CALLING ALL THESPIANS! One of your own is in need of thy assistance! Privy, tell me, my brethren and sisterhood, how goes it? Okay, screw that talk LOL, let’s get down to the nitty gritty- I’m an actor and I need your help and excellent advice! I’ve got an AUDITION! AHHHHHHHHHH I’m SO HAPPY! And I need to prepare a Shakespearean monologue for a male character. Which should I use? Who should I use? Do you have any favourites? Any fellow EC actors have any advice? I am NOT (nor cannot be) using any done by Hamlet, Romeo, or the Scottish King. I’m so excited I can’t think straight! What should I do!?
I don't know exactly what lines it is, but there's an amazing monologue at the end of King Lear where he come on stage after Cordelia dies.
There is an amazing monologue in the tempest done by ariel the part is one that can go for either gender. there is also a monologue in romeo and juliet done by the friar that is really good. the friars monologue is more commonly done though so if you want wow factor and rarity i would go for ariel. you can always do some fun things with a spirit.
I’m trying to remember any other romantic heroes in Shakespeare other than Romeo and I’m drawing blank. Any from them I could use?
Mercutio's monologue "Mab, Queen of Dreams" from Romeo and Juliet is really great, but it's very long. If you have a time limit it might not work.
I think it also depends on the show you are auditioning for. In A Midsummer Night's Dream one of the Mechanicals has a pretty funny monologue where he basically acts out an entire play (the guy I saw perform it got increasingly more frustrated as he was trying to explain what was happening). Mercutio's monologue is good, perhaps you could perform a portion of it?
hmmm, advice; I’m auditioning for Romeo- should I do someone like, Othello, or York in something heavy like, Henry IV to show I can do drama or Ariel to show range because they’ll most likely ask me to read from R&J thus if I do Ariel this shows comedy and reading R&J shows drama, thus, I kill two birds with one stone?
I'd go for a monologue that fits the character you want to play. That being said I'm not really sure, part of me says "If you're going to do an R&J monologue, do a Romeo one." Another part says says "No, do whatever monologue is best." Still another part of me says "Do something not in R&J at all!" Edit: Also, monologues are, I think, mainly for callbacks so that they can get a good idea of who they want to read for what. Pick a monologue that best illustrates your strengths as an actor. To add to that, I'd avoid monologues from older characters like Lear. I don't really think any young person really has what it takes to really pull off those types of monologues, and it'd just be better to go for one that fits your strengths. Edit again: If you want a Romeo-like character without picking Romeo, I'd look at any male Lover in a comedy (Lysander, Demetrius, Duke Orsino etc). In my mind, R&J is essentially a comedy gone wrong, and Romeo is certainly more similar to comic character than to tragic ones.
You must have ventured upon this resource in your search, but if not, here you go Men's Monologues in Shakespeare I like the ones from Pericles, Prince of Tyre