Shakespearean Scenes and Monologues
Scenes and Monologues Links | Home
Whether for auditions or exercises, actors are always looking for Shakespearean scenes and monologues. Several sites out there on the Web have gone to the trouble of compiling them.
A few tips for the aspiring Shakespearean actor:
- Select a monologue that is appropriate for you (age range, gender, character type, genre, etc.).
- Take the time to study not just the monologue or scene, but the entire play from which it's taken.
- Know your material inside and out. Every omitted, mispronounced, or ambiguous word will give the casting people a reason not to cast you.
- When performing verse speech, let the meter work for you. Rhythm is especially important in Shakespeare. And don't rush it.
- A little subtlety goes a long way. Don't overdo the material.
- When in doubt, go with fresh material. An overdone monologue makes it that much harder to differentiate yourself and that much easier for the casting people to tune you out.
- Unless specifically asked to do it, be wary of performing a monologue from the play for which you're auditioning.
Scenes and Monologues Links
- Ace Your Audition: Shakespeare Monologues
- AceYourAudition.com's small but useful collection of Shakespearean monologues for men and women.
- Actorpoint.com
- Actorpoint.com has dozens of Shakespeare monologes in both drama and comedy categories. They also have tons of other free monologues. Find one for an audition or even for research.
- Actorama
- Actorama, a social and business networking site for actors and other entertainment professionals, offers a wide variety of searchable monologues and scenes, including nearly 300 from Shakspeare's works.
- Monologue Archive
- Shakespearean monologues and related links from an Internet archive site. Bare-bone design, but useful.
- Overdone Monologues
- From MonologueAudition.com, because when you're auditioning, you want to stand out from the crowd. Includes lists of overdone Shakespeare monologues for men and women.
- Play Shakespeare
- Play Shakespeare is an online collection of free Shakespeare resources, including several collections of monologues (for men and women) and scenes (for men, women, and mixed).
- Shakespeare's Monologues
- This searchable site is one of the few monologue resources on the Internet dedicated solely to Shakespeare's works. It includes handy printable PDF documents as well.
- Shakespearean Monologues for Teens
- Bottle Tree productions presents a selection of Shakespearean monologues suitable for teens and young adults with analysis and performance tips.
- TheatreHistory.com: Shakespeare Monologues
- A small collection of the Bard's monologues from TheatreHistory.com.