PART TWO: Contrast

Contrast: to compare in order to show unlikeness or differences

Most if not all auditions require two contrasting pieces. And if they don't, you should always have contrasting monologues ready to go. It's amazing how many auditions I've sat in where I couldn't tell the difference between the monologues.

Contrast shows your versatility as an actor. Choose monologues that are unlike each other. That have differences. Keep in mind, they still need a show off quality, and they still need to be right for you.

Types of Contrast

Character: What makes the characters different in each piece? How do they physically move about the space? What emotion does each character experience? Are the stories for each character similar or different?

Sound: Read the monologues aloud. Sometimes monologues that look different on the page become similar when spoken. Do the pieces sound similar? Do they move at the same pace? Is the vocabulary different?

Period: Pair Shakespeare, Euripides or Moliere with something modern. The Importance of Being Ernest with Mamet. A Fedeau farce with Arthur Miller.

Genre: Classical, Absurd, Naturalistic, Modern, Post modern, Melodrama, Comedy, Drama, the list goes on. Don't use two pieces in the same style of writing.

Mood: Contrast giddy with serious. Which of the following moods contrast well together: expectation, peaceful, frightened, joy, anger, charming, frustration, warmth, playful, condescending, upbeat, festive, sombre, whimsical, anxious, sad, bored, excited, passionate. Define the mood in your monologue.

Pace: Pace is an excellent way to establish contrast. Some pieces will have the pace organically built in through the sentence structure: pauses, run on sentences, clipped short sentences. If not, look at the character. How urgently do they want to share their story? What tactics do they use to get what they want? Let the character determine the pace.