths. And sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? - every, every minute.

Emily-Our Town by Thornton Wilder I’m not mad at you. But, since you ask me, I might as well say it right out, George. Oh goodbye, Mrs. Corcoran. I don’t like the whole change that’s come over you in the last year. I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings; but I’ve just got to – tell the truth and shame the devil. Well up to a year ago, I used to like you a lot. And I used to watch you while you did everything – because we’d been friends so long. And then you began spending all your time at baseball. And you never stopped to speak to anyone anymore – not to really speak – not even to your own family, you didn’t. And George, it’s a fact – ever since you’ve been elected captain, you’ve got awful stuck up and conceited, and all the girls say so. And it hurts me to hear ‘em say it; but I got to agree with ‘em a little, because it’s true. I always expect a man to be perfect and I think he should be. Well, my father is. And as far as I can see, your father is. There’s no reason on earth why you shouldn’t be too. [continued on back]

NOCCA Theatre Arts Department Drama Audition Monologues   But you might as well know right now that I’m not perfect – It’s not easy for a girl to be perfect as a man, because, well, we girls are more – nervous. Now, I’m sorry I said all that about you. I don’t know what made me say it. Now I can see it’s not true at all. And I suddenly feel that it’s not important, anyway.

Anne- Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank Look, Peter, the sky. (She looks up through the skylight) What a lovely, lovely day! Aren't the clouds beautiful? You know what I do when it seems as if I couldn't stand being cooped up for one more minute? I think myself out. I think myself on a walk in the park where I used to go with Pim. You know the most wonderful part about thinking yourself out? You can have it any way you like. You can have roses and violets and chrysanthemums all blooming at the same time? It's funny. I used to take it all for granted. And now I've gone crazy about everything to do with nature. Haven't you? (Softly) I wish you had a religion, Peter. Oh, I don't mean you have to be Orthodox, or believe in heaven and hell and purgatory and things. I just mean some religion. It doesn't matter what. Just to believe in something! When I think of all that's out there. When I think of the dearness of you, Peter. And the goodness of people we know, all risking their lives for us every day. When I think of these good things, I'm not afraid any more. We're not the only people that've had to suffer. There've always been people that've had to. Sometimes one race, sometimes another, and yet...I know it's terrible, trying to have any faith when people are doing such horrible things, but you know what I sometimes think? I think the world may be going through a phase, the way I was with Mother. It'll pass, maybe not for hundreds of years, but someday I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart.

Beneatha-A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Me?... Me?... Me, I'm nothing... Me. When I was very small... we used to take our sleds out in the wintertime and the only hills we had were the ice-covered stone steps of some house down the street. And we used to fill them in with snow and make them smooth and slide down them all day... and it was very dangerous you know... far too steep... and sure enough one day a kid named Rufus came down too fast and hit the sidewalk... and we saw his face just split open right there in front of us. And I remember standing there looking at his bloody open face thinking that was the end of Rufus. But the ambulance came and they took him to the hospital and they fixed the broken bones and they sewed it all up... and the next time I saw Rufus he just had a little line down the middle of his face... I never got over that. That that was what one person could do for another, fix him up--- sew up the problem, make him all right again. That was the most marvelous thing in the world... I wanted to do that. I always thought it was the one concrete thing in the world that a human being could do. Fix up the sick, you know--- and make them whole again. This was truly being God. No—I wanted to cure. It used to be so important to me. I wanted to cure. It used to matter. I used to care. I mean about people and how their bodies hurt…