Open Forum

You've probably seen the Do Not Sing List videos that go over the songs you should never audition with (my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAlDGX5Y6g). I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has suffered through the same monologue over and over again (though the past few years I have been very clear with students that there are some monologues they will not perform). Here's my list, and I'd love to see yours, so I can warn my students for future auditions. And I am not necessarily suggesting that the monologues are bad, but only that I have heard them way too many times, and when a student performs one of them, it almost always means they searched for monologues and have not read the play they came from.

"I need detention!" Yeah, the girl's name is Harm, and you spent 30 seconds googling a monologue.

"I don't like to be touched." Let me guess: your name is Harm.

"Neverland 911, what's your emergency?" For one audition, three girls used this. I ranted to every class afterwards that they would never again use a monologue in which the character was talking on the phone.

"I kissed a boy once. At least, I tried to." The first time it was cute. The second time was fine, the tenth time was unbearable. And please see the note about googling a monologue.

"It does not say RSVP on the statue of Liberty." Yeah, that's not from a play. And are you just copying the actress? Oh, you just pronounced "Haitians" correctly, so  you don't even know what this is from.

"Let me tell you something about Janis Ian." I love Mean Girls too (that's why I always wear pink on Wednesdays) but again, that's not from a play. What's worse is when the girl doesn't realize the point of the monologue is to show just how ignorant and stupid Regina George is.

"I ate the divorce papers, Charles." And I'm eating your audition sheet.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero." Nope.

"I'm in line to see William Shatner." Hmm, I'm starting sense a pattern here. And thanks for auditioning. Next! 

Ken, are you talking about auditioning for plays or do you use auditions for other purposes (like a club or class or something)? 

Do any of you have students select their audition from outside of the script? If so, why? I can't think of an upside to doing that instead of pulling monologues and scenes from the play itself. 

You've probably seen the Do Not Sing List videos that go over the songs you should never audition with (my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAlDGX5Y6g). I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has suffered through the same monologue over and over again (though the past few years I have been very clear with students that there are some monologues they will not perform). Here's my list, and I'd love to see yours, so I can warn my students for future auditions. And I am not necessarily suggesting that the monologues are bad, but only that I have heard them way too many times, and when a student performs one of them, it almost always means they searched for monologues and have not read the play they came from.

"I need detention!" Yeah, the girl's name is Harm, and you spent 30 seconds googling a monologue.

"I don't like to be touched." Let me guess: your name is Harm.

"Neverland 911, what's your emergency?" For one audition, three girls used this. I ranted to every class afterwards that they would never again use a monologue in which the character was talking on the phone.

"I kissed a boy once. At least, I tried to." The first time it was cute. The second time was fine, the tenth time was unbearable. And please see the note about googling a monologue.

"It does not say RSVP on the statue of Liberty." Yeah, that's not from a play. And are you just copying the actress? Oh, you just pronounced "Haitians" correctly, so  you don't even know what this is from.

"Let me tell you something about Janis Ian." I love Mean Girls too (that's why I always wear pink on Wednesdays) but again, that's not from a play. What's worse is when the girl doesn't realize the point of the monologue is to show just how ignorant and stupid Regina George is.

"I ate the divorce papers, Charles." And I'm eating your audition sheet.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero." Nope.

"I'm in line to see William Shatner." Hmm, I'm starting sense a pattern here. And thanks for auditioning. Next! 

You've probably seen the Do Not Sing List videos that go over the songs you should never audition with (my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAlDGX5Y6g). I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has suffered through the same monologue over and over again (though the past few years I have been very clear with students that there are some monologues they will not perform). Here's my list, and I'd love to see yours, so I can warn my students for future auditions. And I am not necessarily suggesting that the monologues are bad, but only that I have heard them way too many times, and when a student performs one of them, it almost always means they searched for monologues and have not read the play they came from.

"I need detention!" Yeah, the girl's name is Harm, and you spent 30 seconds googling a monologue.

"I don't like to be touched." Let me guess: your name is Harm.

"Neverland 911, what's your emergency?" For one audition, three girls used this. I ranted to every class afterwards that they would never again use a monologue in which the character was talking on the phone.

"I kissed a boy once. At least, I tried to." The first time it was cute. The second time was fine, the tenth time was unbearable. And please see the note about googling a monologue.

"It does not say RSVP on the statue of Liberty." Yeah, that's not from a play. And are you just copying the actress? Oh, you just pronounced "Haitians" correctly, so  you don't even know what this is from.

"Let me tell you something about Janis Ian." I love Mean Girls too (that's why I always wear pink on Wednesdays) but again, that's not from a play. What's worse is when the girl doesn't realize the point of the monologue is to show just how ignorant and stupid Regina George is.

"I ate the divorce papers, Charles." And I'm eating your audition sheet.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero." Nope.

"I'm in line to see William Shatner." Hmm, I'm starting sense a pattern here. And thanks for auditioning. Next! 

You've probably seen the Do Not Sing List videos that go over the songs you should never audition with (my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAlDGX5Y6g). I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has suffered through the same monologue over and over again (though the past few years I have been very clear with students that there are some monologues they will not perform). Here's my list, and I'd love to see yours, so I can warn my students for future auditions. And I am not necessarily suggesting that the monologues are bad, but only that I have heard them way too many times, and when a student performs one of them, it almost always means they searched for monologues and have not read the play they came from.

"I need detention!" Yeah, the girl's name is Harm, and you spent 30 seconds googling a monologue.

"I don't like to be touched." Let me guess: your name is Harm.

"Neverland 911, what's your emergency?" For one audition, three girls used this. I ranted to every class afterwards that they would never again use a monologue in which the character was talking on the phone.

"I kissed a boy once. At least, I tried to." The first time it was cute. The second time was fine, the tenth time was unbearable. And please see the note about googling a monologue.

"It does not say RSVP on the statue of Liberty." Yeah, that's not from a play. And are you just copying the actress? Oh, you just pronounced "Haitians" correctly, so  you don't even know what this is from.

"Let me tell you something about Janis Ian." I love Mean Girls too (that's why I always wear pink on Wednesdays) but again, that's not from a play. What's worse is when the girl doesn't realize the point of the monologue is to show just how ignorant and stupid Regina George is.

"I ate the divorce papers, Charles." And I'm eating your audition sheet.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero." Nope.

"I'm in line to see William Shatner." Hmm, I'm starting sense a pattern here. And thanks for auditioning. Next! 

You've probably seen the Do Not Sing List videos that go over the songs you should never audition with (my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAlDGX5Y6g). I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has suffered through the same monologue over and over again (though the past few years I have been very clear with students that there are some monologues they will not perform). Here's my list, and I'd love to see yours, so I can warn my students for future auditions. And I am not necessarily suggesting that the monologues are bad, but only that I have heard them way too many times, and when a student performs one of them, it almost always means they searched for monologues and have not read the play they came from.

"I need detention!" Yeah, the girl's name is Harm, and you spent 30 seconds googling a monologue.

"I don't like to be touched." Let me guess: your name is Harm.

"Neverland 911, what's your emergency?" For one audition, three girls used this. I ranted to every class afterwards that they would never again use a monologue in which the character was talking on the phone.

"I kissed a boy once. At least, I tried to." The first time it was cute. The second time was fine, the tenth time was unbearable. And please see the note about googling a monologue.

"It does not say RSVP on the statue of Liberty." Yeah, that's not from a play. And are you just copying the actress? Oh, you just pronounced "Haitians" correctly, so  you don't even know what this is from.

"Let me tell you something about Janis Ian." I love Mean Girls too (that's why I always wear pink on Wednesdays) but again, that's not from a play. What's worse is when the girl doesn't realize the point of the monologue is to show just how ignorant and stupid Regina George is.

"I ate the divorce papers, Charles." And I'm eating your audition sheet.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero." Nope.

"I'm in line to see William Shatner." Hmm, I'm starting sense a pattern here. And thanks for auditioning. Next! 

You've probably seen the Do Not Sing List videos that go over the songs you should never audition with (my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAlDGX5Y6g). I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has suffered through the same monologue over and over again (though the past few years I have been very clear with students that there are some monologues they will not perform). Here's my list, and I'd love to see yours, so I can warn my students for future auditions. And I am not necessarily suggesting that the monologues are bad, but only that I have heard them way too many times, and when a student performs one of them, it almost always means they searched for monologues and have not read the play they came from.

"I need detention!" Yeah, the girl's name is Harm, and you spent 30 seconds googling a monologue.

"I don't like to be touched." Let me guess: your name is Harm.

"Neverland 911, what's your emergency?" For one audition, three girls used this. I ranted to every class afterwards that they would never again use a monologue in which the character was talking on the phone.

"I kissed a boy once. At least, I tried to." The first time it was cute. The second time was fine, the tenth time was unbearable. And please see the note about googling a monologue.

"It does not say RSVP on the statue of Liberty." Yeah, that's not from a play. And are you just copying the actress? Oh, you just pronounced "Haitians" correctly, so  you don't even know what this is from.

"Let me tell you something about Janis Ian." I love Mean Girls too (that's why I always wear pink on Wednesdays) but again, that's not from a play. What's worse is when the girl doesn't realize the point of the monologue is to show just how ignorant and stupid Regina George is.

"I ate the divorce papers, Charles." And I'm eating your audition sheet.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero." Nope.

"I'm in line to see William Shatner." Hmm, I'm starting sense a pattern here. And thanks for auditioning. Next! 

You've probably seen the Do Not Sing List videos that go over the songs you should never audition with (my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAlDGX5Y6g). I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has suffered through the same monologue over and over again (though the past few years I have been very clear with students that there are some monologues they will not perform). Here's my list, and I'd love to see yours, so I can warn my students for future auditions. And I am not necessarily suggesting that the monologues are bad, but only that I have heard them way too many times, and when a student performs one of them, it almost always means they searched for monologues and have not read the play they came from.

"I need detention!" Yeah, the girl's name is Harm, and you spent 30 seconds googling a monologue.

"I don't like to be touched." Let me guess: your name is Harm.

"Neverland 911, what's your emergency?" For one audition, three girls used this. I ranted to every class afterwards that they would never again use a monologue in which the character was talking on the phone.

"I kissed a boy once. At least, I tried to." The first time it was cute. The second time was fine, the tenth time was unbearable. And please see the note about googling a monologue.

"It does not say RSVP on the statue of Liberty." Yeah, that's not from a play. And are you just copying the actress? Oh, you just pronounced "Haitians" correctly, so  you don't even know what this is from.

"Let me tell you something about Janis Ian." I love Mean Girls too (that's why I always wear pink on Wednesdays) but again, that's not from a play. What's worse is when the girl doesn't realize the point of the monologue is to show just how ignorant and stupid Regina George is.

"I ate the divorce papers, Charles." And I'm eating your audition sheet.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero." Nope.

"I'm in line to see William Shatner." Hmm, I'm starting sense a pattern here. And thanks for auditioning. Next! 

You've probably seen the Do Not Sing List videos that go over the songs you should never audition with (my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAlDGX5Y6g). I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has suffered through the same monologue over and over again (though the past few years I have been very clear with students that there are some monologues they will not perform). Here's my list, and I'd love to see yours, so I can warn my students for future auditions. And I am not necessarily suggesting that the monologues are bad, but only that I have heard them way too many times, and when a student performs one of them, it almost always means they searched for monologues and have not read the play they came from.

"I need detention!" Yeah, the girl's name is Harm, and you spent 30 seconds googling a monologue.

"I don't like to be touched." Let me guess: your name is Harm.

"Neverland 911, what's your emergency?" For one audition, three girls used this. I ranted to every class afterwards that they would never again use a monologue in which the character was talking on the phone.

"I kissed a boy once. At least, I tried to." The first time it was cute. The second time was fine, the tenth time was unbearable. And please see the note about googling a monologue.

"It does not say RSVP on the statue of Liberty." Yeah, that's not from a play. And are you just copying the actress? Oh, you just pronounced "Haitians" correctly, so  you don't even know what this is from.

"Let me tell you something about Janis Ian." I love Mean Girls too (that's why I always wear pink on Wednesdays) but again, that's not from a play. What's worse is when the girl doesn't realize the point of the monologue is to show just how ignorant and stupid Regina George is.

"I ate the divorce papers, Charles." And I'm eating your audition sheet.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero." Nope.

"I'm in line to see William Shatner." Hmm, I'm starting sense a pattern here. And thanks for auditioning. Next! 

You've probably seen the Do Not Sing List videos that go over the songs you should never audition with (my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAlDGX5Y6g). I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has suffered through the same monologue over and over again (though the past few years I have been very clear with students that there are some monologues they will not perform). Here's my list, and I'd love to see yours, so I can warn my students for future auditions. And I am not necessarily suggesting that the monologues are bad, but only that I have heard them way too many times, and when a student performs one of them, it almost always means they searched for monologues and have not read the play they came from.

"I need detention!" Yeah, the girl's name is Harm, and you spent 30 seconds googling a monologue.

"I don't like to be touched." Let me guess: your name is Harm.

"Neverland 911, what's your emergency?" For one audition, three girls used this. I ranted to every class afterwards that they would never again use a monologue in which the character was talking on the phone.

"I kissed a boy once. At least, I tried to." The first time it was cute. The second time was fine, the tenth time was unbearable. And please see the note about googling a monologue.

"It does not say RSVP on the statue of Liberty." Yeah, that's not from a play. And are you just copying the actress? Oh, you just pronounced "Haitians" correctly, so  you don't even know what this is from.

"Let me tell you something about Janis Ian." I love Mean Girls too (that's why I always wear pink on Wednesdays) but again, that's not from a play. What's worse is when the girl doesn't realize the point of the monologue is to show just how ignorant and stupid Regina George is.

"I ate the divorce papers, Charles." And I'm eating your audition sheet.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero." Nope.

"I'm in line to see William Shatner." Hmm, I'm starting sense a pattern here. And thanks for auditioning. Next! 

You've probably seen the Do Not Sing List videos that go over the songs you should never audition with (my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAlDGX5Y6g). I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has suffered through the same monologue over and over again (though the past few years I have been very clear with students that there are some monologues they will not perform). Here's my list, and I'd love to see yours, so I can warn my students for future auditions. And I am not necessarily suggesting that the monologues are bad, but only that I have heard them way too many times, and when a student performs one of them, it almost always means they searched for monologues and have not read the play they came from.

"I need detention!" Yeah, the girl's name is Harm, and you spent 30 seconds googling a monologue.

"I don't like to be touched." Let me guess: your name is Harm.

"Neverland 911, what's your emergency?" For one audition, three girls used this. I ranted to every class afterwards that they would never again use a monologue in which the character was talking on the phone.

"I kissed a boy once. At least, I tried to." The first time it was cute. The second time was fine, the tenth time was unbearable. And please see the note about googling a monologue.

"It does not say RSVP on the statue of Liberty." Yeah, that's not from a play. And are you just copying the actress? Oh, you just pronounced "Haitians" correctly, so  you don't even know what this is from.

"Let me tell you something about Janis Ian." I love Mean Girls too (that's why I always wear pink on Wednesdays) but again, that's not from a play. What's worse is when the girl doesn't realize the point of the monologue is to show just how ignorant and stupid Regina George is.

"I ate the divorce papers, Charles." And I'm eating your audition sheet.

"I've always dreamed of being a hero." Nope.

"I'm in line to see William Shatner." Hmm, I'm starting sense a pattern here. And thanks for auditioning. Next! 

We encourage students and teachers to review the National Individual Events Guide thoroughly so they become aware of the rules and regulations. This helps prevent any confusion when presenting at the state or national level.  While we ask for the states to adhere to the guidelines, it is ultimately the responsibility of the students and teachers to verify details to ensure compliance with the I.E. rules and regulations. 

Rachel - I will reach out to you separately so we may discuss further. 

Please find information below from the National Individual Events Guide – Pages 4-5

Acceptable Material / Non-musical NIEs performance events:

      1.Selections from full-length or one-act plays and musicals, and published by:

• Broadway Play Publishing
• Dramatic Publishing
• Dramatists Play Service
• Music Theatre International
• Playscripts, Inc.
• Rodgers & Hammerstein Theatricals
• Samuel French, Inc.
• Smith and Kraus
• Tams-Witmark
• The Musical Company
• Theatrefolk
• Theatrical Rights Worldwide
• YouthPLAYS
• Any public domain play written prior to 1923

2. The only D.M. Larson selection available for use in NIEs are from the plays listed below. All other D.M. Larson monologues will result in a disqualification.

• Beauty IS a Beast - ISBN-13: 978-1511495967
• Big Nose - ISBN-13: 978-1542471077
• Death of an Insurance Salesman - ISBN-13: 978-1518665547
• Ebony Scrooge - ISBN-13: 978-1537655239
• Flowers in the Desert - ISBN-13: 978-1530169085
• Holka Polka! - ISBN-13: 978-1502445490
• Operation Redneck - ISBN-13: 978-1540824349
• Somebody Famous - ISBN-13: 978-1539753483
• Superhero Support Group - ISBN-13: 978-1540471772
• My William Shatner Man Crush - ISBN-13: 978-1505910155 To Be A Star - ISBN-13: 978-1541300200

3. Exceptions can be made for publishing companies not listed above (e.g., foreign publishing houses). Exceptions will need to be submitted nationally by April 1, 2019. Each chapter will have their own requirement for timing for their exceptions, but all exceptions will need to be approved by Events Assistant Manager, Becca Wren. The form can be found in Appendix B (page 29).

4. The following are unacceptable material for non-musical NIEs performance events:

• Author-only permission.
• Any play (or monologue from a musical) not published by one of the publishers listed above or by a pre-approved publishing company.