Which Shakespeare monologue or soliloquy is best for a Shakespearean acting company?

I want to audition for a Shakespearean acting company and want to know which monologue or soliloquy from Shakespeare should I use in my audition. I am a male, but honestly I prefer to do a female monologue or soliloquy because they are much more emotional and dramatic, such as Lady Anne in Richard III or Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, and I think I will be able to show my acting ability if I select a female part for the audition. But since I am a male, I figure I should do a monologue or soliloquy from a male.

You should have both male and female. Depending on if the Shakespearean company casts according to the actual Shakespearean ways or if they cast according to gender (In Shakespeare's time women weren't allowed to act, so men played the women's roles which is often very played up in his comedies) ((for example in Twelfth Knight where a man is playing a woman playing a man))

Have a dramatic and comedic monologue for both male and female (that's 4 monologues I know, but if you can have them all down, you're in good shape) Start with your male monologues (comedic or dramatic as appropriate) and if they ask for another, ask them if they'd like to hear a female monologue. If they ask for a female and don't specify comedic or dramatic, I'd go with comedic because it would show your abilities as a character actor which are found in all Shakespeare plays including the tragedies.

Also, it can be interesting to do a dramatic monologue from a comedy (Theseus from Midsummer) or a comedic monologue from a drama/history/tragedy (Hamlet w/ the grave digger in Hamlet) Shows you know your Shakespeare.

As for female monologues, choose something that fits your type. I usually go with Helena from Midsummer because I'm tall, but a great dramatic monologue that I like is Juliet when she's contemplating taking the poison and starts freaking out about being laid in the tomb with the bones of the dead. Just as effective as Lady Macbeth trying to wipe out the spot and not as widely used.

Often you can find great comedic/character monologues for either gender by looking at the secondary characters rather than the lead roles.

Hope that helps. Break a leg!

Mara Lefler auditions for Kingsmen Shakespeare Company

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