Beauty Comes With a Price

Featured in Neil Labute's contemporary play *Reasons to Be Pretty*, this dramatic monologue presents Carly reflecting on the complicated reality of conventional physical attractiveness. Speaking with an honest blend of contemplation, self-awareness, and mild bitterness, she examines how being perceived as exceptionally striking has shaped her personal relationships. As her thoughts turn toward impending motherhood, her candid reflections reveal a deep, protective concern for the future of her unborn daughter.

Carly is a working-class woman in her twenties to thirties who possesses an unvarnished awareness of her own appearance. Far from being vain or superficial, she feels burdened and objectified by the relentless scrutiny of the outside world. Her perspective is shaped by years of unwanted attention, resulting in an underlying weariness that clashes with typical assumptions about physical beauty. Beneath her pragmatic exterior lies a deeply vulnerable person striving to safeguard her child from facing those same societal pressures.

Running between two and three minutes, this piece provides an actor with a rare opportunity to tackle themes of beauty and objectification from a fresh, nuanced angle. The writing shifts naturally from casual storytelling to profound personal revelation, showcasing an actor's ability to navigate subtle emotional transitions. Because it functions effectively as a direct, grounded confession, it allows performers to command attention in general auditions without demanding elaborate physical action or heightened theatricality.

This piece is well suited for female actors in their 20s or 30s seeking contemporary dramatic material for general audition calls. It serves performers targeting leading lady, dramatic, or grounded working-class casting profiles. Actors looking to demonstrate maturity, naturalistic delivery, and complex subtext will find this monologue particularly effective for showcasing emotional range.

Avoid delivering the opening declarations with arrogance or false modesty, as Carly views her physical appearance simply as an undeniable fact of life. Ground your performance in the quiet frustration of being treated as an ornament rather than a complete human being. Pay close attention to the shift when she introduces the subject of her pregnancy, allowing the bitterness to evolve into authentic maternal instinct and tenderness. Keep the tempo conversational so the deeper emotional realizations feel spontaneous and deeply earned.