<p>You guys, I really don’t think anybody is saying that you should plan on having one of your primary monologues be from a play you’ve been in, but that you should be prepared to do something from a past show if you’re asked. As I said above, my son was asked for that very thing, and I’ve read more than a few similar anecdotes on CC. It’s not that unreasonable; and clearly, the expectations vary greatly by school. </p>
<p>Re: the potential problem of having been “directed”–if a school asks you to do something from an earlier production, they obviously don’t care–and I think most of them are wise to the fact that many kids have been heavily coached, don’t you? </p>
<p>I regret having made the suggestion since it obviously has pushed some of your buttons, but I also think it’s helpful to see what other people have experienced.</p>
<p>Times3, I think your suggestion is fine!–you’re very right that sometimes they ask you to do something from a previous show. And yes, if they ask you to do something from a previous show, they obviously don’t care. </p>
<p>I was responding to RealKEVP’s well meant suggestion that it’s fine to do a monologue itself from a previous show, and to the OP’s original question about how many monologues need to be done. That’s a different topic from being spontaneously asked to do something from a show you’ve been in.</p>
<p>I believe it’s wise to prepare at least three monologues, preferably four, and it’s safest to exclude any monologue from any show you’ve done. </p>
<p>As far as being ready from a show you’ve already done–I don’t know. My own kids were never asked for this, although I know of students who were. What if you don’t remember? Can anyone chime in here? I can’t see rehearsing all the monologues from all your shows, on top of all the monologues you’re preparing. Has anyone ever said, 'Um, the show you’re asking about was three years ago and I honestly don’t remember the entire monologue; I’ll do my best?" What happens then? Under what circumstances do they ask you to do something from a show you were in? Is there a pattern there? Times3, what was your S’s experience?</p>
<p>I’ve heard of several instances of kids being asked to do something from a show on their resume. It’s always been after they have done the monologues they’ve prepared. I wouldn’t worry about it too, too much as far as ‘preping’ them. Most kids, in my experience, will have little difficulty remembering the roles they’ve played and will be able to give them something, as well as discuss the show intelligently. That doesn’t mean that they necessarily will have a particular monologue prepared and ready to go in the same way that their audition monologues are prepared but it would be surprising if they didn’t recall anything from the particular role. And if they have? Be honest and say so.</p>
<p>Not to mention, they often know every word of the whole play. My son was in a show this summer with 25 performances, and he could do it as a one-man show playing all the parts!</p>
<p>^^Connections, my son actually didn’t have a monologue from the show he was asked about–he played Bobby, three years ago, in “American Buffalo,” not a part with much monologue-appropriate material–but he told the auditor that he remembered “being smacked around a lot,” and that seemed to be a good response! He then did a Shakespeare monologue he’d been working on instead, which was fine. Because we’d heard to be prepared to do something from your resume in case you’re asked, he does have another “old” monologue ready, though. He’s halfway through the audition cycle now, so I’ll be interested to see if this comes up again! By the way, have you guys seen the posts about being asked to do something from a show you’re currently rehearsing? My s has a show coming up in February and would definitely not be ready to whip out a monologue or song from that. At least he can plan ahead and have a response ready if asked!</p>
<p>My D didn’t get into Guthrie, but for what it’s worth, she wasn’t asked to do anything from a show she’d done. She WAS asked to re-work the third monologue after direction (“can you play it more like this?”), the one that’s “a monologue you’d never be cast in but wish you could do,” but that was it. </p>
<p>Times3, that’s a great response your son gave! Made me smile.</p>
<p>This is somewhat off topic and has been covered elsewhere, but one thing I wish we’d done differently was to have prepared the non-auditioned parts better. My D was very well prepared for her monologues, but not well prepared for any other question. By 'well prepared," I mean, 'Rehearse your answers out loud many times until you don’t have to think of them." I think many coaches do this, but if you don’t have a coach, you can do this at home yourself. YOu basically think of it as an equally important component. </p>
<p>My D was unprepared for the basic: “What other colleges have you applied to?” The first time it was asked (at Guthrie), she was tongue-tied and sort of randomly rambled off her programs, BA & BFA. I fretted it made her look unfocused and not in charge. Don’t know if that impacted her audition.</p>
<p>The other stumble she had was after her auditions and when they’d chat. A few times her mind went blank from nerves. One time, the college asked, “Why do you want to go here?” and though she knew exactly why, she froze and couldn’t think of a thing, and said, 'My mind went blank." They were kind, and thanked her, but she didn’t get in there either.</p>
<p>She would have benefited from role playing these non-audition components. Just a tip to others who don’t have coaches.</p>
<p>Re Post #13 by Milkshakespeare inquiring whether an auditioner should prepare a monologue in his/her native language reminded me of an audition my S had when he was applying to programs several years ago. Under “Skills” on his acting resume he listed American Sign Language. During an audition, he performed his two monologues. The auditor glanced at his r</p>
<p>My son is accomplished at whistling and it’s on his resume as a special skill. Once when he was auditioning for a professional show, they asked him to whistle! He got the part, though it didn’t actually involve whistling. I think they just asked about it because they thought it was funny. He was ten. (A few years later he got to whistle the entire musical number of the Nightingale of Sammarkand in a community theatre production of “Once Upon a Mattress.” It sounded beautiful!)</p>
<p>Another reason to make sure that you NEVER LIE ON YOUR RESUME . . . .</p>
<p>When I first read milkshakespeare’s question about a monologue in her native language, my instinct was to say “no”, but now that she has pointed out that Juilliard actually requires foreign auditioners to give a monologue in their native language, I think it is possible she could be asked to do this somewhere else.</p>
<p>At BU, the auditor asked my daughter to do a monologue from a play she had <em>written.</em> (He had a copy of the script in hand.) </p>
<p>One of my other daughters used to have “can burp on demand” on her resume when she was a kid. She was asked to do this once or twice, but probably out of amusement.</p>
<p>Great point, RealKEVP. Not just ‘never lie,’ but also, ‘never exaggerate.’ So cool that nansan’s son is fluent in ASL, but just imagine if he’d listed it and actually had learned it five years earlier, and had forgotten most of it! It can be very tempting to exaggerate skills you sort of have, or used to have. I wonder if they are testing your honesty & integrity as well, to see if you really do have that skill or how well you know your own play (to use Glassharmonica’s example)?</p>
<p>I’m not auditioning for any of those schools. But, like everyone else said, you need an “audition package”: at least 4 monologues (1 serious classical, 1 comedic classical, 1 serious contem., one comedic contemp.) that you can swap and interchange to fit each audition. However, since colleges are seeing TONS of people at every audition, I wouldn’t consider the chance of being asked to do extra monologues THAT high just for time’s sake. It can’t hurt to be prepared and have extra speeches, though.</p>
He then did a Shakespeare monologue he’d been working on instead, which was fine. Because we’d heard to be prepared to do something from your resume in case you’re asked, he does have another “old” monologue ready, though. He’s halfway through the audition cycle now, so I’ll be interested to see if this comes up again! By the way, have you guys seen the posts about being asked to do something from a show you’re currently rehearsing? My s has a show coming up in February and would definitely not be ready to whip out a monologue or song from that. At least he can plan ahead and have a response ready if asked!</p>