I mentioned in a previous post, that as a way of keeping my creativity going during this pandemic, I was entering myself into Monologue Slams/Scene Slams. I think this is a great way to push yourself, and let yourself play parts that perhaps you have always wanted to–and haven’t had the chance to YET.

But the first time I was submitting and needed a monologue, I did what most people do. I went to Google, typed in “female monologues” and tried to pick the one that suited me best. The problem with that is, a) everyone’s doing that, and you’ll likely choose something many others are doing and b) you’re really limiting yourself to just what Google has to offer.

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great monologues to be found this way. I actually found a wonderful one, that was quirky, and funny–and no one else did it. But it took a long time, and that was basically the ONLY one I found that I loved.

What I started doing instead was, paying closer attention when I was watching shows and movies that I loved. When I saw a monologue that I thought was great and was suitable for me–I paused the show, got out my phone, and recorded the scene! Right then and there. That way, I knew that if I ever needed a monologue, I had a fantastic selection right at my fingertips. You already know the writing is great, and you can figure out how to do it with your own spin (you should never simply try to imitate the original actor).

You can do this for basically any scene that you want, monologues, two-person scenes, comedy, drama–whatever you need.

So now, go out there and watch or re-watch you favourite shows and keep your phone handy to catch all the great moments!