Monologues for Teens
- We Are Actors - NY
- Aug 11, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 26, 2021
As a teen actor, it's important to have a few monologues in your back pocket for "just In case" situations. Whether you are auditioning for school plays or more prestigious projects such as commercials, television, and film, you might be required to perform monologues as part of the process.
Learning how to find, prepare, and perform acting monologues will help teen actors perfect their craft and get comfortable memorizing lines.
When it comes to monologues for teens in particular, it can be a bit of a challenge to find appropriate materials, as many of the free monologues available online are more geared toward adults or monologues for kids. So for your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of five monologues that are great options for teenagers to work on and add to their repertoire.
Dramatic Female Monologue
One of the shorter one minute monologues on this list, is a great option if you’re looking for something that shows a wide range of emotion in a short period of time. In this scene from The Notebook, Allie shows indecision toward Noah.
“ALLIE: (Allie puts two fingers together) We’re like this, remember? Right? This isn’t a summer thing. Not for me, anyway. Oh, hell. Why wait until summer ends? Why not do it right now? Go ahead. No, I’ll do it. It’s over between us. You hear me, Noah Calhoun? Over. Don’t touch me. I hate you, you know that? I hate you! Just leave. Get out. Go.
Noah walks away from the house, disappearing into the moonlight. Allie calls out after him.
ALLIE: Wait a minute, Noah. We’re not really breaking up forever, right? This is just a thing we’re having, a difference of opinion, and tomorrow it’ll be like it never happened, right? Because it still was kind of a special night for me. . .”
Comedic Female Monologue
In this scene from Election, uptight high school junior Tracy prays to win a school election.
TRACY: Dear Lord Jesus, I do not often speak with You and ask for things, but now I really must insist that You help me win the election tomorrow, because I deserve it and Paul Metzier doesn’t, as You well know. l realize that it was Your divine hand that disqualified Tammy, and now I’m asking that You go that one last mile and make sure to put me in office where I belong, so that I may carry out Your will on Earth as it is in Heaven. If elected I promise that I will pray more often. Okay? Amen.
Dramatic Male Monologue
In this dramatic monologue from Footloose, Ren tries to convince the Reverend Shaw that dancing isn’t harmful.
REN: I just wanted to say a few words, cuz I think this idea scares a lot of people. It shouldn’t. (Unfolds a piece of paper, clears his throat, reads:) “From the oldest times, people danced for many reasons. They danced so their crops would be plentiful or so that their hunt would be good. They danced to show their community spirit, and they danced to celebrate. And that’s the dancing we’re talking about.”
And aren’t we told – excuse me, Reverend – aren’t we told in Psalm 149 to “praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song. Let them praise his Name in the dance?” (He looks to Shaw who, stunned, slowly sits.) And it was King David… King David who we read about in Samuel. And what did David do? What did David do? (Stalls, trying to find the passage:) What did David do? (He finds it.) Ah! “David danced before the Lord with all his might. Leaping and dancing before the Lord.” (Shows the Bible to the Council Members.) Leaping and dancing. And Ecclesiastes assures us that, “There is a time to every purpose under heaven – a time to laugh and a time to weep. There is a time to mourn and there is a time to dance.” There was a time for this law, but not anymore. And this is our time. Our time to celebrate life. That’s the way it was in the beginning, the way it’s always been and that’s the way it should be now. Thank you.
Comedic Male Monologue
In another one-minute monologue, slacker high school student Travis shows his heart when he learns he has achieved a record for number of tardies in a row.
TRAVIS: Thank you, thank-you. This is so unexpected. I didn’t even have a speech prepared… But I would like to say this… tardiness is not something you can do all on your own. Many, many people had to contribute. I’d like to thank my parents for never driving me to school and the L.A. bus drivers for taking a chance on an unknown kid and last, but not least, the wonderful crew at McDonald’s for the long hours they spend making Egg McMuffins, without which I might never be tardy. Thank you.
Play Monologue
Taken from the highly successful play Brighton Beach Memoirs, this dramatic monologue shows a teen processing her feelings toward her family.
NORA: I can’t believe it. You mean it’s alright for you to leave us but it wasn’t alright for me to leave you?
It was my future. Why couldn’t I have something to say about it? I need to be independent.
So I have to give up the one chance I may never get again, is that it? I’m the one who has to pay for what you couldn’t do with your own life. I’m not judging you. I can’t even talk to you. I don’t exist to you. I have tried so hard to get close to you, but there was never any room. Whatever you had to give went to Daddy, and when he died, whatever was left you gave to Laurie…
….I have been jealous my whole life of Laurie because she was lucky enough to be born sick. I could never turn a light on in my room at night or read in bed because Laurie always needed her precious sleep. I could never have a friend over on the weekends because Laurie was always resting. I used to pray I’d get some terrible disease or get hit by a car so I’d have a leg all twisted and crippled and then once, maybe just once, I’d get to crawl into bed next to you on a cold rainy night and talk to you and hold you until I fell asleep in your arms…just once…
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