Expert: John T. Aney - 7/9/2008

Question
I'm a sophomore in high school and our fall play is Arsenic and Old Lace. I'd like to play one of the aunts, but I can't find a monologue that shows that a person is insane and has good intentions, but is a killer.=. I looked for monologues from The Philadelphia Story, Born Yesterday, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and You Can't Take it With You, but they all came up short. Please help?

Answer
Amanda,

I think you should reconsider what you think the purpose of a monologue is.  The purpose of a monologue is not to show that you can play a character exactly like the role you want.  The purpose of a monologue is to show that you can develop any character, that you can communicate feeling, and that you can make choices about how to perform something written on a page.

If you are looking for a monologue for someone that is insane, has good intentions, and is a killer - well, you probably are going to have to look pretty hard, and I can't direct you towards any particular monologue.  Instead, find a monologue that shows off your talent.  A director is looking for actors who can take a role they are given and make it their own.  It doesn't matter if the monologue is exactly like the character being auditioned for.

Hope this helps. Keep looking for monologues (try Tennessee Williams - maybe Glass Menagerie), but don't be so specific about what you are looking for.

jta