Updated August 24, 2007
Now over 99 monologues

10 industry professionals and theater educators were asked to score 116 frequently done pieces as

1 – I have not seen this monologue
2 – I have seen it but am fine seeing it again
3 – I have seen it so often, it doesn't matter how well an actor does it, I'm completely sick of it!

(A rating of “N.R.” means the monologue was added after the original survey, by the recommendation of at least two people who see many monologues, but was not rated in the original survey).

All of the rated monologues got at least one “3,” and many got several. If a score is higher than “3” it means that one or more industry pros spontaneously gave it a 4 because they had seen it SO much. Actor should read most of these plays however, because many of them are great, and it is important to know the work of these playwrights. The monologues were so good they became overdone.

Note: A main reason the monologues below are overdone is that the plays did well and became known. Rather than be discouraged that the monologue you love is overdone, go to www.Doollee.com and look up one of that writers lesser-known plays! You will often be surprised how much other writing is available.

Average score/Playwright/Year first produced/Char/Identifying line or topic

2.0 BAITZ/The End of the Day/1990/HELEN/I think you married me so as to become an American citizen

2.6 BALL/Five Women Wearing the Same Dress/1993/GEORGANNE/Tommy Valentine

2.6 BALL/Five Women Wearing the Same Dress/1993/ALL OTHERS

2.2 BOGOSIAN/Talk Radio/1985/DENISE/Paranoid caller, spoon in the garbage disposal, etc.

2.3 BOGOSIAN/Talk Radio/1985/LINDA/Sleeping with Barry Champlain

2.9 CRISTOFER/Shadow Box/1975/Beverly/I Want you to come home

2.4 CRISTOFER/Lady and the Clarinet/1989/LUBA/Vomiting on desk of lover's secretary

1.8 DANIELS/Apartment 3A/1996/ANNIE/Sesame Street telethon speech

NR DORFMAN/Death and the Maiden/1991/PAULINA/When I heard his voice last night

3.0 DURANG/'Dentitiy Crisis/1978/JANE/Peter Pan monologue

3.4 DURANG/Laughing Wild/1987/WOMAN/Tunafish monologue THE WINNER!

NR FORNES/Fefu and her Friends/1977/ALL

NR GARDNER/A Thousand Clowns/1962/SANDRA/I didn't go to work this morning (blouse speech)

NR GERSHE/Butterflies are Free/1969/Jill Tanner/ALL

NR GILMAN/Spinning into Butter/1999/SARAH/ALL

2.7 GUARE/Marco Polo Sings A Solo/1977/DIANE/I really started cookin' when I was eight

2.6 GUARE/Landscape of the Body/1984/ROSALIS/Gorilla suit - porn audition speech

3.1 GUARE/House of Blue Leaves/1986/Bananas/Picks up the Pope, Bob Hope, Jackie Kennedy, etc. in
       the Green Latrine

2.8 GUARE/House of Blue Leaves/1986/BUNNY/I won't cook for you til you marry me

NR GUEST/Waiting for Guffman/1996/Libby Mae Brown's audition (bonus features)

NR HAMPTON / Dangerous Liaisons/1985/ALL

2.0 HANLEY/Slow Dance on the Killing Ground/1970/ROSIE/Losing virginity speech

1.8 HARRINGTON/Night Luster/1983/ROMA/I don't think people see me…voice to die for…etc

2.8 HENLEY/Crimes of the Heart/1979/ALL

2.3 HOWE/The Art of Dining/1979/ELIZABETH BARROW COLT/Mealtime was the same as it had always
       been

2.6 JOHNSON/Brilliant Traces/1988/ROSANNAH/I was standing in the back of the church

2.7 JOHNSON/Brilliant Traces/1988/ROSANNAH/Did you ever think you were visited by extraterrestrials

NR KANE/4:48 Psychosis/2000/ALL

NR KAYSEN/Girl, Interrupted/1999/ALL

2.7 KORDER/Search and Destroy/1992/MARIE/Movie pitch/penis claw monologue

1.7 KRAMER/Wall of Water/1998/CHARACTER/Last cigarette speech

2.4 KUSHNER/A Bright Room Called Day/1987/ZILLAH/Dear Mr. President

2.4 KUSHNER/Angels in America : Perestroika/1992/HARPER/Night flight to San Francisco …

2.5 LONERGAN/Lobby Hero/2001/DAWN/ALL

2.7 LUCAS/Blue Window/1984/LIBBY/Speech about falling off the balcony with her husband Marty

2.4 MAMET/Oleanna/CAROL/1992/You did it to me. Here

2.5 MAMET/Oleanna/CAROL/1992/Other monologues

NR MARGULIES/Collected Stories/1996/Lisa/ALL

NR MARTIN/Talking With/1981/ALL

NR MARTIN/Vital Signs/1989/ALL

2.4 MARTIN/Picasso at the Lapin Agile/1998/SUZANNE/Sleeping with Picasso

2.3 MARTIN/Picasso at the Lapin Agile/1998/ALL OTHERS

NR MARTIN/Patter for the Floating Lady/1995/ANGIE/Sand in the tennis shoe

2.9 MASTRIOSIMONE/Woolgatherer/1979/ROSE/Sees the birds at the zoo get killed by the boys

2.7 MASTRIOSIMONE/Extremities/1980/MARJORIE/Police. Charges. Arraignment.

2.7 MASTRIOSIMONE/Shivaree/1983/SHIVAREE/Well sport you can dance for dance

NR MAY/Not Enough Rope/1962/Edith/All

NR MCNALLY/Bad Habits/Dolly/1971/Complaining to the doctor about her husband

1.8 MURRAY-SMITH/Honor/1995/SOPHIE/I wish I was…like you

NR NASH/The Rainmaker/1954LIZZIE/ALL

2.1 NIGRO/Seascape with Sharks and Dancer/1985/TRACY/Problem with loving squashable animals

2.6 NORMAN/Getting Out/1977/ARLIE/Frog squishing speech

2.8 NORMAN /'Night Mother/1982/JESSIE/I am what became of your child

2.6 PATRICK/Kennedy's Children/1973/CARLA/I wanted to be a sex goddess

NR PIELMEIRER/Agnes of God/1979/ALL

NR RABE/Hurlyburly/1984/ALL

2.6 RABE/In the Boom Boom Room/1973/CHRISSY/…and a piece of meat is all I am

2.7 RABE/In the Boom Boom Room/1973/ALL OTHERS

2.9 REBECK/Loose Knit/1994/MARGIEI want you to f*** me in that car of yours

2.5 REBECK/Spike Heels/1994/GEORGIE/Who made up these rules, do you actually think we're buying it

2.5 REBECK/Spike Heels/1994/ALL OTHERS

NR SHANGE/For Colored Girls…./1975/ALL

NR SHANLEY/The Big funk/1990/JILL/I'm talking to you from my subconscious mind

2.7 SHANLEY/Savage in Limbo/1984/SAVAGE/I feel strong

2.6 SHANLEY/Savage in Limbo/1984/ALL OTHERS

NR SHANLEY/Where's my Money?/2002/ALL

2.5 SHANLEY/Women of Manhattan/1985/RHONDA/Why she keeps his tennis shoes

2.6 SHANLEY/Women of Manhattan/1985/ALL OTHERS

2.0 SHENGOLD/Lives of the Great Waitresses/1996/TAMMIE SUE/About the ugly guy who was great in bed

NR SHEPARD/Buried Child/1978/SHELLEY/ALL

2.9 SHEPARD/Cowboy Mouth/1971/CAVALE/You're so neat - ugly duckling speech

NR SHEPARD/Fool for Love/1983/MAE/ALL

2.0 SHINN/Other People/2000/PETRA/Fish stew speech

2.9 SILVER et al /A…My Name is Alice/1983/WOMAN/Yelling at the jock strap in the wash

2.8 SILVER et al/A…My Name is Still Alice/1984/WOMAN/Bridal registry

3.0 SILVER/Fat Men In Skirts/1991/POPO MARTIN/My name is Popo Martin

2.4 SILVER/The Food Chain/1994/Amanda/Waiter asked if I was alone

2.9 SIMON/Star Spangled Girl/1966/SOPHIE/Mr. Cornell, ah have tried to be neighborly, gooey chocolates

2.7 SIMON/Last of the Red Hot Lovers/1969/JEANETTE/Do you know Charlotte Korman

2.7 SIMON/Chapter Two/1977/Jennie/You know what you want better than me George

2.7 SIMON/Brighton Beach Memoirs/1983/NORA/Papa's coat pocket

NR SIMON/Virtually any female character from Neil Simon's major plays

2.0 SLADE/Romantic Comedy/1979/PHOEBE/Marshmallows out the nose

2.1 SONDHEIM/Assassins/1990/SQUEAKY FROMME/Charlie Manson speech

2.5 SON/Stop Kiss/1998/CALLIE/Talking to unconscious girlfriend in hospital

NR TAYLOR&BOLOGNA/Lovers and Other Strangers/1968/ALL

NR TESICH/Passing Game/1977/JULIE/Richard, are you asleep?

2.7 TOPOR/Nuts/1980/CLAUDIA/I used to say I love you to the moon and down again

2.7 TOPOR/Nuts/1980/CLAUDIA/ALL OTHERS

NR VOGEL/How I Learned to Drive/1997/ALL

2.7 WADE/Key Exchange/1986/LISA/Father built sandbox for dying mother to watch kids

NR WAGNER/Search for Signs of Intelligent Life…/1985/ALL

2.4 WASSERSTEIN/Uncommon Women and Others/1975/MUFFET/…this French dish comes into class

2.9 WASSERSTEIN/Uncommon Women and Others/1975/RITA/Menstrual blood speech

2.5 WASSERSTEIN/Uncommon Women and Others/1975/ALL OTHERS

2.6 WELLER/Split/1977/MARGE/Stevie Wonder

N.R. WILLIAMS/Major female roles by Tennessee Williams are extremely well known; they are classics
       and not in the ‘overdone' category, but actors should know how well known they are and have a
       reason for choosing them.

2.1 WILSON/The Gingham Dog/1968/GLORIA/I used to pray, I really did

2.9 WOLFE/The Colored Museum/1986/TOPSY/Yoho! Party! Party!

MORE OVERDONE MONOLOGUES
There have already been more suggestions for the overdone lists, and additions will be put up periodically. To be notified of these updates, join the newsletter list. If you see a lot of monologue auditions, and want to suggest overdone monologues, please send them in.

Go to
Overdone Monologues! – how the survey was done and what it reveals
More survey results – more opinions and preferences on material choice
Overdone Shakespeare
Men's overdone monologues

Copyright 2007 by Karen Kohlhaas
Survey from www.monologueaudition.com
Individuals have permission to duplicate or distribute this article if done so in its entirety.

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