By Nathan McCoy
I wax nostalgic when I remember my first acting classes. It was clear (at least to me), that this is what I wanted to do the rest of my life; portray other people’s lives. Sitting in the dark of an almost vacant house, my acting class watching each student in turn. The inky black proscenium stage with a new coat of paint had a tacky noise as people performed, walking to and fro desperately trying to connect with the audience.
We, as a class, openly discussed which monologues worked and would get you work. It was just a given that you needed one if you wanted to become an actor. So, these many years later from my early days at Tarrant County Junior College, I’ve auditioned for many commercials, films, television, and theatre but I’ve never been asked to perform a monologue.
So, I don’t know if you need one…
This is maybe a little out of line, and I’m oh so ready to duck tomatoes and insults, but if I’ve never been asked to perform a monologue, it just stands to reason that I wouldn’t NEED one, right? You can spend a lot of time reading plays to find a good monologue. More time than all my college research papers put together.
It’s a daunting task, since this brief showcase of your talent has to be short, and pack an emotional punch; it also has to fit you. You need to be able to play the age range, and you’ll want a monologue that plays to your strengths: drama or comedy. So after spending a fair amount of time panning for gold within those monologue books and plays, you then get to spend time perfecting your performance. Memorize and breakdown the part. Practice until your eyes are bloodshot and weary (or I suppose you could just do a little every night, but I can obsess sometimes).
After all this preparation, at the moment of truth, when the iron is hot and I’m ready to strike, I’m denied my moment. I got nervous for nothing. I sure as shit didn’t get nervous looking over the three lines of copy I had to say, copy that invariably references drugs, guns, or boobs. I was shaken by the prospect of screwing up my monologue. I spent a fair amount time with that bit of text. I nurtured it like a child. And now goddamn it, I want to SHOW IT OFF!
Yet, I’ve never been asked to perform a monologue in an audition, nor been allowed to perform (I ask if they would like to see it from time to time). The denial most commonly heard (by me of course, I haven’t really polled fellow actors on this subject), is “that’s not necessary. You already gave us some good stuff”. Some will actually tell the truth. “We just don’t have the time, unfortunately.” I’ve always felt so listless walking from the casting room, handing my bit of copy to another in need or placing it back on the table near the sign in sheet.
I was so ready to bring the funk, but got funk-blocked. Very disconcerting.
It’s not just for film/tv spots, either. I’ve been denied during auditions for playhouses as well. Maybe there are just too many of us actor-guns-for-hire these days. I had this wild notion once, that all monologues should be pre-recorded and then handed in to the casting director with the resume and the hand shake. It helps them streamline their time when they need it, and allows a cursory glance later at the casting director’s convenience. Plus, I don’t have to get nervous in front of anyone when performing. It allows the casting director to shut it off if he/she doesn’t like it. Otherwise, I’d have to see their face while I bomb. But perhaps this Monologue-On-Disk™ idea is too revolutionary to surface just yet.
But you can trust the fact that you definitely don’t need a must-have monologue. It’s a waste of time and energy that never comes to fruition. Although, I do suppose the absence of one could spell curtains for an eager actor. Luck favors the prepared and all that crap.
[Nathan McCoy is an actor and member of SAG. He's a graduate of KD Studio Acting Conservatory. He also trained at TVI Workshops and received improv training from Lone Star Comedy Troupe before moving to California to study directing and writing at Los Angeles Film School. He's appeared in numerous shorts, features, and commercials. Nathan is a staff writer for IFLA.]
