Overdone Audition Monologues
The following list of overdone monologues has been compiled from a variety of sources. This list is for your information only. We frequently receive e-mails from performers stating something to the effect of "I used a monologue from your overdone list and I still got the part!" We are not suggesting that you should never use a monologue from this list (or that using a monologue from this list will never work), but knowing what monologues are generally overdone is a good way to start expanding your repertoire. To look for monologues that are not overdone, see our page on monologue repertoire or search the monologue database.
Individual Overdone Audition Monologues
- "You Shouldn't Need Someone That Much" from Howard Korder's This Boy's Life
- The Peter Pan monologue by Christopher Durang
- And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little - the squashed puppy speech
- Brighton Beach - Eugene's monologue
- Butterflies are Free - Jill Tanner's speech
- Chapter Two - Jenny's "I'm worth it.." speech
- Fantasticks - Luisa's speech into song "Much More"
- Durang - Tuna fish monologues
- Tea and Sympathy - Tom
- Whiskey - "Tiny had been tackled by guys..."
- Woolgatherer - death of the whooping cranes
- Zoo Story - "Jerry and the dog"
- Romantic Comedy - marshmallow through the nose
- Say Goodnight, Gracie - chunky turkey soup
- SLOW DANCE ON THE KILLING GROUND - Rosie's virginity
- SPLIT - Stevie Wonder speech
- STAR SPANGLED GIRL - Sophie's "Mr. Cornell" speech
- HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES - All Bunny and Banana speeches; Ronnie's tap dance speech
- I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER - Gene's final monologue
- IT'S CALLED THE SUGAR PLUM - Infamous "Strudel Doe-Strudel Dough"
- KENNEDY'S CHILDREN - the sex goddess speech
- KNOCK, KNOCK - St. Joan walking on water speech
- LAKEBOAT - jock who wanted to dance
- LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS - "humping Charlotte Korman"
- LONE STAR - the Grand Canyon speech
- LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS - trying to get out of the wedding
- MATCHMAKER - Cornelius' monologue
- MASS APPEAL - dead goldfish speech
- NOURISH THE BEAST - orphan speech
- Glass Menagerie -Tom or Jim monologues, or Amanda's jonquil speech
- Girl's Guide to Chaos - dating speech
- Wall of Water - last cigarette monologue
- Taking With - 15 Minutes
- Lone Star - Roy's Edith Ellen monologue
- Romantic Comedy - Marshmallow monologue
- Quilters - Sunbonnet Sue
- Shadow Box - Beverly
- King Lear - Edmond
- Love Minus - If Actors go to Hell monologue
Entire Overdone Shows
- Laundry and Bourbon
- A-My Name is Alice or any of its sequels
- Key Exchange
- Proof
- Beyond Therapy
- Brighton Beach memoirs
- CRIMES OF THE HEART
- DIVISION ST.
- EXTREMITIES
- TALKING WITH
- NUTS PAINTING CHURCHES
- P.S. YOUR CAT IS DEAD
- QUILTERS
- FEIFFER'S PEOPLE
- Hold Me
- I Hate Hamlet
- Little Footsteps
- If I Only had a Brain
- Equus
- House of Blue Leaves
- Star Spangled Girl
- Baby with the Bathwater
- Fifth of July
- Boys Life
- Heidi Chronicles
Comments
written by Linda, December 03, 2007
written by Juno, June 07, 2008
You should add the "I'll Be There" speech from THE GRAPES OF WRATH
written by Juno, June 18, 2008
You should also add the Queen Lucy speech from YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN ("Linus, do you know what I intend?")
written by Kate Miller, September 27, 2009
I am a high school theater teacher and I would love to see some of these monologs at my auditions. My students use those cheesy "Oh I'm a high school girl with a zit and will I ever get a date?" things off the internet. Yuck. At least the ones above have artistic merit.
