How to Pick the Right College Audition Monologue

Picking your college audition monologue can feel overwhelming. You want it to be impressive, unique, age-appropriate, technically challenging, emotionally resonant… the list goes on.

Let’s simplify things. Here are the non-negotiables:

1. It has to be from a published play.

When you Google "college audition monologues," you’ll find hundreds of pieces. But many of these are unpublished or written for monologue anthologies rather than actual plays. Most schools say it outright: no unpublished material, and definitely no film or TV monologues.

Stick to theater. Period. If the play has had a Broadway or Off-Broadway run, you’re in the clear, but don’t be afraid to look into professional regional performances throughout the country. There are some real gems out there if you look hard enough.

2. Choose a character your own age.

College programs want to see who you are right now. That means characters in their late teens to early twenties. Playing an older character in your high school show? That’s great experience, but it’s not who you would be cast as in the professional world, and it’s not going to be what gets you into a BFA program. Stay age-accurate unless the script specifically bends age (like in The Laramie Project).

3. Find a piece that resonates with you.

Don’t just grab the first monologue that checks all the boxes. You need to connect with the material. If you don’t care about what the character wants, why should your auditors? Look for work that you can relate to on some personal level. The more soul-stirring for you, the better your performance will be.

Where to look:

• Monologue books featuring pieces from published plays. Use Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Books-A-Million. Not all books meet the Broadway/Off-Broadway/Professional Regional Theater threshold I mentioned earlier.

• Plays you've read or seen on stage that stuck with you. You can usually most easily find them on Dramatists, Concord Theatricals, Playscripts, or Amazon.

• Recommendations from teachers or coaches who know your type

Bottom line: the perfect monologue is one that is age-appropriate, published, emotionally resonant, and technically solid. Oh, and it should make you excited to get on your feet and perform.