actor-deliver-a-monologue
Acting Skills

Tips for the Actor Who Wishes to Deliver a Monologue

Actors often have the opportunity to perform a monologue for an audition or class. This can be terrifying and intimidating, but it is a great way to work on your acting skills.

To prepare yourself as much as possible before your audition, take time to research the character’s history and personality traits in depth. You want to make sure you know who this person is so that you can portray them authentically during the audition process- after all, if they’re not real, then what’s the point? It would help if you also worked on memorizing lines from start to finish with minimal mistakes.

Tips for preparing a monologue

The most difficult thing about delivering a monologue is finding the right balance between expressing your character’s emotions and giving the audience an insight into their backstory.

monologue audition

What do you know about the life of an actor? Like most people, your knowledge is limited to what you see on TV or in movies. The hard work behind the scenes is often overlooked for any successful production, which makes this type of article all the more important for those who want to learn more about acting.

Tips for your monologue audition

Is the monologue your audition piece? Then, it’s time to get serious about it! It would help if you practiced with a partner, in front of a mirror, and at least once on stage. Here are some tips for delivering an effective monologue.

  • Practice with someone who can give you feedback
  • Pretend like you are telling someone what happened over dinner last night instead of reading lines from the page
  • Know when to pause or when not to pause so that you don’t sound too robotic or too out of breath.
  • Practice in front of the mirror – it’s important to know how you look when delivering your lines so that you can work out any kinks before an audience sees them.
  • Double-check all of your facts for accuracy – if something doesn’t sound right, chances are it isn’t!
  • Make sure that you have enough air to finish strong – don’t rush through.
  • Make eye contact with one person in the audience at all times. This will help you feel more connected to them and make it easier to relate to your story.
  • Let your words flow naturally from your mouth- don’t worry too much about pausing or other timing details.
  • Speak slowly enough so people can understand what you’re saying but not so slow that they get bored.

Every actor is different. Some actors are chatty, while others are introverted. And then, some can get up on stage and deliver a monologue with ease. But no matter what your personality type may be, you need to follow these guidelines to make sure that your speech is believable and impactful at the same time.

Share