Is your young star about to audition? If so, you’re probably looking for one or two monologues that are easy for him or her to remember. Here are some helpful tips for casting calls for kids, as well as some monologue examples.

First, remember that kids’ auditions aren’t just about memorization. When you enter a casting call for children, you as the parent will be judged as much as the child. Try not to overtrain your son or daughter or instruct them on how to behave or act when in the casting room.

Typically, you will not be allowed into the casting room with your child. Do not ask; it won’t look good if you do. Be sure to arrive on time, but not too early, and be courteous to everyone you meet. Please do not bring additional children with you to the casting call.

Choose a monologue that is age and gender appropriate and that your child enjoys and can relate to. You may even consider allowing your child to write their own monologue. The content itself is not as important as your child’s ability to perform effectively and naturally. Also, your child should be able to change her performance (tone, hand gestures, emotion, etc.) if requested to do so by the casting director, producer, or casting room manager.

The following monologues for children’s auditions are easy to memorize:

Dramatic/girl or boy/age 7-10

I think homework sucks. Seriously, who came up with this? Kindergarten was great: I went to school, played most of the day, took a nap, painted a picture, and then played some more. Then I went home with no homework and got back to playing! But now that I’m in (complete grade), I have homework and if you ask me, it sucks! The teacher says that he will keep my mind active. Trust me; I have a lot to keep my mind active… like the spelling test he’s making me take on Friday!

Comical/girl or boy/age 4-7

Today I have a new sister. Everyone else thinks she’s so cute, but I don’t see what the problem is. She cries all the time and everyone is always making all these funny faces and sounds around her. Also, mom and dad don’t get any sleep at night because the baby keeps them awake. It’s not my fault; I asked for a puppy.