Monologues for Teenagers

It is often difficult to find monologues that are suitable for teenagers. A lot of monologues often fit into either the children’s monologues category, or else are aimed at adults and contain a lot of complex language/unsuitable themes. For this reason, we have compiled a list of male and female monologues exclusively for teenagers.

Read through a whole range of monologues before deciding on one and see which of these most resonates with you. Did you get excited about the idea of performing a certain monologue? Pick that one! Does one seem particularly interesting or challenging? Give it a go! If you’re teaching a group of students, try to give the teens a few options maybe three or  four; don’t overwhelm them with choice.

NB: A lot of the monologues are stand-alone and don’t come from larger plays. This means you get to create the given circumstances surrounding the monologue! Our advice is to keep it simple. If they do come from a play or book, always read it for the larger context.

Female Monologues for Teens

Girls (TV)

Hannah:
I came here to say that I don’t think we should see each other anymore. I don’t think we should see each other anymore, and it makes me feel stupid and pathetic to get a picture of your dick that I know was meant for someone else, and you didn’t even bother to explain, because I made you think that you don’t have to explain. So… I’m not asking anything. I’m really not asking you for anything. I have never asked you for anything. I don’t even want anything, okay? I respect your right to see and do whoever you want, and I don’t even want a boyfriend. I just want someone who wants to hang out all the time, and thinks I’m the best person in the world, and wants to have sex with only me. And it makes me feel very stupid to tell you this, because it makes me sound like a girl who wants to, like, go to brunch. And I really don’t wanna go to brunch, and I don’t want you to like, sit on the couch while I shop, or like, even meet my friends. I don’t even want that okay. But I also don’t wanna share a sex partner with a girl who seems to have asked for a picture of your dick. And also, I don’t want a picture of your dick because I live very near you, so if you wanted me to look at your dick, I could just come over and look at your dick. And I don’t really see you hearing me, and I don’t really see you changing. So.. I just summed it up for you. And I’m sorry that I didn’t figure it out sooner, and you must think I’m even stupider than you thought I was already. But consider it a testament to your charms, because you might not know this, but you’re very, very charming and I really care about you. And I don’t wan to anymore, because it feels too shitty for me. So I’m gonna leave.

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Mean Girls (Film)

Regina George:
Why were you talking to Janis Ian? She’s so pathetic. Let me tell you something about Janis Ian. (as if this is shocking) I was best friends with her in middle school. I know, right? It’s so embarrassing, I don’t even… whatever. Then, in eighth grade, I started going out with my first boyfriend, Kyle, who was totally gorgeous but he moved to Indiana, and Janis was, like weirdly jealous of him. Like, if I blew her off to hang out with Kyle she would be like, “Why didn’t you call me back!?” And I would be, like, “Why are you so obsessed with me?” So then my birthday was an all-girls pool party and I was like, I can’t invite you, Janis, because I think you’re a lesbian. I mean, I couldn’t have a lesbian there. Girls were going to be in their bathing suits. I mean, right? Then her mom called my mom and was, like, yelling at her. It was so retarded and then in the fall when we started high school all her hair was cut off and she was totally weird and now I think she does heroin.

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The Lovely Bones (Film)

Salmon:
I was slipping away. Life was leaving me. But I wasn’t afraid. There was something I was meant to do. Somewhere I was meant to be. I was in the great blue horizon, between heaven and earth. The days were unchanging. And every night I dreamed the same dream. The smell of damp earth. The scream that no one heard! I would hear them calling, the voices of the dead. I wanted to follow them, so I could find a way out, but they would always lead me back to that same door. And I was afraid. I knew that if I went in there I might never come back out again. Nobody – nobody notices when we leave. I mean the moment we really choose to go. At best you might feel a whisper, or a wave of a whisper, undulating down. My name is Salmon. Like the fish. I was fourteen years old when I was murdered on December 6th 1973. I was here for a moment, and then I was gone. I wish you all, a long, and, happy life.

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Easy A (Film)

Olive:
Let the record show that I, Olive Penderghast, being of sound mind, ample-ish breast size and an occasional corny knock-knock joke do enter this video blog in the case against me. Since I’m being judged by a jury of my peers I will attempt to insert ‘like’ and ‘totally’ into my confession as much as possible. I will also end statements with a question mark? So here it goes. I confess I’m, in no small part, to blame for all the gossip that has turned my varsity letter scarlet. But for any guy hoping that the sizzling details of my sordid past will inspire you to lock the bathroom door and ‘do it to it’ with your sisters moisturising lotion – you’ll be gravely disappointed. Not to mention unsatisfied. And smelling like hibiscus. Look, I just need to set the record straight and what better way to broadcast my thoughts then here, on the internet. So here it is, Part 1: The Shudder-Inducing-and-Cliched-However-Totally-False-Account-of-How-I-Lost-My-Virginity-To-A-Guy-At-A-Community-College. And Lost my Anonymity Along the Way. Let me just begin by saying that there are two sides to every story. This is my side. The right one. Like, totally.

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St Jane’s School for Ice Cream (by Patrick Cullen)

Jane stands up on a chair in front of assembly: 

Jane:
Attention everyone! I have an announcement! After months of meetings and talks between us the students, the cafeteria and the parents association I am pleased to announce as your class president that starting today, we will have ice cream and jelly after every meal! When I ran on an icecream platform for the job of class president a lot of people thought I was crazy. They said ‘Ice cream? For Lunch? At our school? No way!’ or ‘I’m lactose intolerant, I can’t eat ice cream!’ and even ‘How is ice cream going to help my grades?’ But we showed them! You believed in me and I believed in you! And now we have finally achieved our dreams! No more will we head back to class after lunch feeling tired and sad – because this is no longer St Margaret’s School for girls but St Janes School for Ice Cream! So please form an orderly cue over here and remember a vote for Jane is a vote for freedom!

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Mimco and Impulse Instant-Crush  (by Patrick Cullen)

Alyssa scrolls through Instagram on her phone, and confides in her best friend:

Alyssa:
I cannot believe everyone likes her! What the hell is so great about Cassandra anyway? Sure she has perfect teeth and a beautiful smile and hair that looks like it’s straight out of a Pantene commercial but she is so fake! It’s all a front! A disguise! You see, I know her. I know her from kindergarten and let me tell you, when we were little, she was different. Really different. She was the first one to go play in the dirt, and she’d always come back with worms or bugs or other gross stuff and we were close! We had sleepovers and our moms were friends. But then she goes to a summer camp and comes back like this… plastic version of a human being. I know my friend is in there somewhere, or at least I hope she is. Wrapped up in Mimco and Impulse Instant-Crush body spray. Honestly I just hope she’s happy or at least that she comes to her senses soon, before it’s too late…

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Whistle Down the Wind (by Mary Hayley Bell)

Swallow (12) is living in a village where they are taught Jesus will return to the world. There is a criminal on the run near her village and Swallow finds a sick, homeless man in her father’s barn who she thinks is Jesus. In this monologue she tells some other children about the man. 

Swallow:
Can you keep a secret? A really big secret? You’ve got to hold up your hand and do the ‘See this wet’ routine:

See this wet, see this dry,
Cut my throat if I tell a lie…

This is a great and fabulous secret known to none but those within these walls. You have to join a society to be allowed to know the secret, and all who know must swear never to divulge. Will you absolutely swear? If you ever breathe a word something ghastly will happen to you… alright… That’s Jesus… We have proof. We were in here messing about. There was a sort of knock on the door and I opened it. He stood there smiling at us, and said, ‘Knock on the door and it shall be opened unto you’… And I said, ‘Who are you?’ and he stood staring round this place, not answering at once, and then suddenly said, rather loud: ‘JESUS’… just like that… His legs were all cut and his boots and socks crammed with mud and he kind of lurched. I asked Him if I should get someone and He said ‘Don’t tell them till I’ve recovered’… He’s ill… too ill to talk. He’s been asleep for six hours!… In the daytime!… The grown-ups may not believe… suppose they try and take Him away… after all they did last time… But we can have a gigantic meeting, we can tell them all… swear them all to secrecy. There’s hundreds of children around here and every child knows other children. We can bring them a few at a time to see Him and hear His words. Little by little we can spread the news to children all over the country that the first people to know Jesus has come back will be the children. And… if the grown-ups try to take Him away again, we’ll defend Him… Hundreds of us!

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The Same Old Clothes (by Adra Young)

Teen Girl:
After class today, my favorite teacher, Ms. Childs asked me to stay in my seat when the bell rang. I knew exactly what she wanted. I had missed a whole week of school. Now, I have never really been the type to skip class. Except for this one time when me an Amber didn’t want to take Mr. Landry’s chemistry test. (Quietly giggles and looks around to see if anyone heard. She then sighs and takes on a more serious tone.) Well anyway, Ms. Childs did what any concerned teacher would do, I guess. So, when she asked me, I went on and told her the truth. I told her that my mother could not afford to wash our clothes last week ‘cause she didn’t have any money left after paying all the bills. Do you actually think that I would come to school wearing the same old dirty clothes? (Tugs on collar or sleeve of shirt) I’m in high school. Would you do it? (Points to audience) Just ask yourself that question! After I explained myself, the teacher seemed to feel sorry for me. She didn’t even lecture me or anything! She didn’t even say that she was going to call my mother! She gave me a pass this time. (Looking relieved) Now don’t go thinking that I don’t like school or that I am dumb. ‘Cause I do and I am not! I just don’t like to come to school when my clothes are dirty. But it looks like I’ll be missing school from time to time.

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A License to Date

Jordan has asked April to go out with him to the movies. She is so excited. The only problem is that they need a ride. Here, she tries desperately to get her sister to agree to drive them.

April:
Guess what?! Jordan asked me out! (She squeals.) I’m so psyched! We’re gonna go to the movies tomorrow. There’s just one thing. His brother can’t drive us cause he has a date. So, I was wondering… (Beat.) Oh, c’mon Lin- da! I’ve been waiting for Jordan to ask me out for like my whole life. (Beat.) Okay, so three weeks — but it feels like my whole life! All we need is a ride. (She lifts her hands like paws and pants like a dog. Beat.) Oh, I already did. Mom can’t take us cause she has her Pottery & Emotions class. Please? I’ll do your chores tomorrow? (Beat.) All week?! What do I look like, Cinderella? Then I guess that makes you my ugly stepsister. Kidding — I’m kidding! Okay, I’ll do it. But promise me you won’t tell Jordan how much I like him. (Beat.) Well, if you do, I’ll tell Mom you broke her Happiness frog.

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Crawling to Paradise

Tracy has had a major crush on Robby for “a long time.” Tracy’s best friend has just announced that Robby asked her to the dance.

Tracy:
Whoa. Hold it. Stop right there. I know you didn’t say what I thought you just said. Robby asked you to the dance? Robby? As in my Robby? As in, Robby who I’ve been in love with since I could crawl? How can you do this to me? You’re supposed to be my best friend! You know I have plans to marry him. (Beat.) So what if he doesn’t even notice I’m alive — that’s not the point. The point is you backstabbed me. You are unbelievable! You can’t even — what? David wants to go with me? David, as in, tall, blue-eyed, major babe David? Get out! Really? How cool! We can double date! Oh my God, can you imagine?! (Beat.) Of course, I’m not mad at you. You’re my best friend! You and Robby are meant to be. Really, you are. Besides, I’ve been in love with David since I could crawl.

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Acting Class (M. Ramirez)

Angelique:
I took an acting class and the teacher was this weird creepy guy who was going bald and who wore tight pants and didn’t pronounce my name right ONCE. ANGELIQUE. My name is ANGEL-EEK. Not “Angelica,” not “Angie”… Angelique. It’s French for “Like an Angel” or “Born from Angels” or “Touched by an Angel”… something. I dunno. It doesn’t matter. He didn’t get it right once. He made us do all these weird creepy breathing exercises and all I could think of the whole time is MY MOTHER IS NOT PAYING FOR YOU TO TEACH ME HOW TO BREATHE, WEIRD CREEPY BALD GUY WITH TIGHT PANTS… MY MOTHER IS PAYING YOU TO TEACH ME TO ACT. ’Cause that’s what I’m good at. Acting. Like I’m really good at swimming and I paint too and my sister and I made State Jazz Ensemble but what I’m REALLY good at? Is acting. “Breathe in”… “Hold”… “Breathe out”… “Feel your inner animal reaching through”… Inner animal? Are you kidding? I Google-d the guy when I got home, whatever, I know it’s weird, but I had to. I HAD to know what this guy’s done that makes him so special. Know what this guy’s done, this guy who’s supposedly gonna teach me how to act? Three episodes of Ghost Hunter Deluxe and a deodorant commercial. DEODORANT? Is this a joke? What’s this guy gonna teach me to do? NOT SWEAT?!

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Unchatty Cathy (by Gabriel Davis)

Dry Land (by Ruby Rae Speigel)

Ester:
I’ve been sleeping in my swimsuit. I’ve been sleeping in my swimsuit. For superstitious reasons. I haven’t taken it off for a week. Because of this thing tomorrow. Swimming for the coach. One day he’s going to come watch me at a meet, and the next he wants me to come swim my best while he’s taping me from under the water, like invading all that space. And I’ve only seen his face once on a website, like a weird confusing blue website. And this is the only place I’m getting recruited for because a year and a half ago I had this thing where I couldn’t swim for like three months so all the other schools dropped me. And I have a rash. Like a really bad rash. I think. I haven’t seen it. I mean whatever. I’m not trying to make you feel bad for me, I’m just saying that I’m not like physically fit and smiling. I just. My mom is out of town, and her boyfriend is a car salesman with a kid. Who I hate. And I haven’t spoken to my best friend who might be my ex-best friend, I don’t know, we haven’t spoken in a week and she’s not coming to practice so, I told you. Do you feel special?

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Dry Land (by Ruby Rae Speigel)

Amy:
I used to hang out a lot at the Rock Shop. You know the store by the freeway where you can crack rocks that look like regular dull rocks but actually have this crazy dyed crystal stuff on the inside? I used to hang out there all the time and crack rocks. And hang out with the boys who worked behind the counter and then I went through puberty and they told me that I couldn’t crack the rocks anymore. That it was weird for someone my age with the way I look to be cracking rocks while kids had birthday parties. So you know what I did? I replaced some of the rocks with regular rocks, like from my yard. I never went back to see what happened but I bet they really had to explain when the birthday boy or whatever cracked this big rock and all there was, was more rock. That there wasn’t anything special hiding underneath that it was just more rock.

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The Diary of Anne Frank (by Albert Hackett & Frances Goodrich)

Anne:
Look, Peter, the sky. What a lovely, lovely day! Aren’t the clouds beautiful? You know what I do when it seems as if I couldn’t stand being cooped up for one more minute? I think myself out. I think myself on a walk in the park where I used to go with Pim. Where the jonquils and the crocus and the violets grow down the slopes. You know the most wonderful part about thinking yourself out? You can have it any way you like. You can have roses and violets and chrysanthemums all blooming at the same time? It’s funny. I used to take it all for granted. And now I’ve gone crazy about everything to do with nature. Haven’t you? I wish you had a religion, Peter. Oh, I don’t mean you have to be Orthodox, or believe in heaven and hell and purgatory and things. I just mean some religion. It doesn’t matter what. Just to believe in something! When I think of all that’s out there. The trees. And flowers. And seagulls. When I think of the dearness of you, Peter. And the goodness of people we know, all risking their lives for us every day. When I think of these good things, I’m not afraid anymore. I find myself, and God, and I… We’re not the only people have had to suffer. There’ve always been people that’ve had to. Sometimes one race, sometimes another, and yet…I know it’s terrible, trying to have any faith when people are doing such horrible things, but you know what I sometimes think? I think the world may be going through a phase, the way I was with Mother. It’ll pass, maybe not for hundreds of years, but someday I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart. Peter, if you’d only look at it as part of a great pattern. That we’re just a little minute in the life? Listen to us, going at each other like a couple of stupid grownups! Look at the sky now. Isn’t it lovely?

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A Property of the Clan (by Nick Enright)

Jade:
I play the song for you…every time I come. The paper said somebody nicked your flowers. People are really off. But they’re planting a tree for you at the front of the school tomorrow at lunchtime. But you probably know that now. I bet you know a lot of things now. I should have been there with you Trace. A few times that night I thought I might sneak out. I really wanted to. Mum was reading in her room and I was just watching TV, I could have just left it on, sneaked out, come and found you. But I didn’t. And I keep thinking, if I had, would it have been different? Nobody seems to say anything straight. All these rumours go round and I just want to yell out, “this is Tracey you’re talking about! She was here last week – working at the Pizza Hut, going to netball, catching the ferry. She was one of us!” I wish I kept them earrings. I woke up that night, faces looking down at me. I should have known. When I went round your place on Sunday and I saw the cop cars and the guys from Channel – I should have realised. You were calling to me. That nightmare, it wasn’t one, it was you calling. The faces – they were guy’s faces, and I knew them all. The cops came round our place too, Mum was spewing. They’re going to interview everyone who was at the party. 70 kids they’re gonna talk to. But no one can talk to you. You can talk to me. Tracey – please talk to me.

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Romeo and Juliet (by William Shakespeare)

Juliet:
Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband?
Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name,
When I, thy three hours’ wife, have mangled it?
But wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin?
That villain cousin would have killed my husband.
Back, foolish tears, back to your native spring.
Your tributary drops belong to woe,
Which you, mistaking, offer up to joy.
My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain,
And Tybalt’s dead, that would have slain my husband.
All this is comfort. Wherefore weep I then?
Some word there was, worser than Tybalt’s death,
That murdered me. I would forget it fain,
But oh, it presses to my celebration,
Like damnèd guilty deeds to sinners’ minds.
“Tybalt is dead, and Romeo banishèd.”

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The Little Foxes (by Lillian Hellman)

Alexandra:
Mama, I’m not coming with you. I’m not going to Chicago. I mean what I say with all my heart. There is nothing to talk about. I’m going away from you. Because I want to. Because I know Papa would want me to. Say it, Mama, say it. And see what happens. That would be foolish. It wouldn’t work in the end. You only change your mind when you want to. And I won’t want to. You couldn’t, Mama, because I want to leave here. As I’ve never wanted anything in my life before. Because I understand what Papa was trying to tell me.

All in one day: Addie said there were people who ate the earth and other people who stood around and watched them do it. And just now Uncle Ben said the same thing. Really, he said the same thing. Well, tell him for me, Mama, I’m not going to stand around and watch you do it. Tell him I’ll be fighting as hard as he’ll be fighting some place where people don’t just stand around and watch. Are you afraid, Mama?

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Silent Disco (by Lachlan Philpott)

Tamara:
I look around and see everyone in their own little world smiling- everyone dancing to their own tune not giving a fuck what anyone elsehas playing in their ears. For one whole song everything like that. You and me dance like everyone else, no-one tells us we shouldn’t be there, no one tells us we are dancing the wrong steps or we don’t know shit. The Carnie winks at me and I look back at you Squid. We face each other in the silent disco. I look at your eyes-your tough eyes aren’t tough aren’t hard they’re smiling. Right there and then-everything else blown away-just you and me Squid. You so close I feel you breathe. We’ve never danced like this before. You reach out and pull me closer to you. The way you pull me in-makes me feel like I’m the best thing in the world.

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Male Monologues for Teens

Daybreak (TV)

Sam:
Sunflowers are polymorphs. They can be more than one thing at once. They’re food, medicine, and they can even absorb heavy metals and radiation.

We, you and I, Josh, we’ve gotta be sunflowers. This is the time we’re supposed to experiment, find who we are. But how can I when I am terrified that some arsehole out there is going to post a comment that shreds my soul?

I should be able to fuck whoever I want, whenever I want without judgement. Before today, you thought I was a virgin, and now I’m what? The neighbourhood bicycle? Queen Guinevere, the Skunked of Avalon? Why do you get to be a stud if you bang me, but I’m an easy fuck oven if I have sex with anyone else?

You want a girly-friend. A sweetheart. A blow-up doll who will do the things that you want her to do. Well guess what, Wheeler? I might wanna be polyamorous. I might wanna join a thruple, or be asexual, or demi, or gyne. The dusty, old names like “virgin” and “slut” were made by men to put women in barbie doll packages with easy to read labels.

Well, I’m no queen. I am not a queen. I am not a queen. Not a queen, or a slag, or the saint that everyone seems to think I am on social media. I’m a kid. I don’t know who I am…

Josh:
I know who you are.

Sam:
Who am I?

Josh:
You’re Sam Dean.

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Daybreak (TV)

Josh:
Why didn’t you fight for me to stay with you? Did you not want to be with me? Am I not worth being with? Don’t worry, I know why you’re not answering. It’s not because you don’t love me. It’s because I wasn’t here. This never happened. I didn’t come on this hunting trip. I stayed in LA. And you went alone. Forty four years of tradition. And I broke it…to hurt you. And then you died. Uh… I understand why I’m here now. I get why I pushed Angelica, and Wesley, and Sam away. So I wouldn’t hurt them. And so they wouldn’t hurt me. The same way that you hurt me.

I just… I don’t get why you didn’t want me to be with you. You know? Maybe you didn’t like being a dad. Maybe you know you were dying. Maybe you just didn’t want me to see you get sick. I guess… kids never really get to know their parents. You should know that you did a good job. Yeah, I can fish, and hunt, and rig solar panels, and purify water from my own urine. Which is grosser than it sounds. I survived because of you. I love you.

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Misfits (TV)

Nathan is standing on the rooftop, gun in hand. It’s raining.

Nathan:
She’s got you thinking this is how you’re supposed to be, well it’s not! We’re young! We’re supposed to drink too much! We’re supposed to have bad attitudes and shag eachother’s brains out. We are designed to party! THIS IS IT! Yeah, so a few of us will overdose or go mental. But Charles Darwin said you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. And that’s what it’s all about. Breaking eggs! And by eggs I do mean getting smashed on a cocktail of drugs. If you could see yourselves! It breaks my heart – you’re wearing cardigans! We had it all! We fucked up bigger and better than any generation that came before us! WE WERE SO BEAUTIFUL! We’re screw ups. I’m a screw up. And I’m glad to be a screw-up until my late twenties, maybe even my early thirties. And I will shag my own mother before I let her, or anyone else take that away from me!

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Cool girls and Dungeons and Dragons (by Patrick Cullen)

Billy comes running up to his best friend to talk about a conversation he overheard between the girls in his class

Billy:
Andy! Dude! You are not going to believe what I just overheard! Okay so, I am walking back from the library right, I just checked out the Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual, I know you can get a PDF online but you know how I feel about books – anyway! So – I am walking back out of the library right, and I see like Alicia and Breanna and Kylie all the ‘cool’ girls walking towards me and they’re like talking and laughing and stuff like that. So I do what any of us would do right? I hide! I duck myself between a watercooler and a classroom door and a I turn to face the door like I am reading the class list on the front of it and they walk right on by! And as they’re going past I am ready for them to make fun of me or to like say something super witty and cutting but what I heard instead blew me away. As they walked past I heard Kylie say ‘Yeah, like I am so sick of playing a Barbarian, I think I want to make a new character.’ and then Alicia said ‘No way babe! I love Torben the Barbarian, she’s amazing!’ (a beat) Dude. The cool girls at our school are playing Dungeons and Dragons. The cool girls at OUR SCHOOL are playing Dungeons and Dragons! I wonder if they need a halfling wizard?

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Man in Motion (by Jan Mark)

Fourteen year old Lloyd has recently moved with his mother and sister to the city. 

Lloyd:
Yes. I have got something on my mind…. There’s this boy I know, Keith Mainwaring; I met him down at American football practice, and we got friendly. I mean, we were friends right off, and his dad gives me a lift home afterwards. He’s really friendly … but he says things, they both do…. Racist things. All the time, like without thinking. Every time they see somebody Asian, they say something … and I don’t say anything. I don’t know what to say. I keep thinking they don’t really mean it, especially Keith, because he’s nice, really, I mean, otherwise he’s nice. He rings up and asks how I am, and paid for my lunch and that. I really like him, except for what he says…. That’s why I’ve stopped going to practices; to avoid him. I don’t think he really means it, I think it’s just because of what his dad says. Like my friend Vlad – from school, like he said; if you’re sexist it’s because you’ve been brought up to think like that, you never get the chance to work it out. And I don’t think Keith knows any Asians. He lives up at the Highbridge end…. It’s funny … ODD … calling somebody a racist. It doesn’t sound real. We have this lesson at school, Social Awareness Studies, only we call it Isms. Because that’s what it is, all the time; sexism, racism, feminism. And last week we had this discussion on racism, somebody brought in a cutting from a newspaper, and everyone said how awful it was, only we’ve got these two girls in our class, Farida and Farzana, and nobody thought about them. They just sat there, and nobody took any notice or asked them what they thought, I mean, they never say much anyway, but that wasn’t the point. Racism’s just something half of us argue about while the other half do our homework. It’s just a word. It doesn’t mean anything, because it doesn’t happen to us…. I think most of us are against it…. It’s the first time I’ve had to do anything about it. Where we lived before, everyone was white anyway. If I’d met Keith there I’d never have known what he thought because he’d never have said anything. Racism was just something on the news….But it’s not for me. Not any more.

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Clay (by Peter Whelan)

Jimmy is 16. Here he is talking with a family friend who has asked him about the figures he moulds from clay

Jimmy:
I haven’t got any. I got rid of them. There’s so point in it is there? Not now. Who’s going to see it? There won’t be anyone left to see it. They’ll be wiped out. Everyone’ll be dead. How can anyone see it? There won’t be any eyes. People are in a dream about it. They think there’s going to be life – there won’t be any life. There won’t even be any worms. They’ll be cooked in the ground. That’s what makes it difficult … making the figures. I mean … you know what to do if someone’s going to see them. But if no one is … how d’you go about it? There’s no precedent for that. I don’t destroy them. I don’t break them up … I bury them. On the moor. I read about that Chinese Emperor whose tomb they’ve been digging up. They’ve found all these clay soldiers, full height, a whole army of them that he’d had buried to protect his tomb. They’ve dug out, I don’t know how many, nine hundred of them and they’re still finding more. I didn’t want to make soldiers. I mean they’re not to protect anything. Just people. Ordinary. Sitting up or leaning on one hand … looking. I tried to think where else there was where someone had made something not to be seen. I knew Navajo Indians make patterns in sand for their ceremonies and then destroy them after it’s over, but that isn’t the same. That’s like saying: the spirits see them, which is like saying: God sees them. But if you believed in God … if you believed in the Bible, then you’d know it had all got to end… like in the Book of Revelations. It ends. There’s a day when it ends. Isn’t there? … So I thought … go back before Christ, and there’s those people’s shapes they found at Pompeii. Those who were dying in the ash from the volcano. That got covered in a hard crust of ash … so you could pour in plaster and fill the shape they’d left behind, the moment they suffocated and died. Now, if you thought of them as figures … statues … not people … then they were not made to be seen! So what I do is I shape figures like them … so that they’re looking into the blinding flash just before they die. Then I give them a first firing. What you call ‘biscuit’. And then, I bury them out there so the sudden heat from the blast will be the second firing. Well no one’s known temperatures let loose like that. The stones round them could vitrify and turn into glass. Then even if the clay shatters into dust the shape will still be there. In glass! (He falters. Stops.) I’ve only made twenty-three. Twenty-three! You’d have to make millions. The whole human race!

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Massive High

COMEDIC It is the day before Cody and his best friend start high school. Suddenly, his friend becomes quite worried. Here, Cody attempts to psych him up and rid him of his fears.

Cody:
Nervous? Don’t be nervous. What’s there to be nervous about? We’ve been waiting to start high school for like ever. It’s gonna be so awesome! Just think how many mega-babes are gonna be walking through those halls and in our classes! And we’ll finally have bigger lockers, and a decent gym and multiple floors! Just like a mall! And tons of people to meet, parties to get invited to, real football games, new teachers who don’t hate us yet! New faces everywhere you look! It’s huge! I mean, we probably won’t even see each other (Realizing as he speaks.) the whole…day… long. (Beat.) You’re still gonna eat lunch with me, right?

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Zimmer: One Act Play (by Donald Margulies)

Zimmer:
(On the telephone.) Hello, is Wendy there? Tell her Zimmer. Zimmer. Ira, yeah. Hi. How come, is she sick? Look, I’m sure if you told her I was on the phone… Could you? Could you just tell her it’s me, she won’t mind getting out of bed, I promise. Ask her. Give her the choice. I’m not being smart, Mrs. Siegerman… Thank you. (To himself) Jesus . . . (Pause) You sure your mother doesn’t work for the S.S.? Hi. So what happened? You were supposed to meet me at the Fillmore, you okay? You sure? You sound funny. Yeah, you do. So where were you? Yeah, I was worried, what do you think? I mean, it wasn’t pleasant standing there by myself, thinking I was seeing you every ten seconds. There are so many Wendy clones with light brown frizzy hair, you would not believe it. I kept on asking these freaks to hold my place in line so I could call my grandmother to see if you’d called to say you were late or dead or something. I decided you were dead. Murdered on the QB. I am not morbid. What did you think I’d think when you stand me up like that?! I mean, Wendy, come on!, how was I supposed to know you didn’t feel like it? We had so much fun when we waited for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, didn’t we? Well? Why not The Who? If you didn’t really like them… Don’t you even want to know if I got us tickets? Yeah, I did. Don’t you want to know where? Fifth row. So what’s the matter? Don’t tell me nothing. What did I do, you’re mad at me. Yes you are, why else are you acting so weird? Okay!, so you don’t feel well!, what’s the matter with you!? (A beat; nervous smile) Yeah, right. (Long pause; quietly) Right there in his office he did it? Did it hurt? (Pause) Why didn’t you tell me? I mean, don’t you think you should’ve told me? I mean, I got you into this, you could’ve told me… No wonder your mother was so… (A beat) You didn’t tell her it was me? It was me, wasn’t it? I mean, I was the one, wasn’t I? I mean, don’t I even get credit for that? I mean, shit, Wendy, why the fuck didn’t you tell me in the first place? You knew all this time and you knew what you were gonna do about it and you never even told me?! What am I to you anyway? (Pause) I’m gonna let you go now. Uh, look, don’t worry about the ticket. I’ll get Richie or somebody to come with me. So, take it easy, I hope you feel better. Yeah. ’Bye.

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The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Huck:
Well, I got a good going-over in the morning from old Miss Watson on account of my clothes; but the widow she didn’t scold, but only cleaned off the grease and clay, and looked so sorry that I thought I would behave awhile if I could. Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed, but nothing come of it. She told me to pray every day, and whatever I asked for I would get it. But it warn’t so. I tried it. Once I got a fish-line, but no hooks. It warn’t any good to me without hooks. I tried for the hooks three or four times, but somehow I couldn’t make it work. By and by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. She never told me why, and I couldn’t make it out no way.

I set down one time back in the woods, and had a long think about it. I says to myself, if a body can get anything they pray for, why don’t Deacon Winn get back the money he lost on pork? Why can’t the widow get back her silver snuffbox that was stole? Why can’t Miss Watson fat up? No, says I to my self, there ain’t nothing in it. I went and told the widow about it, and she said the thing a body could get by praying for it was “spiritual gifts.” This was too many for me, but she told me what she meant—I must help other people, and do everything I could for other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think about myself. This was including Miss Watson, as I took it. I went out in the woods and turned it over in my mind a long time, but I couldn’t see no advantage about it—except for the other people; so at last I reckoned I wouldn’t worry about it any more, but just let it go.

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Anthony (by Donald Margulies)

Anthony:
They called the cops. You should have been there. Flashing lights and everything. And the honking, and all the bright headlights, and the kids and everybody in the street: “Jump! Jump!” Everybody was out of their house. There was a big crowd. My father, he let me get up on his shoulders so I saw everything great. I was the highest kid there and I could see everything. I saw the hair of every- body in the crowd. And my little brother, Edward, he cried because he wanted to see, too, but my father wouldn’t let him, he only let me. Because I’m older, and also because when he saw what was really going on, he said to my mother, “Irene, take Eddie upstairs, go on.” Harlene’s mother was on the roof and she was screaming. She took her shirt off so all you saw was her white skin and black bra. She was screaming and she was crying but she was too far up to hear and everybody was talking so loud until she screamed, “Tommy!” Everybody got quiet. “Tommy! Tommy!!” She was screaming. Tommy’s the super. Then Tommy got up there on the roof and you could see him by his T-shirt sometimes because it looked white. He was talking but you couldn’t hear him. She yelled and called him bad names. He said something else, also, you couldn’t hear what. She like walked to the edge of the roof, you could see her standing there. She yelled, “I’m gonna jump, don’t go near me!” Everybody got real quiet listening. Then, her shirt fell off the roof. Everybody went: “Oh,” all at the same time and some of the older kids climbed the fence and took it out of the tree like they were at a ball game. Harlene’s mother looked down at us and everybody looked up and it got quiet again and Billy laughed. And then you saw it: a cop came out of the dark on the roof and grabbed Harlene’s mother and pulled her back in- to the dark and you couldn’t see her anymore. Some of the older kids went: “Boo!” and some of the grown-ups got angry and some of them clapped. Everybody started to go home. My father bent down to get me off his shoulders. He told me I was breaking his back.

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Addict (by Kristen Dabrowski)

Teen Boy:
I just don’t see the point of going outside anymore. I have all I need in here. Basically, my whole life is in my computer. All my friends are here, all my activities… There’s really no point in school or anything like that anymore. That’s the past. This is the future. You can stay at home and learn all you want on the net. And you can be whoever you want. Like, see, here’s KandiKane88. She thinks I’m six-three and a quarterback on a college team. I’ve been a pilot, a model, an actor, a musician— Basically, I can be whatever and whoever I want. No one questions me. It’s brilliant. And I can get anything I want. Girls take off their clothes for me. I admit, I have a little … problem with that. If you think that kind of thing is a problem. Thankfully, my mom is completely ignorant about the computer. But I really like the porn sites. I see it as research. The human body is a natural thing, right? I’m a young guy. I’m supposed to be interested in this stuff. I can’t help that it’s so accessible. And if these girls didn’t want to do this, they wouldn’t. So I don’t feel bad about it. I don’t see why it’s such a bad thing. In fact, I think it’s a really, really, really excellent thing. Thank God for the Internet.

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Romeo and Juliet (by William Shakespeare)

Romeo:
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou her maid art far more fair than she.
Be not her maid, since she is envious.
Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off.
It is my lady; O, it is my love!
O that she knew she were!
She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold; ’tis not to me she speaks.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!

Click through at the link for more male Shakespeare monologues.

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Fences (by August Wilson)

Cory:
I live here too! I ain’t scared of you. I was walking by you to go into the house cause you sitting on the steps drunk, singing to yourself. I ain’t got to say excuse me to you. You don’t count around here any more. Now why don’t you just get out my way. You talking about what you did for me… what’d you ever give me? You ain’t never gave me nothing. You ain’t never done nothing but hold me back. Afraid I was gonna be better than you. All you ever did was try and make me scared of you. I used to tremble every time you called my name. Every time I heard your footsteps in the house. Wondering all the time… what’s Papa gonna say if I do this?… What’s he gonna say if I do that?… What’s he gonna say if I turn on the radio? And Mama, too… she tries… but she’s scared of you. I don’t know how she stand you… after what you did to her. What you gonna do… give me a whupping? You can’t whup me no more. You’re too old. You’re just an old man. You crazy. You know that? You just a crazy old man… talking about I got the devil in me. Come on… put me out. I ain’t scare of you. Come on! Come on, put me out. What’s the matter? You so bad… put me out! Come on! Come on!

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Lord of the Flies (by William Golding)

Ralph:
What makes things break up like they do? I mean, what is wrong with people? Let’s go to the other side of the island to hunt and have fun…and die here on this bloody island!? Doesn’t anyone care about getting rescued?! The fire should always be the number one priority! If it wasn’t for Jack, I would probably be at home right now…

My hair… it’s so long… I mean, I can barely see. And I can barely get my fingers through it. My clothes… they’re like cardboard. The salt… it’s everywhere. Look at my nails. I would do anything for a bar of soap… anything just to have a bath. Look at my face… look at me! I probably look like one of Jack’s hunters with all this dirt. Stupid face painting…as if they think it actually helped them catch that boar. I could be home right now. I could off this island with mom and dad and…

Mom always told me that sometimes things are better left unsaid and I have tried. I have tried to reason with him. I don’t understand. I was voted chief fair and square. He always says I am afraid and I am sometimes. But who wouldn’t be? Even Jack looked scared when he ran down that mountain. But of course, he will never admit that. What did I ever do to Jack? Why do you hate me, Jack?

I just wanted to work together, get things done on this island, and do everything we can to be rescued. But he doesn’t seem to care. I know he has a family; doesn’t he want to see them? And he is such a show-off: “I cut the pig’s throat, I spilled her blood” So what Jack?! Is that going to get us rescued? Of course not. The fire will. It is our only hope. Only no one understands that. Well, Piggy does, but Piggy understands everything, but it doesn’t matter anyway. There was a ship…

Supposed I stopped caring? Just like the others. Only Piggy seems to care… and I need more than Piggy on my side…So maybe I should forget the fire, put mud and blood on my face and join the rest of them. They seem to be having fun. And they probably have eaten lots of meat. Some meat would taste really good right now… So maybe I should stop caring too…

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I’ve Come About the Assassination (by Tony Morphett)

Young Man:
Violent? Violent, are we? Tell me what else we’ve ever been shown, Dad. Eh Dad? Eh? What else have we ever seen, eh? Teenager ordered the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, eh Dad? Bit of a kid worked out the answer to the Jewish problem, eh Dad? All you kids. All so violent. You were a violent kid, Dad, weren’t you? Fighting in the revolution. Cutting people’s throats an all. Who was it told you to cut the throats, Dad? Teenager was it? Or was it some old bastard with a grey moustache and one foot in the grave? Eh, Dad? Eh? Who nutted out the area bombing in Germany? Who worked out the flying bombs for England? Who said for every one bomb that drops on our kids, we’ll drop ten on theirs? Rotten pimply-faced teenage hooligans, wasn’t it? Eh, Dad? You know why you say we’re violent? Because some of us have taken a wake-up to you. I wouldn’t swat a fly for you or anyone else your age. But if I needed to, for myself, I’d cut God’s throat. I’m not killing for old men in parliaments. I’m killing for myself. And do you know why, Dad? Because all along, right down the line from the man with the club killing on the witchdoctor’s say-so, right through to the poor helpless bastards spitted on bayonets in what a warm, fat bishop could call a just war, right down the line, there’s always been another generation of kids to send off to get killed. But this is it. Since that bomb. If we muff it, it …. is … this … generation … that… picks … up … the …cheque. So that’s why I’m not listening to anyone but me. And for all sorts of confused reasons, I am going to kill that man in the car.

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Gruesome Playground Injuries (by Ravij Joseph)

Doug:
You know what, Kayleen? Jesus Christ, you know, I came to your house last year and your dad was there, and I know he hates my guts, he always has, and he’s like She is where she is. I don’t know where the girl is. He said he didn’t care and didn’t care to know. And I was about to just leave, but I didn’t. I didn’t and I said to that son of a bitch… You remember, asshole? You dead piece of shit!? You remember what I said to you!? I said to him, you are fucking worthless. You have a daughter and she is a gift from God. She is the most perfect being to ever walk this earth and you don’t even know it. And she loves you because you’re her stupid father. But you’ve never loved her back, you’ve just damaged her and fucked her up, and never bothered to notice she’s this angel. So fuck you, cocksucker. And then I told him I hoped he’d die alone. Which he did. So I feel a little guilty about that now. I can take care of you, Leenie.

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (by Simon Stephens)

Christopher:
I remember the 20th of July 2008. I was 9 years old. It was a Saturday. We were on holiday in Cornwall. We were on the beach in a place called Polperro. Mother was wearing a pair of shorts made out of denim and a stripy blue swimming costume, and she was smoking cigarettes called Consulate, which were mint flavour. And she wasn’t swimming. She was sunbathing on a towel, which had red and purple stripes and she was reading a book by Georgette Heyer called the Masqueraders. And then she finished sunbathing and went into the water and said, “Bloody Nora it’s cold.” And she said I should come and swam too, but I didn’t like swimming because I don’t like taking my clothes off. And she said I should just roll my trousers up and walk into the water a little way. So I did. And mother said, “Christopher! Look it’s lovely.” And she jumped backwards and disappeared under the water, and I thought a shark had eaten her and I thought a shark had eaten her and I screamed. And then she stood out of the water and came over to where I was standing and held up her right hand and spread out her fingers like a fan. “Come on Christopher, touch my hand. Come on now. Stop screaming. Touch my hand. Listen to me, Christopher. You can do it. It’s OK Christopher. It’s OK. There aren’t any sharks in Cornwall.”

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Gender Neutral Monologues for Teenagers

Forever Teen (by Jim Chevallier)

Teen:
Oh Hi. You must be the new kid. Your family just moved in here, right? How you doin’? I’m the ghost. I just walked right by your mom and dad. But they couldn’t see me. It’s a teen thing. It’s like those sounds only teens can hear. You heard about those? There’s this old guy, Carl, lives across the street. Let me tell you, I knew Carl when he was our age. Back when I was, you know, alive? Real pain, that Carl, even then. Anyway, he got sick of kids skateboarding by his place. So he bought this gizmo that puts out a high-pitched sound. Only, adults couldn’t hear it. Turns out you lose the highs after a certain age. But teens? Teens couldn’t stand it. And they kept away. Except for myself. Being a ghost and all, I had to stay put. It’s that whole haunting thing, you know? Man, I almost lost my posthumous marbles. Luckily, the town made Carl shut it off. So I could haunt in peace. As it were. What I’m saying is, it’s like that with me. You can only see me because you’re a teen. Before you turn twenty, bit by bit, it’ll get harder to see me, until one day, I’ll just…. disappear. Which gets to be a drag, you know? Making friends, then fading out of their lives… But hey, for now, we’ve got time, right? So, tell me – what’s your name?

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Beating (by Jim Chevallier)

Teen:
I got beaten up pretty bad. I feel great. Ricky kept pushing me around, kind of half-slapping me. Just for fun. Like kids have been doing for years. And you know I can’t fight. Only, this time I thought: “If I don’t do something, this will never end. This will be my life.” So I hit him back. That is, I tried; it’s not like I hurt him. In fact, he punched me. Hard. So I punched him back. And he hit me again. A few times. But each time I hit him back. He kept saying, “C’mon, man. You’re gonna get hurt.” I didn’t say a word. Just kept hitting him, every time he hit me. Not hurting him. Don’t get me wrong. Just hitting him. Finally he stepped back. “You’re crazy, man. You’re just crazy.” And he took another step back. Then I realized: “He’s afraid. He’s afraid of me.” And he was. Can you believe it? He walked away, just turned around and walked away. How do you like that? All because I fought back. I finally fought back. I fought back, and I won.

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So you like a monologue… What now?

Most of the teenage monologues on this page don’t come from established plays: they act as standalone pieces that will require you to develop some context around them. For the rest, make the effort to track down the play, film or tv show that it comes from and read or watch the whole thing for reference. You must then make sure you understand who you are speaking to in the monologue and the events that happened leading up to it. Finally, ask yourself what your character wants by saying these things and why: find your character’s objective, and then ask yourself what they’re going to do to get it. Creating a rich world for your character will help you nail the monologue—and, subsequently, your assignment or audition. For more information on rehearsing a monologue, follow this link for our tips and tactics!

Help us find more monologues for teenagers!

We want this page to be the best resource on the internet for monologues for teens. If you know of any good monologues please leave a comment below, or email me directly at [email protected]