Finding the right monologue is crucial. When you find a great one and you work on it, it becomes a sort of trusted friend that you always enjoy introducing to the room. The ultimate combination is a short piece around 1-2 minutes, relative to age/type and gender but also one that has a story in itself. These are the real gold dust.
Sift through plays in every book store/theatre you go to. If you like a writer find their other plays and search through them. Ask friends. Or friends of friends.
However try not to get too bogged down with reading and re-reading. Get it up on its feet, say it out loud a couple times, try it in different styles, accents and speeds. You will get a feeling for the one that works best for you.
Now you can go to work on your monologue, have fun with it! Maybe write down each time you do it a different way something you really liked and something that didn't work. Ask yourself, why? Think of something that makes you a bit nervous ie. In front of a friend/family and push yourself to try and do it. Remember to breathe. If you want help then get it.
Make sure you are being true to the text. If Shakespeare writes a speech, he wants it that way for a reason. Don't edit really well known texts, people are familiar with them all and most dislike when you make cuts. If you want to, make sure to be able to back up your choice with a good reason.
Always know the play.
When performing your speech (if you're applying to a Drama school or otherwise) remember that the audience/the board/the examiners WANT you to do well. They may look a bit stern sometimes, but more often than not they know exactly how you feel and have been there themselves.
If you are given directions, really LISTEN, don't start thinking of all the things you've done wrong. Show you are open to being directed and you know the speech well enough to play with it. Different schools/jobs/people look for different things, they may just want to tweak it. If you don't understand; ask. Or put it into terms your more familiar with and see if you're on the same page.
Finally, just have fun. Enjoy yourself. If you mess up, ask to start again, they really don't mind. Don't apologize when you've finished, they might have really enjoyed it and that just shows a lack of confidence.
Break a Leg!
