Dramatic Monologues for Women
Dog Face
by Kelly Powell
In this play a girl goes by the name Dogface because she was mauled by a dog as a child leaving a disfiguring scar. Now 23, she confronts Ethan, who after allowing their previously platonic friendship to get more physical. She thought that implied that their relationship was moving to a new level, but Ethan has instead been ignoring her and pretending that nothing happened.
Defeat
by John Galsworthy
A German girl, a prisoner of war, almost wins her English captor over to her side.
Bluebird
by Jonathan Dorf
This is for an actor of either gender. The play is an abstract on the idea of bullying. This monologue takes a dark turn as the character decides to kill a bird just because he/she can. Is it because he/she is a victim of bullying, or just an example of a deadened conscience that bullies seem to feel. What you decide will influence how you interpret the monologue.
Our Town
by Thornton Wilder
In the first two acts of this classic American play, we meet residents of a small town. In the third act, we see the residents who have died in the town cemetery. This monologue is from Emily who recently died in childbirth.
A Streetcar Named Desire
by Tennessee Williams
One of the great works of American theater from the1950s. Blanche was once wealthy and of the upper class in the American South. She is struggling to cope with a series of personal losses. [content warning: suicide]. In this monologue she describes how she discovered her husband was gay, and how she contributed to his suicide.
Death of a Salesman
by Arthur Miller
One of the great works of American theater from written in 1949. Willy Loman is coming unraveled. He has been fired by his company in an age wherein it was common to work in the same job for one's entire career. His depression is becoming unmanageable and he lives in a mix of the past and present. In this speech, Willy's wife Linda is chastising her son Biff for not giving his father reespect.
Ya Tu Sabes
Collected authors
Here is a booklet full of monologues for Latina and Latino actors. Not all of them are long enough. Some are too long. Look for those in which the character is trying to get something from another person instead of just telling a story.
Living at Home
Anthony Giardina
Mary Langtree is a college sophomore. In this monologue she is on a date with John who, after a drink or two, persuades her to reveal what happened on the night of her senior prom. This monologue works well if you keep in mind that she is being pressured to reveal what has been a secret with some real resulting trauma to a specific person that she is dating and therefore cares greatly about what he thinks of her, not simply telling a story to an audience.
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual assault.
Lost in Space
Vivian Lee
This is from the 2018-2021 Netflix show. Dr. Smith is a con artist/criminal who has lied her way onto a space ship that is transporting colonists from earth to Alpha Centauri. After the ships crash landed on a mysterious planet, she has passed herself off as a psychologist and lied and manipulated her way into the Robinson family's home. In the first monologue, she is reassembling a robot that she believes will give her an ally and powerful edge over the colonists. In the second, she is being held in a room on the space ship and persuades Will, an 11 year old boy to let her out.
Lost in Space
Vivian Lee
In a different monologue 19 year old doctor Judy is trying to save her father, but she's far away from him.
Spider-Man 3
by Sam Raimi
Peter has come to Aunt May (the original elderly Aunt May not the MCU-flirt-with-Iron-Man Aunt May) to tell her his plans to propose to MJ. She shares with him the story of Uncle Ben's proposal to her and gives him her ring to give to MJ.
4 am
by Jonathan Dorf
Jake is writing a letter to a knife company complaining about the quality of the knife he bought. Sounds kind of funny at first until you realize that the reason he is complaining is because he attempted suicide with the knife. Powerful monologue, but be careful with it. Could be triggering.
Though written with a somewhat masculine feeling to it, it could be for either gender.
TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide