ddurkin223

I have a monologue that's very interesting. However, it contains a lot of language. I think the language could be deleted fairly easily or should I maintain the integrity of the original script? Does NYU care at auditions on something like profanity?

alwaysamom

I'm going to include a link to a post by a friend of a friend who is in the theatre biz in San Francisco. He posted this recently to give some insight into the audition process, and the choice of audition material. He wasn't specifically referring to college auditions but the advice is good, regardless.

http://community.livejournal.com/broadway/1869811.html

I don't think that it's a good idea to edit monologues for college auditions, or for auditions in general. If a monologue isn't appropriate in its entirety, the way that it was written for the play, I wouldn't use it. As for profanity, I'm not sure that it's so much a case of NYU caring about it, but more a case of it being distracting to the process. This is obviously just my opinion but I would keep looking if I were you. What is the monologue, by the way?

ddurkin223

The play is "Life During Wartime" by keith reddin. The monologue is detailing his not-so-good day to his mother. The boy encounters some violent individuals which is the source of the language. I should mention that the monologue is comedic in the boys' telling of the story; it isn't angry yelling or melodramatic emoting.

i.e.
"then the guy says 'hey p***y, we're going for a ride'"

Mainstage

Don't stress....just change the "p" word.

ddurkin223

i didn't think it would be a problem, it would work fine with the profanity simply taken out

KatMT

I think it is a good idea to remove the profanity... this is the case for college auditions and MT auditions in general. It is a different story if you are auditioning for a David Mamet play.

RoyaleWithCheese

I've been told the opposite. My teacher usually encourages keeping the profanity. First of all, the monologue was written to include the language. Secondly, it helps to show the college that you can deal with mature material. As an actor, you can't view it as a "bad line" or a "profane line". A line is a line, with profanity or without.

NotMamaRose

Wasn't there a thread about this previously? I seem to recall that, several months ago, there was a long discussion somewhere on this list about whether students should use audition monologues that *might* potentially (by language, content, etc.) offend an adjudicator. I am in a hurry right now and can't take the time to search, but perhaps ddurkin can search. Many people (if I recall correctly) posited it is better not to risk it.

chrisnoo

I think that rule about profanity is to encourage kids to not choose monologues with excessive profanity, with them thinking that if they shock the auditioners, they will be remembered and have a better chance of getting in. Whatever the case may be, I would say if it is simply one word in your whole monologue, you might want to keep it, or change it just to be completely safe. If your whole monologue is littered with profanity...time to get a new one.

Chris