Monologues I considered during my reasearch

When researching for my monologues I'm looking for something from a published play, not an independent monologue or one from a movie. Being from a published play suggests it is well written and will have good quality to it whereas independent monologues could be written by anybody and have no back story for the character other than what is outlined in the monologue for you to study and understand. If I were to use something from a movie every line would be in direct comparison to the actor who played the character originally. With all of these monologues I am looking for something that says something about me as a person. Something that reflects a quality that I have or believe I have as well as being enjoyable to listen to because I wouldn't be able to portray something very well that I don't enjoy myself. I have only looked at monologues in a workable age range e.g. 17-30. Characters between this range would be believable roles for me to play but a child or old man are not the type of roles I would be auditioning for. 

Contemporary Monologues

A life of pieces – David Minyen (4 min)

Background Info: Matthew and Eric are best friends. They both got a in a car crash with their companions and Eric's fiancé died and Matthew's wife is in the hospital with some complications. Matthew is talking to Eric, who just admitted that he wants to join a cult because of how bummed he feels and wants nothing to do with this cruddy world. Matthew, being God fearing man, wants to convince Eric that there is much more to life, and realizes some things about himself in the process.

The character seems quite familiar being a religious man. It’s not too much of a leap for me to portray this character. The only reason I wouldn’t be able to connect with the character is I have never lost anybody so wouldn’t be able to connect on that level.

After reading it, it does interest me, however, it seems to be quite preachy towards the end, but the overall monologue is quite uplifting despite the pressing messages of imminent death. The character seems to be someone struggling to come to terms with the accident that has hospitalised his wife but trying to look on the bright side, all the while trying to help his friend with the same situation. It is a very serious naturalistic piece. The monologue is linear, it sounds to me like the advice that someone might give in the situation being portrayed. It is quite a bitter sweet scene, though the advice is positive with a theme of ceasing what time you have left there are hints of sorrow scattered throughout.

The monologue is probably not from any published play as I cannot find any related work, all I have been able to find are videos of people performing it or the site on which I found it on. As far as an audition piece I would steer clear of this one.

http://www.actorpoint.com/free_monologues/51.html



Amadeus – Peter Shaffer (3 min)

Background Info: Mozart is in a circle of respected composers explaining why he should be able to perform a vulgar opera.

While I don’t know much about Mozart or operas for that matter, the plot seems quite interesting.

After reading the monologue it seems quite fun and quite silly. The character seems to be frustrated and making a mockery of the whole situation. It would be quite fun to deliver this energetic monologue. Despite it being about opera and Mozart, knowledge of either doesn’t seem to be required. The play itself seems to be quite a farcical comedy despite being based around historical figures it is by no means historically accurate. The monologue is from a real work so is something that could be considered for an audition piece. However, after speaking about this with Daniel Cambridge, my tutor, this character is completely wrong for me. Him being a thin, small, childlike man it is pretty much the opposite of me. So it wouldn’t quite fit me portraying him no matter how much the character intrigues me. The way it is written seems to bounce around a bit but it fits with the characters lack of stability. I doubt that the real Mozart spoke in this non-linear manner and was more polite than the character portrayed here. But I do not know, this is just my thoughts.

http://www.actorpoint.com/free_monologues/26.html



American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis (2 min)

This scene is Pat Bateman leaving a message for his lawyer. While he is on the phone he confesses to a lot of murders. It seems to be a bit erratic as if he is trying to remember everything, whether in the right order or not, it doesn’t seem to matter to him. It’s not the type of thing you would hear in everyday life so it doesn’t quite sound real. The fact that it is from a movie makes it not viable as an audition piece, despite it being quite an interesting character to portray. It is a dramatic scene.



Child Number One – Shauna Vert (3 min)

Background Info: Bill has come to see his son, the result of an accidental pregnancy. He is stressed as to whether to settle down and take responsibility or not.

This is quite a naturalistic piece. The character is stuck between the idea of taking care of his child who he has fallen in love with and his freedom. His financial stability factors into it too. I don’t relate to this character at all but can see where he is coming from. He feels selfish if he is not contributing to the child but physically can’t afford to pay for the child’s needs. This monologue is not from a published play so is not useable as an audition piece.

Agent Smith in The Matrix – Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski (4 min)

In this monologue the A,I, Construct Agent Smith gloats in a very controlled way. He compares humanity to a virus and points out how the only way humans are ever happy is when they are unhappy. Despite the clear hatred he has for humans, he still remains fully in control, never losing his composure until the last minute when he removes his sunglasses; this is when he tells us why he needs to get out of the matrix and he becomes visibly agitated. This monologue is really engaging however, it is out of a movie so would make it unusable as an audition piece.



Roy Batty in Blade Runner – Hampton Fancher (screenplay), David Webb Peoples, Phillip K. Dick

In this monologue Roy has come to the realisation that his death is unavoidable and this android feels real human emotions at not only the loss of his own life, but, the loss of the things he had seen. When he is dead no one will remember the things that only he has seen. This monologue is really heart wrenching however, it is out of a movie so would make it unusable as an audition piece.



Translations – Brian Friel (??:??)

The play revolves around the simple idea of the British Army trying to create a map of County Donegal and the story takes place in Baile Beag. It is about the impact that the translations from Gaelic place names into English tongue has on the local people as well as English culture. The monologue is from the point of view of Owen, whose grandfather told him old and mostly forgotten stories of how these places got their names. This monologue is his decision of whether or not to forget about old stories and name things something simpler for the sake of making life easy, or to remember things despite them being trivial at best. I don’t know the age of the character yet but with a little bit more research I can find that out. While the whole idea of the play is a little bit interesting, it does seem quite dull, I’d watch it but it doesn't excite me about the idea of performing it. Plus with it being set in a very Irish speaking community, the grasp of a basic Irish accent would be of great importance. Theoretically I could teach myself one from internet tutorials but the scene doesn't grasp me enough to make me want to do this, however, this is one of the only ones that I can find that is usable and it reflects part of my Irish heritage.

Danny and the Deep Blue Sea – John Patrick Shanley (2 min)

‘The setting is a rundown bar in the Bronx, where two of society's rejects, Danny and Roberta, strike up a halting conversation over their beer. He is a brooding, self-loathing young man who resorts more to violence than reason; she is a divorced, guilt-ridden young woman whose troubled teenage son is now being cared for by her parents. Danny, whose fellow truck drivers call him "the animal," seems incapable of tender emotion, while Roberta, who is still haunted by the memory of an ugly sexual incident involving her father, is distrustful of men in general. And yet, as their initial reserve begins to melt, and they decide to spend the night together, the possibility of a genuine and meaningful relationship begins to emerge-the first for both of them. In the end there are no facile, easy answers, but thanks to the playwright's skill and compassion, both characters are able to probe within themselves to find an exorcism and forgiveness that, while painfully achieved, offers the hope of a future touched, at last, with more than the bitterness and loneliness that had been their lot before their fateful meeting,’

The character is nothing like me and I would probably find it hard to get into the head space of somebody so ‘hard-core’. It is unclear from what I have read whether he is proud of this encounter with these two guys or whether he regrets it. After research, this role is similar to that of roles I would probably be cast as.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/269361.Danny_and_the_Deep_Blue_Sea

Monologue taken from http://www.actorpoint.com/free_monologues/11.html



Don’t Be Jealous – Manveer Sihota (4 min)

A troubled boy is confronting his peers and explaining the problems in his not-so perfect life.

After reading this I really like the character. The emotional torment and how he tries to hide it adds to the character. I can empathise with him on most levels. I have never been in the exact same situation but can imagine what it would be like. As far as I can see this monologue isn't from an officially published play and Maneever Sihota isn’t a well recognised playwright so this monologue isn't usable as an audition piece.

http://www.actorpoint.com/free_monologues/49.html

Fat Temple – John Vaughn (2 min)

This piece really made me laugh, the character seems quite genuine and I can empathise with his tough process. Despite these positives the monologue is still not from an officially published play and the author is unrecognised so as an audition piece it wouldn't work.

http://www.actorpoint.com/free_monologues/37.html


Classical Monologues

A Midsummer Nights Dream – Puck

‘The king doth keep his revels here to-night’

This monologue is from the point of view of Puck explaining why the king and the queen of the fairies are so rude to each other.

‘Thou speakest aright I am that merry wanderer of the night.’

In this scene Puck is kind of flirting with one of Titania’s fairies. She is quite dismissive of him, thinking of him as quite a naughty creature. He replies with this monologue as his explanation, claiming he is more playful than naughty.

The character of Puck isn't quite me. He is quite spritely, small, energetic and athletic.  Though I could portray his personality, his physicality would be a different question. 


A Midsummer Nights Dream – Demetrius
‘My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth’

This is a monologue from the end of the play where the four protagonists are trying to explain what happened to Duke Theseus. Egeus is begging for Duke Theseus to force the marriage of Demetrius and his daughter. The monologue is Demetrius telling Duke Theseus that he doesn’t love Helena anymore, he does love Hermia and he is requesting permission to marry Hermia instead.

I know this monologue quite well having performed it several years ago, the character is right for me in most ways. The only thing is that it is a little bit short. 

A Midsummer Nights Dream – Bottom

‘When my cue comes, call me’

This monologue is bottom trying to make sense of what has happened to him, with having his transformed in to the head of an ass. He has decided to write the whole thing down as a play. There is a self-referential joke about the name of the actual play in this monologue.

I can see myself as this character. As he is quite popular his monologues are probably used often so I wouldn't use it as an audition piece. It is a little bit short, but I do like it.

‘Sweet moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams’

This monologue is from the play within the play, I believe. It has good length to it, but it isn't quite what I’m looking for. The actual monologue is good, but with it being bottom as an actor, performing it badly would be something I would struggle with. I would probably steer clear of this one as any attempt to act badly on purpose might be mistaken for bad acting and I would have to rely on other monologues to show that I can do more subtle and less 'pantomime like' acting. 

http://www.shakespeare-monologues.org/plays/13?g=3



These are my final choices;

Contemporary –

1) Translations – Brian Friel

One of the things I am prideful of is my Irish heritage. This play let me show that side of myself. Translations is a naturalistic piece first published in 1981. 

2) Danny and the deep blue sea - John Patrick Shanley
Frequently I have been type cast for violent roles, plus this character reminds me of what I used to be like before a successful anger management course. This made the monologue an obvious choice as I could show myself through the character. Danny and the Deep Blue Sea was originally published in 1983. While this monologue sounds as though the play is grotesque style my research led me to a recording of a performance and it seemed more of a naturalistic piece. 

Classical-

3) A midsummer night’s dream – Demetrius

‘My lord, fair Helen told me of their stealth’

This monologue is taken from my favorite Shakespeare production so when considering potential classical monologues the first place I looked was in a midsummer nights dream. I was prepared to look in other plays for a suitable monologue if I couldn't find one that felt like it fitted me. Fortunately I found this monologue quite quickly. A Midsummer Night's Dream is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596 and was published in 1600. It is a Shakespearean performance.


1) http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WtZdeBWU6moC&pg=PT46&lpg=PT46&dq=Translations+back+to+the+romance+again.+all+right!+fine!&source=bl&ots=XcwWq__ORU&sig=oguBQ54Y4shXCBtniVQm1gtRDBI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nfpIVOHjNMO1sQTj1oLADQ&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Translations%20back%20to%20the%20romance%20again.%20all%20right!%20fine!&f=false
2) http://www.actorpoint.com/free_monologues/11.html 

3) http://www.shakespeare-monologues.org/plays/13?g=3