<p>Hello all! I'm applying to a few BFA Acting programs for the fall of 2013. I have several contemporary dramatic monologues and dramatic Shakespearean ones as well, but I'm pretty lost on comedic monologues, both contemporary and classical. If anyone has any suggestions of specific monologues to look at that might fit me, please feel free to shoot some ideas over. I would greatly appreciate it. </p>
<p>I'm a pretty average looking guy--short black hair, caucasian, about 5'10'' with a lean physique (think Dustin Hoffman in the "The Graduate"...seriously I really, really look like him). Send anything and all my way. Thanks for the help!</p>
<p>From your physical appearance, it sounds like you are “average” enough to play almost any roles. And I am pretty sure you could even play a character who is several years older than yourself.</p>
<p>Remember that whether a monologue is comic or dramatic is based on the monologue itself, NOT on whether it comes from a drama or comedy. Some dramas have comic bits, some comedies have dramatic bits. If the purpose of the monologue is to make the audience laugh, it is comic, otherwise it is probably dramatic.</p>
<p>Since you already have some Shakespearean dramatic monologues, maybe have a look at Shakespeare’s comedies. And comedies written by contemporaries of Shakespeare (Ben Jonson was a friend of Shakespeare who wrote quite a few comedies.) Get a book that gives you a good overview of theatre history and get the names of other leading English comedy writers before about 1800. The period 1660-1800 has a huge amount of great comedy written for English theatre. (And I have posted elsewhere my opinion about why an auditioner might want to avoid Shakespeare for their classical)</p>
<p>That’s for your classical. For your contemporary, think about who are your favorite living comic playwrights. Then go and read plays by them, especially the less performed plays. Even if the play as a whole isn’t perfect, there might still be a monologue worth salvaging.</p>
<p>(Sorry, I really don’t like giving people monologues. I think you need to find the monologue that speaks to you and read the plays yourself. That’s also a way to avoid everyone doing the same monologue)</p>
<p>KEVP</p>