Whether it’s Paul Giamatti depicting a man’s midlife bildungsroman as an exacting boarding school teacher in “The Holdovers,” America Ferrera exploring what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal world as Gloria in “Barbie,” or a powerful speech from a recently produced theatrical production, contemporary monologues cover a great range. Here are some of the best for all ages.
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According to acting coach Todd Etelson, “Young personalities and a sense of imagination lend themselves naturally” to performing shorter pieces. Of course, that all starts with picking the right speech. Here are some modern monologues for kids.
1. “Adventures of Pippa Higgins: Radford the Rabbit” by Joseph Arnone: Pippa
“Pippa makes new friends from school and introduces them to Radford, a talking rabbit, who was ill and brought back to good health by Pippa’s father…. I love this monologue because it allows for a range of amazing young personalities to bring it to life. Play with your objective and see what follows.”
2. “Nobody Bothers Me”: Patrick
“Patrick responds to his uncle who asks him if he’s still getting picked on by kids at school. For reasons of his own, this young boy is getting bullied in school but decides to make up a phony story to hide the truth from his uncle. He invents a fake story which makes him look stronger than he really is.”
3. “Little Sailfish” by Indiana Kwong: Ruby
“This dramatic monologue is about Ruby. Ruby is a swim champ, but she’s not sure she actually enjoys swimming anymore, or if she just does it so as not to disappoint her dad…. It gives the young actor a chance to use some dramatic chops and explore some thought-to-thought acting.”
4. “12 Years Wise” by Gabriel Davis
“This monologue is a case of role reversal. Here, it’s the child who’s acting like the grown-up and the dad who’s acted like a child. She addresses her father, questioning the way he’s treated her mother.”
5. “Scout”
“A heartfelt monologue about losing a relationship…This monologue allows you to feel great emotional depth. Take your time and don’t rush the moments. Live this one in real time. Take the time you need to feel something. You can’t fake needing to feel something, so take that time.”
6. “Gum Sculptures”: Robbie
“In this monologue, a local news channel is interviewing Robbie as he talks to them about how he started making gum sculptures. It’s fun and a great monologue to use some improvisational skills and personality.”
You can learn more about these monologues here!
Etelson says “There are so many contemporary monologues a teen actor can choose from.” Here, he’s rounded up some contemporary monologues for teens by playwright Joseph Arnone to help get you started.
1. “Shadows of My Mind”: Naomi
“This monologue will test you. Your focus should be on the person you’re speaking to; but as you wrestle with these thoughts, we’d like to see the inner struggle you’re experiencing, as you speak to yourself.”
2. “Those Days Are Over”: Marsha
“This is an interesting dramatic monologue between rivaling sisters. Can you relate? Here, Marsha defends herself against her sister’s outburst. This makes things erupt between them.”
3. “Nowhere Near Happy”: Ava
“Ava is talking to the audience. She discusses issues with her parents in the face of her success and how her success has made her relationship with them more difficult. But the underlying issue here is feeling underappreciated by her parents.”
4. “Agree to Disagree”: Harpa
“A face-to-face friendly smackdown, Harpa is hearing the eye-opening truth from a close friend about their fake relationship and her need to be more real.”
5. “One Way Conversation”: Bella
“You have 30 seconds to say what you’ve wanted to say for a long time. It’s been bottled up and needs to come out now. Here, Bella confronts her mother about a seeming lack of encouragement and support to follow her dreams.”
6. “Sly Statements”: Melanie
“Melanie is having a discussion with her boyfriend. She says he makes her feel less than a person and she’s fed up with his condescension. They can’t be together anymore if he can’t change.”
You can learn more about these monologues here!
Performances from modern films like the following are a great way to find monologues that leave an impact.
1. “Da 5 Bloods” (2020) by Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott, and Spike Lee: Stormin’ Norman
“An actor who wants to show power in cultural identity will want to take a stab at this piece,” writes talent manager Corey Ralston. “There is plenty of opportunity to get undivided attention by taking advantage of motivational silence and strong intention with persuasive words. The piece is a beautiful display of camaraderie and power instilling encouragement.”
2. “Joker” (2019) by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver: The Joker
According to Ralston, “Writing like this and a character as complex as the Joker is a jackpot for an actor. It requires some deep character work and empathy-building to play someone this atrocious. Remember, a villain can never be judged by the actor. The actor must find the commonality and justifications for the actions, no matter how inherently heinous. This is a challenge, and if delivered well, with your own spin, it will be a showcase for character development.”
3. “The Holdovers” (2023) by David Hemingson: Paul Hunham
This quietly moving monologue explores intergenerational connection and self-awareness—all with a comedic bent. Use the final lines, spoken by Giamatti with great precision, to really drive home the sentiment: “History is not simply the study of the past—it is an explanation of the present.”
4. “Barbie” (2023) by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach: Gloria
“The monologue’s range from frustration to exhaustion provides ample opportunity for an actor to showcase their ability to navigate complex emotional landscapes,” writes Jennifer Lane. “It’s particularly relevant in today’s conversations about gender roles, making it not only an engaging performance piece but also a thought-provoking one.”
5. “Maestro” (2023) by Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer: Felicia Montealegre
“Your truth is a fucking lie! It sucks up all the energy in every room and gives the rest of us zero opportunity to live or even breathe as our true selves,” Felicia says in this scene. Bring your most fed-up, seething self with this powerful monologue.
Writer Laurence Cook has a few suggestions for contemporary alternative monologues for men that are “off the beaten track.”
1. “Pomona” by Alistair McDowall: Charlie
“The ultimate overshare. On a first read, Charlie’s monologue might sound childish and gratuitous, but remember that it comes from a play that isn’t what it appears and has encouraged contradictory interpretations.”
2. “Narrative” by Anthony Neilson: Brian
“From the master of plays made in the rehearsal room, ‘Narrative’ is a deceptive piece full of vignettes and strange goings-on. Here, Brian confronts his partner over their inability to love and realizes that there is no way forward for them as a couple.”
3. “Cock” by Mike Bartlett: John
“Short and sweet, this moment from ‘Cock’ sees John confronted by two people in his life, a long-time male partner and a woman he’s fallen for…. He’s spent his whole life defined by other people, from the impressions of people on TV to what clothes he wears. Now he’s confronted with making a decision no one else can help him with.”
4. “Wink” by Phoebe Eclair-Powell: Mark
“The play is made up of monologues from Mark and a teacher, which cover connecting events. The choice here then is to either pick a character to deliver the speech towards, or to keep it in the form of a monologue.”
Overused monologues might be tempting, but Cook has rounded up some alternative contemporary speeches so that you can give casting directors something more original.
1. “My Heart’s a Suitcase” by Clare McIntyre: Hannah
“This is from a brilliantly odd play (with talking luggage) set in a rundown seaside flat. In this extract, a homeless man has just visited, and Hannah could either be railing at how men see her as an easy target for attention, or disguising the fact that she craves company by regaling the scene partner with stories of how she’s always bothered by strange men.”
2. “Chewing Gum Dreams” by Michaela Coel: Tracey
“The understated brilliance of Michaela Coel’s monologue play is that although it’s all from Tracey’s point of view, the audience gets to see her from multiple perspectives.”
3. “Bull” by Mike Bartlett: Isobel
“If you’ve seen any of Mike Bartlett’s works for stage or TV, you’ll know that he’s the master of people being horrible to each other. Here, in this play about workplace bullying and competition, Isobel belittles a male character.”
4. “Lungs” by Duncan Macmillan: Woman
“The speaker is one half of an educated, thoughtful (bordering on neurotic) couple who discuss having a baby throughout the play but come up against the moral dilemmas of having children.”
5. “Good People” by David Lindsay-Abaire: Margaret
“Margaret is on a cigarette break at work, talking to her younger boss who also happens to be the son of her dead friend, Suzie. Margaret is gregarious, quick-witted, and often uses comedy to lighten how tough her life is…. There’s an opportunity to show your comic timing, movement skills, and explore different voices in telling the story.”
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