Three minutes is the average time an actor gets in the room for a general audition. True, it’s far too brief a time to showcase your full range and technique. But having that knowledge means you can make a series of smart choices that will help you stand out in a casting session in three minutes or less.
Foremost, choose monologues from roles you could be cast in and that you’d love to actually perform for many weeks. Suspending disbelief that you are an actor is already one layer a casting team has to overcome; if we must also imagine you in a role that’s younger, older, or very different physically, our work and your work is even harder. There are so many roles out there for which you likely fit. Track them down and keep a collection.
In general, stand out monologues that make a casting team “look up” feature the following:
A character actively attempting to fulfill an objective to get the receiver(s) to “do” something (listen, love, admit, concede, stay).
A clear beginning, middle, and end; a story in which your character evolves.
A clear receiver to whom you are communicating: a lover, an enemy, a boardroom, the gods. (But please, not the casting table.)
An
Leave a Reply