Sometimes, finding a monologue can feel impossible. It can become even harder when none of the audition monologues for women you do find fit what you need for an audition or feel right for you to perform. So, how can you find the best monologue options? Luckily, we’re here to help in your search. Here are 37 monologues for women—ranging from comedic to dramatic and classical to contemporary—that are perfect to consider for your next project.
JUMP TO
Actor-writer Mallory Fuccella knows that finding the perfect comedic monologue can be a challenge. After all, comedy is subjective. Luckily, she’s identified some great comedic pieces to help actors find a monologue that “sounds like you.”
1. “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” (theater) by Neil Simon: Elaine
“You hypocrite! You soul-searching, finger-smelling, hypocritical son of a bitch!”
“This fiery monologue from Neil Simon’s 1969 comedy will make a strong impression; in it, the brash Elaine Navazio dresses down the married Barney Cashman after a failed tryst. Not only is Elaine’s speech sharp and funny, but there are also endless ways to play with Simon’s twisty dialogue. Nail the phrase ‘savory swordfish succotash stories’ and no casting director will forget it.”
2. “Fleabag” (television) by Phoebe Waller-Bridge: Belinda
“Listen, I was in an airplane the other day, and I realized—well, I mean, I’ve been longing to say this out loud—women are born with pain built in.”
“This monologue about women’s pain, delivered by Kristin Scott Thomas, allows you to show off your ability to juggle tones. The words are both bitingly true and darkly funny, offering the opportunity to make strong choices throughout.”
3. “Barry” (television) by Alec Berg and Bill Hader: Sally
“I’m terrified, OK? Because my piece is real. It’s not a character. It’s me. Raw, unapologetic truth with a capital T.”
“HBO’s ‘Barry’ has some of the most nuanced comedy on television. If you’re an actor that tends to lean toward drama, try Sally’s monologue from the end of Season 2, in which she unloads her insecurities over a piece she’s written for acting class. It’s great when a monologue mirrors an aspect of everyday life, and every actor can relate to Sally’s speech to Barry.”
4. “Nope” (film) by Jordan Peele: Emerald
“Hello! How y’all doing? Sorry for the tardiness. My name is Emerald, that’s OJ, and we are your animal wranglers today with Haywood Hollywood Horses.”
“Jordan Peele wrote this monologue as a way for Keke Palmer, playing the character Emerald, to quickly establish herself as a ‘tour de force’ and inject some energy into the room. Isn’t that exactly what you want from an audition? Here, Emerald gives a rapid-fire history lesson on her horse-wrangling family and their place in Hollywood lore.”
5. “Colorado” (theater) by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb: Tracey
“Thank you! Thank you all! Thank you so so so so much! Oh I love you so so, so so so much. Thank you!”
“This opening speech from Peter Sinn Nachtrieb’s ‘Colorado’ is a comedic gold mine, with nearly every line offering an opportunity to hit a funny beat. It’s also bursting with character; you get to play sincere, self-serving, and sardonic all at once. You’ll be portraying Tracey, a self-absorbed 17-year-old who won the title of Miss Late Teen Colorado before mysteriously disappearing.”
You can learn more about these monologues here!
Fuccella also knows the importance of finding a dramatic monologue with the correct tone, and she’s here to help. Here are her suggestions for dramatic monologues for women.
1. “Curse of the Starving Class” (theater) by Sam Shepard: Emma
“I had a fryer in there all ready to go. I killed it interested in everything. I just stuck it in here yesterday. Ma, you didn’t use my chicken did you?”
“Shepard’s character arcs and dexterity with language make each moment of this play an entertaining and heart-wrenching read—particularly this dramatic female monologue. Emma is the young, rebellious daughter who commits to a life of crime after deciding that her family’s path is not her own.”
2. “Succession” (television) by Jesse Armstrong: Shiv
“I should say something, Tom. I should have said. But I’ve had a little number? And I think we both agreed we were grown ups.”
“The quick-paced dialogue and layered characters of ‘Succession’ make for a strong audition piece. In Season 1, Shiv, the daughter of Logan Roy, the founder of a major media conglomerate, attempts to explain to her fiancé what love means to her. What makes the monologue so engaging and gripping is Shiv’s view on family, power, wealth, and love.”
3. “Ramy” (television) by Ramy Youseff: Fatima
“It just happened. I didn’t plan it out. It was just…a guy, in my program….”
“ ‘Ramy’ follows the story of a first-generation American Muslim integrating his Egyptian family life with living in his politically divided neighborhood in New Jersey. In this episode, his sister is having a heart-to-heart with her two best friends about what it’s like to be with a man. Fatima, in her mid-20s, reveals that she’s been intimate for the first time. This is a great monologue to dive into if you tend to be an actor that leans more toward comedic parts since ‘Ramy’ is considered a dramedy.”
4. “Atlanta” (television) by Donald Glover: Jayde
“You know, you really need to think about your value. Like, what is your value? Like, why are you messing around with this broke-ass?”
“Jayde is a sophisticated and polished woman in her early 30s who believes that her way of living is the ‘correct’ way of living. In this scene with her old friend, Vanessa, Jayde attempts to convince Vanessa that she ought to leave her current relationship and essentially be more like her.”
5. “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” (theater) by John Patrick Shanley: Roberta
“He came into my room. He was drunk. It was real real dark. He was mad cause I’d gone out partyin and my mother was away and nobody’d been watching the kid. He was yellin at me and I was thinkin, He yells and I do nothin.”
“In John Patrick Shanley’s two-person play, two strangers, Danny and Roberta, meet in a bar. The entire play takes place in one night. Fighting her own demons, Roberta reveals to Danny how difficult her past has been. There are three strong monologues, including this one, in the piece. If you enjoy sinking your teeth into the psychology of a character with a dark past, this play is for you.”
You can learn more about these monologues here!
Acting coach Erin Roth says it’s important to remember three things when choosing a Shakespeare monologue: “Find one that matches you as an actor (energy- or type-wise); find one you don’t have to make internal cuts to for time’s sake; and find one that resonates with you on a deep, visceral level.” This might sound difficult, but Roth has found some excellent shorter Shakespeare monologues for women to consider.
1. “Measure for Measure”: Act 2, Scene 2: Isabella
“Could great men thunder”
“If you’re looking for [an] Isabella monologue that is less well-known… this one is fantastic. Isabella has an excellent mind but limited life experience at the beginning of the play, and this is the beginning of her journey into understanding the devastating effects of male abuse of power.”
2. “The Tempest”: Act 1, Scene 2: Miranda
“If by your art, my dearest father”
“If you’re a younger actor or new to Shakespeare, Miranda is a great place to start…. Miranda has just seen a ship dashed by a storm, and she suspects that her father, who has powerful magical powers, was responsible.”
3. “Hamlet”: Act 3, Scene 1: Ophelia
“O what a noble mind is here o’erthrown”
“This is both a beautiful monologue and an example of Shakespeare’s brilliant stagecraft. Ophelia has no one else to talk to—her brother is gone, her father is using her for political purposes, Hamlet has just said some devastating things to her—so she talks to the audience in a soliloquy.”
4. “Julius Caesar”: Act 2, Scene 1: Portia
“Is Brutus sick? And is it physical”
“Shakespeare writes brilliantly about marriages, and this Portia and Brutus scene is no exception. Brutus is conspiring to kill Julius Caesar, but he has not confided in his wife. Portia knows something is wrong.”
5. “Troilus and Cressida”: Act 3, Scene 2: Cressida
“Hard to seem won, but I was won, my lord”
“If you’re looking for a comedic monologue, this is an excellent choice…. To unlock the comedy in this piece, you’ve got to fully mean what you say at each moment and commit to the turns and changes as fully as possible—all without adding unnecessary pauses. Shakespeare’s characters are speaking at the speed of thought, and this is both a wonderful example and a delightful and relatable journey for both actor and audience.”
6. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: Act 2, Scene 1: Titania
“Set your heart at rest. The fairyland buys not the child of me”
“Another brilliant examination of a marriage-like relationship, this quarrel has severe consequences for humanity and the environment.”
You can learn more about these monologues here!
Worried you might perform a monologue the casting director has seen over and over again? Try these great alternative contemporary monologues compiled by dramaturg–writer Laurence Cook.
1. “My Heart’s a Suitcase” by Clare McIntyre: Hannah
“You were right. There has been a drunk in here. I met him.”
“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
“His lips are thin, and soft, and very pink and one time we kissed for eight minutes, I know coz we started kissing when Craig David’s album was on, and it was like Walking Away, which is three minutes 27 seconds and then we kept kissing after that when Time to Party came on which is like four minutes and six seconds so all together that’s like eight minutes. Eight minutes.”
“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
“When she hears you’re out of work, her low estimation of you will drop even further. It will. I promise.”
“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
“Look. Alright. Listen, you have to understand, alright, I’m thinking out loud here so please just let me talk, just let me think it through out loud.”
“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
“Did I ever tell you the turkey story? Up at Flanagan’s? When I worked up there and she came in? She never told you that turkey story? Huh.”
“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.”
You can learn more about these monologues here!
Cook knows that “picking a classical audition speech is a minefield,” with many overused monologues. But here he’s shared some alternative classical monologue options for women.
1. “The Roaring Girl” (theater) by Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker: Moll
“To teach thy base thoughts manners: th’art one of those”
“This address to Laxton features plenty of opportunities for comedy, not least in how many times Moll asks questions that she doesn’t allow him to answer.”
2. “The Spanish Tragedy” (theater) by Thomas Kyd: Bel-Imperia
“Is this the love thou bear’st Horatio?”
“Bel-Imperia is a young, intelligent, and strong-willed noblewoman in the Spanish court. She talks to Hieronimo, a knight and the father of the murdered Horatio.”
3. “Dido, Queen of Carthage” (theater) by Christopher Marlowe: Dido
“Speaks not Aeneas like a conqueror?”
“Dido has changed through Acts 1–4. From a powerful ruler who refused to marry, she’s now become a lovesick teenager. But in the course of this speech, she snaps out of it….”
4. “Women Beware Women” (theater) by Thomas Middleton: Isabella
“Marry a fool!
Can there be greater misery to a woman”
“This is an aside from early in the play. It gives Isabella the opportunity to talk frankly with the audience and to comment on some of the action. But taken out of context, it’s important to convey that Isabella is being forced to be married and that the husband-to-be is a fool.”
5. “Arden of Faversham” (theater) by Anonymous: Alice
“I pray thee, Mosby, let our springtime wither”
“Within all the sections there’s room for lots of color, especially when Alice uses different tactics to get Mosby to respond.”
You can learn more about these monologues here!
Actor Robert Peterpaul knows that “searching for the perfect monologue can feel like wishing upon a star.” Luckily, he’s rounded up some of the best Disney movie monologues to add a little magic to your audition. Here are his picks for Disney monologues for women.
1. “Aladdin” (2019): Jasmine
“She won’t go speechless! Show your power in this mini monologue where Jasmine stands up to Hakim. She shows that tears can be a sign of strength.”
2. “Stargirl” (2020): Stargirl
“Stargirl’s speech in this Disney+ film is a nice lengthy option if you’re looking for a contemporary dramatic piece.”
3. “Maleficent” (2014): Maleficent
“Surely you suspected some delicious villain content on here. Angelina Jolie sinks her pearly whites into her first big monologue…penned by Disney darling Linda Woolverton.”
4. “Brave” (2012): Merida
“This is a good monologue to use to simply practice your Scottish accent, but you can also go accentless and make it your own!”
5. “Finding Nemo” (2003): Dory
“Who would’ve thought a fish could make us cry? Despite not finding Nemo yet, Dory’s final tear-jerking monologue proves she found something unexpected: her home.”
6. “Enchanted” (2007): Giselle
“While the dialogue doesn’t vary too much, your choices certainly can during this outburst from Giselle! Sadly, relating to being told ‘no’ isn’t too tough for us actors.”
7. “Tangled” (2010): Rapunzel
“I mean, hopefully, we’re not all locked in towers, but who can’t relate to a little family tension?”
8. “The Princess Diaries” (2001): Mia Thermopolis
“Who could forget Mia’s rain-drenched and ballgown-less final speech from this hit live-action film? Not casting directors, if it suits you!”
You can learn more about these monologues here!
Talent manager Corey Ralston knows that television monologues can be powerful and heavy-hitting. Here are a few that are perfect for women.
1. “How to Get Away With Murder”: Annalise Keating
“[Viola] Davis does not disappoint in this closing argument, in which Annalise takes off her mask, confronts her actions, and begs for mercy. This monologue gives an actor the chance to show vulnerability in a high-stakes, life-and-death situation.”
2. “Parks and Recreation”: Leslie Knope
“Sitcoms rarely are places to look to when searching for the right monologue. But single-camera series have scores of hidden gems with heart and personality. Amy Poehler plays the ambitious civil servant Leslie Knope, who crushes her opponents in her bid for a city council seat by delivering from the heart….”
3. “Shameless”: Fiona
“What you get here is a daughter’s angry, heart-wrenching outburst about her estranged relationship with her mom—who was reckless and never there—to her father, a man who is heavily grieving his soulmate. This monologue is great for showcasing complex and deep-rooted emotions.”
Learn more about these monologues here!
Looking for remote work? Backstage has got you covered! Click here for auditions you can do from home!
