Finding the Right 5-Minute and 10-Minute Monologues
30-second, 1-minute and 2-minute monologues are ideal for auditions, videos, reels and showcases and I have many unique and memorable comedic and dramatic monologues of that length. But you might be looking for something longer and having difficulty finding the perfect fit (check out benefits to learning a monologue of this length). While there is a lot of room for me to create more monologues of this length (And I will! New Year’s Goal!), since I am asked for this length frequently, I’ve compiled some of my 3-10 minute monologues below.
Remember, the length of the monologue is going to vary and depend on your particular interpretation and performance. I give an approximate time, but you’ll need to read it yourself, and practice through it on your feet to find out the true length for you. I’ve included monologues as short at averaging 3 minutes, but which may run closer to 5 minutes for some actors.
Marsopa is the lone mermaid of her sea, but enjoys the company of her best friend and water-sister, a dolphin named Stone. But when Stone considers starting her own family, Marsopa faces the idea of being truly alone. That is - until she makes eyes with an intriguing fisherman... Now Marsopa must call into question the truth of mermaid and human legends, and decide what she is willing to risk for the possibility of creating her own fate.
Details: drama, female, any time period, teenage through adult, approximately 10 minutes
Grace is a Catholic widow who takes in a Jewish refugee child in the 1940s. She knows very little of his experience, culture, or language and strives to find a way to connect.
DETAILS: Drama, female actor, any adult age, but references being in her 50s, touching, World War 2, about 5-7 minutes long.
Alice, a young newlywed mails a letter to her husband, who is stationed in the army overseas during WWII. The letter carries more than her love, worries and hopes for the future, but also an important revelation which she believes will bring him home safely.
DETAILS: Drama, female actor, 1940s World War 2, older teen through young adult, about 4-5 minutes long.
WHY THAT WALKING SNOWMAN DIDN’T LIKE ME
MADISON, a popular IG (Instagram) model, sees a snowman come to life in front of her very eyes on Christmas Eve. And sure, of course, Madison knows this is all pretty insane, but it’s also a pretty amazing opportunity for her social media presence. However, as much as she would like, the silent snowman doesn’t seem to be cooperating for her selfie. Is it intimidated? Worried about collabs? She isn’t sure, but she is shocked when the snowman leaves before she can even get a video. It makes no sense why it wouldn’t want to hang out with her and her adorable rescue doggie, Bailey, especially when they both look so cute in their winter outfits. Luckily, Madison has Bailey to help her figure out a reasonable explanation for this disappointment.
DETAILS
Cast: 1-3 actors.*
1 speaking Female.
Optional 1-2 male/female nonspeaking roles (Bailey, the dog and the Snowman)
Age: Teen-young adult
Genre: Comedy
Setting: Outside, winter, snowy, Christmas Eve
Running time: around 4-5 minutes
*This play may stand alone as a monologue, or if desired, the role of Bailey, the dog, may be added (gender inclusive). Bailey does not speak, but has noted “murmurs” of communication. The role of Snowman may be added as a third non-speaking role (gender inclusive).
Read a free digital excerpt of WHY THAT WALKING SNOWMAN DIDN’T LIKE ME here.
For the complete play, WHY THAT WALKING SNOWMAN DIDN’T LIKE ME, click below:
THE BEANSTALK
A 5-minute comedy/drama/fairy tale
Jack has impulsively climbed the giant beanstalk that had somehow appeared in his backyard over night. While it was exciting climbing up, he is starting to feel kind of lonely now…missing Mother, Brown Cow and even Fence Post. And the worst part of all…while it would be nice to climb down back to home…he realizes…he’s kind of stuck. And doesn’t want to be the laughing stock of the village, once again, as the boy who got stuck in a giant beanstalk. He solicits the help of a passing raven who has taken the time to stop and observe this strange human creature way up in the clouds. And maybe Jack’s solution isn’t really about climbing down the beanstalk…
DETAILS
Genre: COMEDY/DRAMA
Cast: MALE (FEMALE)
Setting: A GIANT BEANSTALK
Age range: 12-25 years old
Running time: 3-6 minutes
*Adapted from the 10-minute play, Jack and Dear Raven.
EXCERPT BELOW
JACK
Please don’t poke my eyes out! I’m not—I’m not an evil stepsister! Just a boy! No curses on me! I promise! (looks anxiously around then realizes raven won’t hurt him) So you—so you won’t…peck my eyes? Can we agree…to not do that? Because… because if you won’t…if you have no intention of hurting me, then…would you…would you mind staying with me? For a bit? I’m awfully lonely up here, Dear Raven. I hope it’s okay that I call you that because you are. Dear—that is. You’re the only creature that has stopped to see me. (pause) See, I didn’t…really…think that I’d make it up this far. I didn’t really think it through at all. Mother keeps telling me that’s my problem—I don’t think, I don’t think! I guess she’s right… because now that I think about it…not thinking has landed me in quite a few pickles. Even just yesterday, I chased after what I thought was a sack of coins, but don’t you know, Dear Raven, I chased that sack of coins right into a cave and turns out the sack of coins was a baby bear! (pause) And his mama was not pleased with me. (pause) Still. I managed my way out of that pickle. As I always do, because my body reacts even if I don’t think. But Dear Raven…my body is not helping me out of this pickle. Not this time. (pause) Oh, climbing up here was easy. Put one foot in front of the other. Mother says I’ve always been a climber. It must be an instinct. When I was nine months old, she found me sitting on top of the brown cow in the barn one morning. But how long was I sitting there before she found me and she brought me down? (pause) I’ve never considered myself afraid of heights before, but it’s not really the climbing up that scares me. It’s the getting down, Dear Raven. (pause) You see, I think I’m stuck here on this giant beanstalk. (pause) Oh, I’ve tried climbing backwards already. I—END OF EXCERPT—
Click below for the complete version of the 5-minute-monologue, The Beanstalk.
Dan has failed the Secret Santa “be creative” exchange and left his coworker, Penny, terribly disappointed. But he has some good reasons. Like, his wife left him. And he lives in the EconoSuites. And he has no car. And…he’s hoping to win back his wife…
DETAILS: Comedy/drama, male actor, contemporary, adult, approximately 5 minutes long
JANINE recounts the first few moments after she has arrived at her childhood home to see her mother whose state of health has been rapidly declining in the past few days. Janine’s mother has ALS, and while one month ago, she was sitting in a wheelchair and speaking, at this visit, she is no longer eating, only lying down, and barely speaking. When Janine first arrives to the house, she asks her mother what she would like to do. Her mother give her the simply request to “talk.” And so, Janine cuddles up in bed beside her, and talks.
DETAILS: Drama, contemporary, female, 20s-40s, approximately 5 minutes long.
Estelle is one hour late to their dinner, and implores her date to understand this is not her fault and no reflection of how much she likes him. It’s all just because of, well, her jealous Siri…
Details:comedy, female (male), contemporary, teen through adult, approximately 3+ minutes long.
Jasmine knows the sweater wants her. And she wants the sweater too.
DETAILS: Comedy/drama, yearning, longing, wanting, clothing-love, female (male), around 4-5 minutes
FREE download
Stan is bleeding pretty badly at the hospital, but no one seems to care. Not even his ex-girlfriend he risked “everything” for...In fact, she’s kind of the reason he’s there…
Details: dark comedy/drama, male (female), contemporary, adult, approximately 3+ minutes long
FREE download below:
Marian is not pleased to discover she’s not the only “other woman” in Patrick’s life. And he also won’t stop whining about the wine she threw on him.
DETAILS: comedy/drama, female, adult, 3-5 minutes
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