One idea is "Kat" from "10 Things I Hate About You." Released in 1999, it's a modern remake of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew." Set in high school, Kat expresses contempt for a boy she previously liked, that she has now grown to hate. This is age appropriate for a high school or college actress and good for demonstrating teen angst. The monologue begins "I hate the way to talk to me. And the way you cut your hair."
Another idea is from "Erin Brokovich." During the movie, Erin Brockovich wins a lawsuit against a power company on behalf of herself and other disadvantaged people who had been harmed. This monologue takes place after Erin has received a low-ball offer from the company to settle the lawsuit. This is ideal for the actress looking to display herself as a tough, credible opponent to an adversary. It begins "Oh, see, now that pisses me off. First of all -- since the demur, we now have more than four hundred plaintiffs."
"Faust" is a play written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. There are several translations, however, the Bayard Taylor translation published in 1898 is popular. In the play, a man makes a deal with the devil in order to get the object of his desire, "Margaret." In this monologue Margaret is regretting her horrific actions. She has caused the death of her mother and brother and drowned her child. This is ideal for the actress looking to exhibit emotions such as regret and loss. It begins "Thou wilt unloose my chain. And in thy lap wilt take me once again."
Another idea is playing "Juliet" from Shakespeare's "Rome and Juliet." In the popular monologue Juliet is pining for Romeo. Unbeknownst to her, Romeo is listening close by. This is good for the actress working on displaying the emotions of longing and love. It begins "Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo?"
"Our Town" written by Thorton Wilder, is set in the 1930s. It explores the American experience through "Emily Webb" and "George Gibbs." After falling in love and getting married, she dies during child birth. One monologue opportunity occurs when Emily confronts George early in the play about how he has changed, growing a bit immature in his decisions. This is strong for the female who wants to demonstrate owning her voice. The monologue begins "I don't like the whole change that's come over you in the last year."
Another option is "Mary" from Eugene O'Neil's "Long Day's Journey into Night." Taking place over the course of a day, three alcoholic males, and "Mary," who is addicted to morphine, blame and resent each other for the failures of the family. This is a strong piece for an actress in her early 50s, who also wants to layer drug addiction into her work. The monologue begins "It's a wedding gown. It's very lovely, isn't it?"
The series "Dawson's Creek" is ripe with monologues for females from either the "Jen" or "Joey" characters. These monologues provide a young actress the opportunity to be "real" and demonstrate a touch of precociousness that sometimes comes with youth. One particularly good speech is from Jen about "Belinda" that occurred in season 3. It begins "When you see Belinda and her clique in the hallway, you're desperately wishing that you were walking with them, aren't you?"
Another show rich for actresses who want to play professional doctors, is Grey's Anatomy. The characters of Dr. Grey, Dr. Yang, Dr. Stevens and Dr. Torres often wax poetically about love and life. One interesting monologue occurred in season 6 and was spoken by "Dr. Lexi Grey" to her older sister "Dr. Meredith Grey." It begins "So, I'm going to be fired. I've done a lot of really dumb things today."