Tone: Earnest theatrical ambition
Suggested performers: Teens and young adults; any gender
Length: 172 words; approximately 60–90 seconds
Format: one speaker addressing a silent listener
Timing is a starting estimate, not a guaranteed audition length. Time your own delivery with pauses. This is an original standalone piece, not an extract from a published play.
The Tree Would Like a Word: full monologue
Could the tree have a word? Not in the show. I understand we're not doing that kind of forest. I mean privately, as one artist to another.
I've been thinking about my motivation. You said remain still. I've done that. Nobody can say I haven't committed. Yesterday a parent hung a coat on me during the interval.
But when the prince says he feels completely alone, I'm right there. Supporting him. Producing oxygen. Holding a branch at an angle that my shoulder will be discussing with me for several years.
I don't need a speech. I don't need a name in the program. Though 'Second Oak' would be more accurate than 'Foliage.' I've researched the bark.
I just wondered whether, at the end, when everybody finds each other, I could lower this branch. Two inches. A tiny release. The forest understands that the danger has passed.
Also, it would let me see my mum. She's been coming every night, and at the moment her entire experience of my performance is a leaf.
What is happening in this scene?
A student playing a tree asks the director for one small change to a school production.
You are speaking to: The director, just after you have been asked to stand farther upstage.
You want: Earn a visible contribution without admitting you hoped for a bigger role.
The change to explore: An extravagant artistic argument becomes a practical request to move one branch.
Acting choices to try
- What part did you originally hope to receive?
- How much of the research is genuine enthusiasm?
- When do you decide to mention your mother?
Choose one comfortable arm position to suggest the branch; do not strain or hold it rigidly. Explore how asking permission to move can carry both the practical joke and the need to be seen.
These are starting points. Try a different intention or pace, and let the response you imagine from your listener affect your next thought. You do not need to copy the recorded delivery.
Rehearse this comedic monologue free in CueRoom
Open the complete piece in CueRoom. Use Practice my lines to hide the words and recall each beat, or Listen to the recording to hear the prepared reading. Prompt plays the current beat when you need help; bookmarks let you return to a difficult transition.
No purchase or sign-in required. The Studio voice is already recorded. Replays, prompts and practice use no Studio credits.
Rehearse The Tree Would Like a Word free →
Fixed original text and recorded voice. Changes stay in this tab. Manual advance and timed hands-free practice are available; Voice Control depends on browser support and optional microphone permission.
Prepare it for an audition or class
Check whether the brief permits original standalone material. Learn the shifts in thought as well as the wording, then time a full take at performance pace. If you need a shorter cut, make the cut before memorizing it; the free demo always rehearses the complete text above.
Use the monologue preparation plan for a short deadline, or try the recall exercises in How to Memorize Lines.
More comedic monologues to explore
- The Emergency Contact Interview — An adult tries to persuade a famously unreliable friend to become their emergency contact.
- Self-Checkout Needs a Manager — A shopper asks an employee to settle a disagreement with a self-checkout machine.
- The Last Slice — an existing teen comedy from the library.
Browse comedic monologues → · Explore the complete monologue library →
Try a scene with two characters
A monologue gives you one character to rehearse. To hear CueRoom read a scene partner, try The Last Train. Choose Maya or Jules and let the recorded reader play the other role.
Ready to rehearse your own scripts?
Keep practicing this original piece free. When you want to bring your own permitted material, choose reader voices and keep a personal script library, explore the full CueRoom app.