Performance Theater applicants are required to submit a recorded performance two to four minutes in length of their performance of a monologue cut from a published play.

Selecting and performing the monologue:

1. Follow the directions: Select a speech from a published play. Do not substitute something you have written, a poem, a passage from a book or anything that is not dramatic literature. You want a well created character to interpret. A published play provides the best material through which you can display your skills.  In addition to your technical skills--voice, movement and expression--the judges are looking at your ability to understand and interpret dramatic (comic or tragic) literature.

2.  If you wish to find a monologue from a play in which you have not previously acted, consider the following:

A. Search for monologues online.  Be sure to select a monologue that is credited to a published play.  Track down the play and read it so that your performance shows an understanding of its overall themes and message.  Many one-act plays and longer scripts can be found online.  If a monologue is not credited to a published play, it is best avoided.

B. Anthologies of monologues are NOT recommended.  Most monologue collections, especially those created for teens, are not cut from published plays.  If you do consult an anthology, make sure a monologue is credited to a published play, then track down the play and read it, to best inform your performance.  If a monologue is not credited to a published play, it is best avoided.

3. Select a character within your understanding and range.

4. It is acceptable to use a monologue from a musical theater production but it may not be a singing part.

5. Some applicants have had success putting together two of the character’s consecutive shorter speeches from a scene, to create a fuller monologue if necessary.

6. Follow the directions: Select just one monologue/one character. This is a solo performance: no one else may be present in the recording.

7. The monologue should be no less than 2 minutes in length, to make sure you provide enough evidence of what you can do with a character, that you have established what is going on, how the character feels and what may be the outcome.  The monologue should be no more than 4 minutes in length.

8. Remember that your performance should demonstrate your ability to create a character and communicate meaning by integrating voice, movement and expression.

9. Memorize the monologue. Reading from a script restricts the actor’s energy, movement and expression.

10. Costumes, make-up and props are not recommended.

Making the video recording on VHS videotape or DVD:

1.    DO NOT LEAVE THE RECORDING PROCESS TO THE LAST MINUTE.  Deadlines are firm and cannot be changed for individuals.

2.    Remember to introduce yourself and what you are performing at the beginning of the recording.

3.    DO NOT SUBSTITUTE CLIPS FROM PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES.  This is not allowed because clips from previous performances have never provided judges with an appropriate visual performance to evaluate.

4.    Most school athletic, technology and/or audio/visual departments have DVD video recording equipment and someone who knows how to operate it.  Some churches, temples, YMCAs, local theater troupes and dance studios may also have recording equipment. 

5.    DVD (preferred):  If using a digital camera, or a traditional video camera that can be hooked up to a computer, make a standard-sized DVD, not a CD.  Play it on more than one DVD player if you can, to make sure it plays on different equipment.  Label it immediately:  You do not want to accidentally turn in the wrong DVD.  Make a back-up copy:  If the recording is lost or damaged, a copy can save the day.

Most school computer labs have Mac techonology, which easily produces a DVD recording.  The process requires a digital camera, a cable for downloading from the camera to the computer and iMovie software, which allows for editing and DVD burning.  PC technology also requires a cable from the camera.  The most common software for PC DVD production is Avid Express.  Windows Moviemaker allows editing but it will not export to a DVD.

6.    Videotapes (only if DVD recording is not possible):  If you make a VHS format videotape, it must be full-size.  If the performance has been recorded with a palmcorder, the tape must be copied to a full-size videotape.  Do not submit a small tape in the adapter from your personal VCR: this rarely works and adapters can be lost or damaged. Buy a new tape for the application recording.  Play the tape back to make sure it is functioning.  Be sure to rewind it to the beginning.  Label it immediately: You do not want to accidentally submit a tape of your family’s vacation or the last movie you rented from Block Buster.  Make a back up copy: If the tape is lost or damaged, a copy can save the day.

7.    Select an empty, clutter-free, spacious area in which to perform, such as an empty stage or a school TV video production area.  Make sure the space does not echo and that your voice is audible.

8.    Avoid glare or back lighting that casts the performance in silhouette.  Avoid dim lighting. Do not film in front of windows or mirrors or a distracting or cluttered background.  If you must film in front of a window or mirror, cover it with a sheet or curtain. 

9.    The camera should be set on a tripod or on a steady surface, level with the performer.  The camera should be back far enough from the performer to keep the full body and head in the frame but not so far away as to lose sight of the finer movements and facial expression.  The camera should only move if it is necessary to keep the dancer in the frame.  Zoom shots and choppy camera movement must be avoided.

10.    Make sure the sound is synchronized with the picture and that it is picked up clearly.

11.    Review the recording immediately.  Does the camera show the full body and face clearly? Is the sound clear? Is the lighting appropriate? Is the image in focus? Are you happy with the performance?  If the answer to any of those questions is “No,” do it over.