Welcome to Monologue Mania- one new free* monologue a day- for a whole year-and still going!
first year - Feb. 13, 2014 - Feb. 13, 2015
I've continued with a monologue a day until the spirit moves me to stop, so if you have any ideas for a monologue you want me to write, please let me know at tigerteam1@gmail.com.
If you just started this blog and want to read the earlier monologues-
For a list of the titles and blurbs from each day, click here There are now over 700!
Get more great award-winning monologues - MonologueZone.com
If you'd like to write your own monologues, I happen to have a book for that -
How to Write a Monologue in 10 Easy Lessons (Well, maybe not so easy)
Thank you for your comments - and for liking and sharing this site. Wishing you much success!
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Monologue Mania Day # 703 Skip to Mai Lu (revised) by Janet S. Tiger Jan. 15, 2016
This was originally posted on March 16, 2014 Day #32
first year - Feb. 13, 2014 - Feb. 13, 2015
I've continued with a monologue a day until the spirit moves me to stop, so if you have any ideas for a monologue you want me to write, please let me know at tigerteam1@gmail.com.
If you just started this blog and want to read the earlier monologues-
For a list of the titles and blurbs from each day, click here There are now over 700!
Get more great award-winning monologues - MonologueZone.com
If you'd like to write your own monologues, I happen to have a book for that -
How to Write a Monologue in 10 Easy Lessons (Well, maybe not so easy)
Thank you for your comments - and for liking and sharing this site. Wishing you much success!
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Monologue Mania Day # 703 Skip to Mai Lu (revised) by Janet S. Tiger Jan. 15, 2016
This was originally posted on March 16, 2014 Day #32
Skip to Mai Lu
by Janet S. Tiger (c) 2014 all rights reserved
tigerteam1@gmail.com
(A smaller Chinese woman comes onstage. She is in her 80s, and although she is dressed from the 1960s, dress, scarf, shoes appropriate....she is obviously from a different time - late 1800s perhaps, and she smiles as she sits.)
(Slight accent) You want me sit here? This chair nice....
For how long you have questions, my Wěidà de sūnnǚ (corrects herself) …great-granddaughter?
(Listens)
That not seem so long.
(Listens, nods)
I remember. (Faint displeasure) Only English. This is story number four. Still not understand why my stories interesting, but you know I want help you in college…..
Glad you bought new camera, so lights not so bright in eyes.
(Surprised) It already on? I cannot hear this camera, it so quiet!
(In awe) What things we have now…. in this year, this 1965....
Almost like new century every year....yes, my story today, new century.
Only it perhaps not what you expect....this story about……(remembering).. special day.
Very beautiful day…. your grandfather not work Sunday- we go church…..after church, little bit time for ....fun.
We go into mountains. We live in small mining town then, you remember I tell you last time? Now ghost town, only not really, because people come ….. buy souvenir of ghost town....but then, it was …..just spring. ... in last year of 1800 century....year 1899....
(She sits for a moment, smiling, remembering, jolts back)
Sorry, just remembering day......long winter…first warm day, first time for long time.....so we decide to go on yecan.....you call it.......peekneek...picnic....And we walk into mountains....it is sunny, and we start to climb one place we hear nice flat spot at top. We are halfway up when we come to......... fence....
(She illustrates with her hands)
This is fence made of....what you call it...wire that sticks you....(listens)… that's it! ......Barbed wire! They use for animals not to go places, but people don't like, no, not for people who want nice picnic....
So your grandfather say to me, we not going back, not enough time….fence wire not stop us....and he hand.. ...picnic basket to me....... hold open wire so I can step through.
(Smiling, remembering) His hands were ...strong...from the mine....he work so hard...and still the fence cut him.... not me, he hold wire not to cut me, but rip my dress little......not bad, five minutes fix.....
We keep climbing, and we get to top, and.......(she sees it)….. beautiful. Remind me of China, when I was little girl.....only different. We have blanket…. we sit down…. eat. Everything taste better outside, you know........fresh air....smell good. Not like dirty mine, or hot room washing clothes, good air for chest.....we lie down... take nap before going home ….then.....
(She raises her hand to point)
There is large bird....beautiful bird.... fly over us.....we watch .... we wave at bird....
(She waves.)
Your grandfather say it good luck, it (says it carefully) American eagle. Good luck for us, always.
(Thinks, smiles, shakes head)
So we finish eat……sleep....and go down hill.
I do not want to go through.....wire again.....but something different......we get to …. ....wire.....barbed wire......and we look......(amazed)...and there....just few feet on right side....no more fence!
When we came up, we did not see no fence....but on way down, we see ......and we walk around fence!.......Much easier than cut grandfather hand or rip dress......No fence!....NO FENCE!
(She laughs, throwing her head back)
We laugh all the way home! (Loud) NO FENCE!
(Wipes her eyes)
No, I am getting to new century....wait, have patience.....that is point of whole story about mountain and fence.....patience, not to worry if things look bad - if there is barbed wire in your way.....maybe you have to step back, look at fence from far away, see that problem ... not so big, if you look at it in different way.
Through my life, whenever trouble come, I think about fence….. I take walk someplace quiet, look at trouble from far, see....where barbed wire end. Sometimes.....need get very far, but always....it end and there is answer, better answer than when trouble first show up.
(Listens, starts to get annoyed)
Not rush! Getting to point of story- take time with story like with food - not rush, not get bad stomach!
(Takes deep breath)
Next week was my birthday, your grandfather get me present, first time something I can use.........this scarf........
(She removes the scarf from around her neck, holds it out.)
Very pretty, yes, I wear long time! Be careful not rip, too valuable........can you see design....
(She holds it up and points, smiling)
That right, loos like wire fence! Pretty color with design like wire fence! (Laughs) NO FENCE!
(She takes the scarf and wraps it around her neck. Takes deep breath)
I marry your grandfather when I only 16, he … 18. Arranged marriage, but we knew each other little bit, so it was ok.
I like grandfather because he like sing silly songs.....(imitates)...she'll be coming round the mountain when she comes.....and his favorite......(imitates, fondly) ....skip to My Lou my darling.....
(Claps hands)
You understand! Because Mai Lu is my name! He love that song, sing it all the time. He tell me song is only for me! I tell him stop, but he not listen.....but secretly, I like when he sing!
You married now great-granddaughter, you know how it is between husband and wife.....
(Remembering, now less cheerful)
But no baby. Marry four years, no baby, no good. Those days, no baby right away usually mean no baby......never.
So, very sad...but then, something happen....(smiles again)....on the mountain......and few months later, your mother born...you know day! (Slowly) January one, nineteen zero zero! ..Special baby, happy baby! And first baby in American new year..... everybody make big party! Give present, name in paper......man comes to grandpa and offer him chance grandfather start own laundry business…..name of store….Kuàilè bǎobǎo Xǐyī diàn....Happy Baby Laundry.......(smiles) …good things in new year......
Good things.......
(Deep breath)
End of story!
(She stands up)
So granddaughter, where we eat?
(She sees her great-granddaughter is affected by the story)
Not cry! Good story- happy ending! Everyone in this country like happy endings! If you want cry, have lots sad stories!
(Listens, more sympathetic)
Yes, always life has barbed wire fence.......secret is knowing when to climb through, and when to walk around....that is why I told you story.....not let anyone stop you making movies......you follow heart.....only happy ending.....
(She turns)
So where we go now? I like place with Jī……chicken......Colonel Sanders! Good for picnic!
(She walks out, starting to talk to herself in Chinese and English as she goes.)
Maybe we go on picnic......only no mountains and no wire fence.......sound good?
(Quieter) And who knows?......Maybe one day, you get this scarf.....
(The end.)
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Janet S. Tiger 858-736-6315
JanetSTigerMonologueMania.blogspot.com
Member Dramatists Guild since 1983
Playwright-in-Residence
Swedenborg Hall 2006-8
* Note: A few words about 'free' - all these monologues are protected under copyright law and are free to read, free to perform and video as long as no money is charged. Once you charge admission or a donation, or include my work in an anthology, you need to contact me for royalty info.
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