Ultimate Guide to Competitions

“The time is near

So near it’s stirring the blood in their veins!”

What time is it? (Showtime!) It’s competition time. Monologues, scenes, one acts. The season is nearing, perhaps it’s looming, or maybe you’re hiding under your pillow in complete denial. You need material for your students and if you have to see the same set of monologues one more time this year…. Who knows but it won’t be pretty.

Do not fear. Don’t fear the reaper and don’t fear the search for competition material. We’re here to help.

Competition Monologues and Scenes

The pieces in our monologue and scene collections all come from published plays (and they all can be found at Theatrefolk.com so it’s a one stop shop if you need to produce the play). Each selection comes with a time, description and staging suggestions. Middle School Teacher? Check out the Stand Alone collections. Most are middle school appropriate and those that we think are on the edge are clearly identified.

Competition Monologues

A collection of monologues for both guys and girls perfect for auditions, competitions, and class work. All monologues come from published Theatrefolk plays.

Competition Monologues: Book Two

Specifically geared for students, this collection contains a wide variety of characters, genres and lengths. The monologues come from plays published by Theatrefolk and include approximate timing, character/story background, and performance suggestions.

Stand Alone Monologue for Girls

Stand Alone: Monologues for Girls has 21 monologues for competition, classwork, and auditions. Each monologue comes with a synopsis, staging suggestions, and a description of the moment before.

Stand Alone Monologues for Guys

Stand Alone: Monologues for Guys has 19 monologues for competition, classwork, and auditions. Each monologue comes with a synopsis, staging suggestions, and a description of the moment before.

Competition Scenes: Duets

Are you looking for challenging scenes for two actors? This collection is tailored for student actors, and contains a wide variety of characters, genres and lengths. Ideal for competitions and in-class work.

The Middle School Scene Book

A collection of comedic, character-driven, and challenging scenes for the middle school students. Perfect for classwork or for IE Competitions.

Plays for Competitions:

Still haven’t found the right play yet? Our plays have done amazing in one-act festivals and competitions. Here’s a top ten list – every one is a winner.

Top Ten Plays for Competition Pieces

You want winning plays. You want plays that fit competition rules. You want something that’s going to be easy to stage if you’re performing away from home. You want to give your students an interesting piece to take to competition, regardless of whether they win or not. All of these plays fit the bill. Easy to stage in an unfamiliar space. Many have won multiple competitions. And if they haven’t they’ll give your students an awesome experience. Take them to your next competition with pride.

Helpful Hints for Competitions:

Do your students need help taking their pieces to the next level? Check out these helpful blogs and podcasts!

Competition: Performing in Pairs

Performing a successful duet is trickier than performing a successful monologue. It’s not just you and the words. Now there’s interaction, blocking, and depending on another actor. That’s a lot of balls in the air! We want to help you focus on the competition process and the duet category, in particular.

Student Voices: Competition

Students who competed with scenes at the Florida State Thespian Festival shared their personal experience, expertise and best competition tips. How does competition performing differ than being on stage in a regular show? How do you choose a scene? How do you deal with nerves?

How to Find Monologues for Auditions and Competitions

Looking for the perfect monologue can feel like a hunting expedition. Let us help save you the trek with some advice on how to find what you’re looking for.

Publisher Approvals

Are you performing monologues or scene cuttings from our plays for competition? The organizers will likely ask you to provide proof that you have the publisher’s permission to perform. Some competitions keep a standard list of publisher approvals and it’s possible that we’re already on that list.

Preparing for Competitions:

And lastly, some helpful hints for preparing for competition. You can do it !

Choosing a Play

Preparing a play is not a cookie cutter operation. You may have a procedure in place that works just fine for you and your students. But if you want some suggestions on preparing for competition, read on!

Solving Performance Problems in Rehearsal

Check out our list of some of the most common performance issues you may come across, along with a rehearsal strategy on how to solve them.

Day of Pre-Performance To-Do’s

We’ve compiled a list of some Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to important pre-performance considerations on the day of competition.

Taking Students Successfully to Competition

How do you handle competition with your students? How do you circumvent the win, win, win mentality, especially if you don’t win?