<p>Hello everyone! As a lot of you know auditions for theatre are highly competitive I'm slowly starting to get anxious and nervous as the months roll by. Does anyone have any comedic or dramatic monologues that would be good for a college audition? And does anyone know what the VCU or BU theatre auditions process is like?</p>
<p>If BU conducts its auditions the same way this season as it did last, I believe that they required a modern monologue (ie. post-1900) and a classical piece in verse, preferably Shakespeare. They listed some suggestions on their website. They have auditions on campus and at (or near) the Unified Auditions. They ran badly behind schedule when my son auditioned in February, creating a bit of a panic for us - we had tickets to see Kevin Spacey in Richard III, in Brooklyn that evening. I don’t think they had any call-backs at the auditions. Neither piece has to be comic, but they should be contrasting. I believe that BU, like almost every other program, asks that the roles be age-appropriate. That means that the character should be under thirty, customarily, but they included Tamora from “Titus Andronicus” on their list of suggestions, and she is usually portrayed as well into her thirties (if not early forties) - she is old enough to have two teenage or young-adult sons.</p>
<p>I think BU now only recommends Shakespeare IF you are doing a classical piece. Two contrasting contemporary monologues are fine with them. Check the website carefully.</p>
<p>A lot of people say not to do Shakespeare monologues for college auditions unless it is absolutely required, because they are so hard to do well.</p>
<p>Some schools have an information session for auditioners right before the auditions; BU has traditionally been one of them.</p>
<p>Portugal, one good suggestion about finding monologues is to read lesser-known plays by well known playwrights. You want to avoid performing overdone monologues if at all possible.</p>
<p>The choice of a monologue is a very personal thing. It has to be one you can deliver naturally, and that you can really connect with. If you work with a coach who knows you personally, that individual might be able to make some suggestions. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>I would say now having a current BFA student in the house that if you know anyone who is in a program, ask them for monologue suggestions, or at least for a list of plays - and playwrights - to read. </p>
<p>My D was quite a voracious reader of theatre in HS, but after 1 year in college her knowledge of the literature has increased a hundredfold. She is especially up-to-date on contemporary playwrights, something she had little awareness of before starting her BFA. </p>
<p>She helped several applicants and members of our HS Forensics group this year find pieces that none of the coaches had heard of, and, more importantly, suited that student excellently. Current theatre students spend probably more of their time than anyone swimming in great material - I hope you can pick some of their brains.</p>
<p>^^ Excellent advice from EmmyBet. My son’s at the BU summer program now, preparing to audition next week for the BFA, and he added a second contemporary monologue on the advice of his TA, who’s a current undergrad there. It’s not a play he would have come up with on his own. Also, for the record, while the BU website does still say you can do Shakespeare (and as Stagemum notes above, they provide suggested plays and scenes), the summer-program handbook specifies “two contemporary monologues.” The website also says you can prepare a third one, so you might want to think about having two contemporaries to start off with and prepare one of the classical/Shakespeare monologues to have as your third. Their website has a detailed description of how the audition process works on campus.</p>
<p>Re: VCU, I haven’t found much information on their website other than the fact that you will have to audition AGAIN after two years (you audition initially to enter the performance “concentration” of the Theater Studies BA, then re-audition for the BFA). We looked at VCU and attended a production, but it wasn’t a good fit for my son, so we haven’t investigated the details. I do know they’re building a new facility that should provided much-needed space (more space and much nicer). Not sure when it opens.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>Interestingly enough, the BU website states prospective performance students should prepare two contrasting monologues, one comedic and one dramatic. A student may also substitute one of their monologues for a “classical” piece, one in verse, preferably Shakespearean. My daughter has prepared a comedic and dramatic piece, but is ready (I hope??) with a Shakespearean one as well.</p>
<p>In addition to having monologues that fit the requirements of the schools you are auditioning for, it’s a good idea to have two or more backups that are almost as polished as your primary monologues. </p>
<p>Schools sometimes ask for more. I heard of a student once being asked for six. If your resume shows that you played a part in a play that contains a well-known monologue, it’s not inconceivable that an auditor would ask you to perform it!</p>
<p>ALWAYS follow the school’s own instructions, and the school’s own suggestions/advice. Follow THAT instead of anything you hear on the Internet.</p>
<p>This may mean that you have to prepare DIFFERENT monologues for different schools you are auditioning for.</p>
<p>And I have to agree with the folks who say “find your own monologues”. The key is to find monologues that are NOT being used by every other auditioner, and that are right for you and your “type”.</p>
<p>This is such a complex subject that we really can’t tell you everything at once. There are entire books written about how to audition. If you can come up with a more specific question, we may be more able to help you.</p>
<p>KEVP</p>
<p>I apologize for the misinformation regarding BU. My son always performed a Shakespearean monologue, when possible, because it is his particular strength and passion. I remembered that they had some sort of recommendations for the classical piece, but forgot that the classical monologue was optional (the audition requirements became a blur to me). I believe that the “information session” alluded to in this thread is what ran unexpectedly long at the auditions last winter.</p>