<p>About half of my schools require a classical monologue from before 1800. I have two Shakespeare monologues prepared. Before audition season, I was not well versed and Shakespeare and it definitely can challenge me. I’ve been focusing on the context of the monologue rather than speaking it in verse. None of my schools specifically say “heightened language”, etc. They all just say: One Classical (Pre 1800). If I do my Shakespeare not in verse is that going to hinder my chances of getting in? I think I have a good understanding of the context of the monologue and make good choices but I don’t want to ruin my audition by not doing it in verse.</p>
<p>Every school differs slightly, which can be exasperating. I know that BU requires a classical monologue in verse; none of the other schools my son is considering state that explicitly. Sensitivity to the language is essential, though, and that includes meter and rhyme.</p>
<p>Even when they specify having a piece that is written in verse, there is no expectation that you perform it “verse-like.” In fact, Shakespeare and other verse-written theatre pieces are almost never performed with an adherence to the poetic lines, making the rhymes line up, etc. Everything you perform should be performed as acting, not as reciting poetry. Meter and rhyme are part of the piece’s beauty, but you should always put the acting first. I recommend watching some really good stage versions of Shakespeare any way that you can (live or filmed), to understand how the “verse” is handled.</p>
<p>If you are committed to your Shakespeare monologue and follow the suggestions above, you will very likely be just fine. Good luck!</p>
<p>For other people reading this who are considering whether or not to do a Shakespeare monologue as opposed to another classical monologue…it is my understanding that unless a school requires Shakespeare, as Boston University does, it might be better to choose another playwright.</p>
<p>It is so hard to do Shakespeare “right” that even students with a couple of years of a BFA program under their belt can have trouble pleasing their professors. (Of course, auditors at college auditions would not be as particular.)</p>
<p>The playwright Moli</p>
<p>When Boston University asks for Shakespeare in verse, does it necessarily have to be in rhyming verse? I have several monologues prepared in blank verse and I wonder if that meets the requirements?</p>
<p>@ “DramaQueen” - they say “verse;” you should probably ask a counselor or acting coach whether “rhyme” is mandatory, rather than accepting instructions from anonymous people on this thread.</p>
<p>I’m homeschooled so I have no counselor and I can’t afford an acting coach. I tried calling, but admissions couldn’t give me an answer and said I could email a theatre professor, but that they were all busy and there was a good chance they wouldn’t get back to me. That’s why I’m asking here :)</p>
<p>BU used to post a list of recommended Shakespeare monologues on its website. I hope it’s still there, since that would help a lot with this question. But from what I can recall when my D was researching, the monologues were not exclusively rhyming verse. I do think auditors can be picky about Shakespeare. Yet since it’s so much easier to be familiar with Shakespeare than with other pre-1800 playwrights, and because Shakespeare is pretty much entirely in verse, it is a good choice to have at least one Shakespearean monologue in your repertoire. It’s probably a really good idea to stay away from Ophelia and Juliet, however; you want to show that you’ve explored further than the most obvious young female characters.</p>
<p>Thank you @EmmyBet! That list was a tremendous help! Whew… one less thing to worry about! :D</p>
<p>I also have heard two different theater school reps openly deride Helena from “Midsummer Night’s Dream” as an audition piece when we were visiting schools last summer (they said they have trouble suppressing their groans when girls present it).</p>
<p>@DramaQueen - I’m sorry if I sounded snarky. I would tend to take instructions literally if you don’t have a very reliable source available for other advice. It’s always best to err on the safe side. I don’t think you need to stress the rhymes with Shakespeare, so much as to show a comfort with the style. Shakespeare is tougher for girls, because there simply aren’t that many strong female roles, and the good ones are “done to death.” Boys have an enormous range of roles to choose from (my son prefers the villains).</p>
<p>BU gives specific suggestions for Shakespeare monologues, which they define as “verse:”</p>
<pre><code>Joan La Pucelle from Henry VI; Part I; Act I, scene ii
(“Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd’s daughter…”)
Tamora from Titus Andronicus; Act II, scene ii
(“My lovely Aaron, wherefore looks’t thou sad…”)
Portia from Julia Caesar; Act II, scene i
(“Is Brutus sick? And is it physical…”)
Lady Anne in Richard III; Act I, scene ii
(“Poor key-cold figure of a holy king!”)
Helena, from All’s Well That Ends Well
Portia, from The Merchant of Venice
Cressida, in Troilus and Cressida; Act III, scene ii
(“Boldness comes to me now, and brings me heart…”)
</code></pre>
<p>Cressida & Tamora are evil, and fun to play, but I’m sort of surprised that they’d ask for Tamora, though, since they usually want “age-appropriate” roles, and Tamora has grown (or near-grown) sons. She would presumably be at least in her thirties.</p>
<p>My son is a student at BU and I asked him about this. He said that although verse is required, rhyming verse is not necessary. Just don’t do prose…don’t do clowns and low class characters.</p>
<p>@Stagemum, Don’t worry - I definitely did not perceive your comment as snarky! You gave me very sound and helpful advice! It just was hard for me to follow in my personal situation, but your course of action was certainly correct under normal circumstances! :)</p>
<p>Hi all! I typically just browse here but I saw this thread and had to clarify something, so I made an account.</p>
<p>I am a student at BU, younger than NJTheatreMOM’s son (though I’ve been wondering who he is! Too bad the juniors are off and abroad now until fall!), and the audition requirements have changed in these past two years. Where BU used to require a classical piece, now it is only an OPTION, and Paolo says that he’d rather not see any classical unless it’s really your strength. Here’s the website outlining the requirements: [Performance</a> Audition Requirements College of Fine Arts | Boston University](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/cfa/theatre/prospective/apply/undergraduate/reviews/auditions/]Performance”>http://www.bu.edu/cfa/theatre/prospective/apply/undergraduate/reviews/auditions/) on there it does say that Shakespeare is recommended should you choose to do a classical piece, but not required. It does have to be in verse, but to the OP, that just means the piece itself is written in verse instead of prose- no need to “speak it in verse,” the piece is already either verse or prose, so you don’t need to worry about “doing it in verse” or not. To Dramaqueen4jesus, I’m almost positive blank verse is totally fine at BU, but it’s worth a call to the SOT office just to check.</p>
<p>And as a side note- the program at BU is really remarkable. The training is incredible, and I’m obsessed with my teachers and my class. I love love love love it and couldn’t possibly imagine going anywhere else!</p>
<p>Aha, great info, Lillierose! </p>
<p>If anyone still wants to do Shakespeare for BU, my son says blank verse is fine…but if you wanted to double check, the School of Theatre office is indeed where you should call. </p>
<p>The SOT phone number is 617-353-3390. However, it’s possible that there is only a skeleton staff there until classes resume on Jan 17.</p>
<p>Weighing in here . . .</p>
<p>Shakespeare wrote a great deal in unrhymed verse, quite a bit in prose, and very little in rhymed verse (at least in his plays).</p>
<p>If a school wants “rhymed verse” I think they are going to say so.</p>
<p>If a school says “verse Shakespeare” they are well aware that most of Shakespeare’s verse is unrhymed, and they are expecting “unrhymed Shakespeare (“Blank Verse”)”</p>
<p>If they just say “Shakespeare”, without specifying verse, it seems to me that they will accept either a verse monologue or a prose monologue. As long as it’s by Shakespeare.</p>
<p>If they say “Classical” (as most do) it doesn’t even need to be Shakespeare! Most of the auditioners will of course choose Shakespeare, but this pretty much means that all of Shakespeare’s monologues for younger actors (under 35) have all been done to death by auditioners. Seriously consider a writer other than Shakespeare, one of his contemporaries or near-contemporaries. Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe, and John Webster are three that come to mind. And there are many others. You will really stand out in the crowd of folks who just reached for the complete works of Shakespeare.</p>
<p>There can potentially be a problem with performing a “classical” piece that was originally written in a foreign language (like Moliere, who wrote in French), because sometimes the translation turns the “classical” language into “contemporary”, so it isn’t really a “classical” monologue any more.</p>
<p>If you are struggling with Shakespeare, I heartily recommend that you get a hold of a tv series made in the 80’s by the Royal Shakespeare Company, called “Playing Shakespeare”. This is like attending a masterclass with some of the greatest Shakespearean actors ever. All the episodes are available on Netflix.</p>
<p>We just watched the first disc of “Playing Shakespeare” this past week, and it is superb!</p>
<p>That definitely is a terrific set of DVDs. I gave it to my D last year, but she didn’t watch it until she was done auditioning. I think it’s a little rough on the ego to see Judy Dench et al learning how to be geniuses when you’re just a little HS senior going out and auditioning … </p>
<p>So - don’t let these things scare you, OK?</p>
<p>I totally agree that not doing Shakespeare is a way to show some sophistication and depth, but when my D saw that several schools said they “preferred” Shakespeare, she picked a monologue that she felt suited her and went with it. She didn’t feel she had time to do justice to more than one classical monologue, so she left it at that.</p>