Cut your monologue to the slot

Paste your text, pick a target length, and see where to trim before you lose the build of the scene.

Monologue title

Your monologue

Target slot

Speech pace

Pause weight

Split by

Try an example:

Three cuts, three outcomes

Same monologue, three different slots. Notice how the shortest cut keeps the turn at the end instead of the setup at the start.

60 second cut

Natural pace, light breaths, keep the final turn.

You said you would stay until the rain stopped, and I believed you the way children believe in locked doors. Rain came. You left. I stayed. I counted the drops on the sill until the numbers stopped meaning anything at all. Now the sun is back and I am still counting, but I have run out of things to name. So I will name the silence. I will call it yours. I will leave it by the door with your boots, which are still here, which are still waiting, which are still wrong without you in them.

Cut the early setup. Keep the turn from counting to naming to leaving. The audience lands on the image of the boots.

90 second cut

Natural pace, stage beats, keep the build.

I never thought I would stand here again. The door is the same. The crack in the frame is the same. You are not. You said you would stay until the rain stopped, and I believed you the way children believe in locked doors. Rain came. You left. I stayed. I counted the drops on the sill until the numbers stopped meaning anything at all. Now the sun is back and I am still counting, but I have run out of things to name. So I will name the silence. I will call it yours. I will leave it by the door with your boots, which are still here, which are still waiting, which are still wrong without you in them.

Keep the opening image and the final turn. Cut the middle explanation. The audience feels the before and after without the full weather report.

120 second cut

Slow and clear, heavy pauses, keep almost everything.

I never thought I would stand here again. The door is the same. The crack in the frame is the same. You are not. (beat) You said you would stay until the rain stopped, and I believed you the way children believe in locked doors. (beat) Rain came. You left. I stayed. I counted the drops on the sill until the numbers stopped meaning anything at all. (beat) Now the sun is back and I am still counting, but I have run out of things to name. So I will name the silence. I will call it yours. I will leave it by the door with your boots, which are still here, which are still waiting, which are still wrong without you in them.

With more time, keep the build and use pauses to show the character thinking instead of rushing.

How actors actually use this

A short walkthrough, the mistakes that show up most, and what to double-check before audition day.

A common rehearsal flow

Paste the full monologue and pick your slot. For most open calls, that is 60 or 90 seconds.
Choose the pace that matches how you speak when you are nervous, not how you speak in your room.
Mark cuts until you are under target by two or three seconds. That small buffer keeps you from rushing at the end.
Run the cut out loud with a stopwatch. The estimate is close, but your body is the final clock.
Print the marked copy. Highlight the first line of each kept section so your eyes land fast if you lose your place.

Mistakes that hurt a cut

Cutting the emotional build too early. The turn near the end usually needs the lines that come before it.
Trusting word count alone. A short line with a long pause can run longer than a long line spoken fast.
Removing all pauses. Auditions need small breaths so the character can think. Without them, the piece sounds flat.
Cutting the last image. Audiences remember the final moment. Keep it unless you are badly over time.
Only reading silently. Silent reading is faster than speech. Always test with your voice.

When the tool can not help much

If your monologue is one long sentence with no natural breaks, the sentence-level suggestions will not give you good options. Split it yourself at the breaths you would actually take, then re-analyze. If the piece relies on physical action or another actor, the timing estimate will be off. Use the numbers to guide the text, then add the stage business on its own.

Before you walk in

Run the cut at least three times out loud.
Time it in the shoes you will wear, not in socks. Heels change breath.
Mark your water. If you are over by more than five seconds after two runs, cut one more small line.
Tell the accompanist or stage manager your exact target length. Do not say "about a minute."

Quick questions

Should I cut the character's name or first line?: Rarely. The panel needs to know who you are. Cut explanation before identity.
What if I keep going over in the room?: Plan one line you can drop on the spot. Mark it in the margin so you do not have to think under pressure.
Can I use this for a cold read?: Yes, but set the pace slower than you think. Cold reads run faster than rehearsed cuts.
Does this replace my drama teacher or coach?: No. It helps you come in prepared. A coach can still catch things a timer cannot see.