Consider the parts you’ve been cast in before and the parts you most frequently audition for. Think about asking actors or directors you’ve worked with to tell you what they think your type is – it is surprising how different an outside opinion can be from our self-perception!

Although as an actor you might feel capable of playing a wide variety of roles, an audition is not usually the best place to be too experimental. If the casting director is startled by an odd choice of material, it may take his or her focus away from your performance.

Find Audition Pieces

It’s a good idea to have several monologues of contrasting style ready to go at all times. A few classical and a few contemporary, with variety in tone, style and rhythm, will give you a good arsenal to pull from. The more you have, the less likely it is you’ll miss out on an audition or do poorly because you didn’t have the right type of material ready.