Your Own Actions

Taken from Act III of David Mamet's contemporary drama *Oleanna*, this climactic monologue marks a pivotal shift in institutional and interpersonal control. Carol confronts her university professor to deliver the tenure committee's decisive ruling following her formal complaints of sexual harassment. Firmly refusing his appeals for empathy, she frames his impending dismissal as the direct result of his own entitled behavior. The confrontation brings simmering themes of sexual politics, justice, and academic hierarchy to a searing boiling point.

Carol is resolute, articulate, and completely transformed from the hesitant student seen earlier in the play. She speaks not as an insecure pupil seeking validation, but as an emboldened figure commanding institutional backing. Driven by an unshakeable sense of ideological conviction, she refuses to let her professor deflect blame or appeal to domestic sentimentality. Her objective is to force him to see his own guilt, dismantling his perceived authority with cold, surgical precision.

This piece gives an actor an exceptional vehicle to demonstrate stage presence, emotional gravity, and formidable vocal control. Mamet’s stylized, rhythmic text demands extraordinary linguistic discipline, breath support, and razor-sharp tactical intentions. Audition panels will quickly assess your ability to sustain conflict and claim high status without descending into melodrama. It proves that you can handle challenging contemporary drama with intellectual clarity and visceral strength.

Running around two minutes, this contemporary dramatic piece is exceptionally well suited for drama school auditions, industry showcases, self-tape auditions, and advanced scene study. It offers prime material for female performers playing ages eighteen to twenty-five who fall into intense, rebellious, authority-figure, or calculated casting types.

Resist the temptation to perform Carol with erratic or uncontrolled hostility. Her power in this moment stems from clarity, emotional containment, and the absolute certainty that justice has finally been served. Treat the rhythmic repetitions and pointed rhetorical questions as targeted weapons designed to dismantle his defenses one by one. Keep your physical life grounded and allow the playwright's structured language to drive the scene forward.