The Water Fountain
- High school (9–12)
- Comedy
- Short
- Humorous Interpretation
A teen paces the hallway, coaching themselves to finally say one normal sentence to the person they like by the water fountain.
The monologue library · Browse by length
Short monologues
11 free monologues in this slice of the library — read, print, and perform at no cost. Attribution is the only requirement.
Under 2 minutes, 2–4 minutes (audition-standard), 4–7 minutes (full), or 7+. Estimated at roughly 150 words per minute from the source text — actual performance time varies with pace and blocking.
About this facet
Roughly 2-4 minutes at the estimated pace -- the range copy.ts's own filter description calls audition-standard, the length most general auditions ask for. Time an actual read-through before you commit; the estimate is words-per-minute over the source text, not a stopwatch reading.
Length is an honest estimate, not a stopwatch reading: roughly 150 words per minute over the actual spoken text (the same section an audition-cut packet slices from), so actual performance time will vary with an actor's pace and blocking. Use it to shortlist, then time a real read-through before you commit to a cut.
11 short monologues
A Series of Learning Experiences
- High school (9–12)
- Comedy
- Short
- Humorous Interpretation
A teen recaps a catastrophic first job interview at a frozen yogurt shop, reframing every disaster as valuable personal growth.
Last Shift at Delgado's
- High school (9–12)
- Drama
- Short
- Dramatic Interpretation
On her final night at the hardware store where she has worked since sophomore year, an eighteen-year-old hands off the keys and tries to explain to the new kid why a small place can be a big thing to leave.
A-Minus
- High school (9–12)
- Comedy
- Short
- Humorous Interpretation
A straight-A perfectionist cheerfully insists she is completely fine about her first A-minus, one twitch at a time.
The Last Lane
- High school (9–12)
- Drama
- Short
- Dramatic Interpretation
Outside the coach's office, a sixteen-year-old swimmer rehearses the hardest sentence he owns -- that he is quitting the sport he loves, because somewhere in the winning it stopped belonging to him.
Totally Fine
- High school (9–12)
- Comedy
- Short
- Humorous Interpretation
A graduating senior gives a cheerful tour of why leaving high school does not affect them at all, right up until it does.
The Long Way to Say It
- High school (9–12)
- Drama
- Short
- Dramatic Interpretation
At the kitchen table, a seventeen-year-old finally tells the parent who has planned his whole future that he does not want to be a doctor -- he wants to teach -- and asks to be seen instead of steered.
For the Record
- High school (9–12)
- Comedy
- Short
- Humorous Interpretation
Three days too late, a teen re-litigates a debate they lost, armed with all the devastating comebacks they only just thought of.
Her Chair
- High school (9–12)
- Drama
- Short
- Dramatic Interpretation
At the first family dinner since her grandmother died, a fifteen-year-old stands to say the blessing no one else can manage -- and finds a way to keep the empty chair full.
The One I Wanted
- High school (9–12)
- Drama
- Short
- Dramatic Interpretation
Alone in her room, a senior reads aloud the rejection from the one school she built her whole plan around -- and, somewhere between the shock and the shame, starts figuring out how to stand back up.
Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent
- All ages
- Verse / Poetic
- Short
- Poetry Interpretation
Richard opens the play alone on stage, turning from talk of peace to a cold confession that he means to make trouble.
Forensics eligibility classifications are illustrative only -- not official NSDA, NCFL, or UIL certifications. Always verify with your event's published rules before competing. Length is estimated at roughly 150 words per minute from the source text; actual performance time varies with pace and blocking.