Shakespeare Audition

[FloridaTheatreGuy]

Posted: 11/8/03 at 6:12pm

For some of my college auditions I am required to do 2 min from a Shakespeare monologue. I don't want to do something overdone, and need someone close to my age (17 yo male.) I was thinking maybe Sebastian from 12th Night...

Posted: 11/8/03 at 11:32pm

Benedict from Much Ado About Nothing (the one that involves the line "One woman is wise, yet I am well; another fair, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well).... Anything from Richard II or Henry IV.... The St. Crispan's Day monologue from Henry V.... I believe there is one from Julius Caesar (Brutus) that would work well.... Iago's "I hate the Moor."

Work in your milieu, be it comic or dramatic. Try to pick one from a less popular work. Remember, your auditioners are going to be seeing a plethora of performers. That means all the more chance for them to be seeing repeats. Everyone is going to shy away from Romeo and Juliet because that's Shakespeare's biggest war-horse, and they're going to descend upon the other popular picks, including Midsummer, Macbeth, Hamlet, Merchant of Venice and, yes, Twelfth Night. Unless specifically stated (but I doubt anyone would say this), don't look specifically for 17 year old male parts. You don't have to play an old man, but challenge yourself to work past age.

I know most of this from doing Shakespearean Monologue Competition for two years. Judges/auditioners are going to be able to recite some monologues in their sleep. If you do one they haven't heard thirty times over, however, you'll have their attention from the beginning (just picture the audition scene from Shakespeare in Love.... "Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?").

Also.... John Barton's "Playing Shakespeare." Make it your bible. Best book on Shakespearean acting. Period.

And.... this above all.... to thine own self be true. Updated On: 11/8/03 at 11:32 PM

[sabrelady]

Posted: 11/9/03 at 11:08am

Just a suggestion: The Prolouge from Henry the Eighth. H the 8Th is rarely done ( not Will's best work & some discussion as to if there is enough of his work to Really qualify it for the canon) The judges will almost certainly not have heard it & it should get their attention. ( Malcom Mcdowell told me this) Updated On: 11/10/03 at 11:08 AM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 11/9/03 at 9:40pm

What about from MacBeth:

"Is this a dagger I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee...or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation..."

[Cadriel]

Posted: 11/9/03 at 9:47pm

Hmm...what about the variation from "MacHomer"? "Is this a dagger I see before me...or a pizza?"

MacHomer, if you ever get a chance to see it, is a hilarious retelling of the Scottish Play, done by a single man who does almost flawless Simpsons impersonations, with lots of lovingly rendered stills of the Simpsons characters as he goes through the play.

-Wayne

Posted: 11/10/03 at 12:14am

"Is this a dagger I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee...or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation..."

That DOES sound like something a 17 year old male would be familiar with....

Ironically enough I'm currently listening to "The Internet is for Porn"

[King Stevos]

Posted: 11/10/03 at 12:58am

If you are black do the mor's dark speech in Titus, if not look at the multiples of younger charcters in it.

Much untouched good stuff...

Sorry if I dont know names or have much sense of gramar to late for that.

STEVOS