Burn After Reading Monologues & Audition Scenes

Characters: Harry, Katie

Harry and Katie lie in bed discussing the dissolution of their respective marriages. While Katie is blunt and decisive about leaving her husband, Harry uses pseudo-philosophical rambling to mask his hesitation and lack of commitment.

Characters: Linda, Ted

Linda, a gym employee, desperately tries to convince her manager Ted to advance her salary for cosmetic surgeries she believes are essential for her dating life. While Ted attempts to express his personal attraction to her and shares his soulful past as a priest, Linda remains hilariously oblivious to his advances, focused entirely on her physical insecurities.

Characters: Osbourne, Dad

Osbourne Cox attempts to justify his recent resignation from the CIA to his unresponsive, elderly father. He struggles to maintain a sense of dignity and purpose while revealing his plans to write a memoir and his desire to stop drinking.

Characters: Harry, Katie

While lying in bed on a yacht, Harry attempts to wax philosophical about his personal growth and mortality, only to be blindsided when his mistress, Katie, abruptly announces she is divorcing her husband. Harry awkwardly tries to mirror her commitment while subtly backpedaling regarding his own wife, revealing the shallow and self-serving nature of their affair.

Characters: Palmer, Osbourne, Peck, Olson

Osbourne Cox is called into a meeting where he is abruptly removed from the Balkans desk and demoted due to an alleged drinking problem. Feeling betrayed and insulted, Osbourne reacts with explosive indignation, accusing his superiors of political maneuvering and personal bias.