- for a whole year!
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.
If you just started this blog and want to read the earlier monologues, please
scroll down for the previous days or go to http://www.monologuestore.com/ -click on the Monologue Mania button please scroll down.
To start at the beginning - Feb. 13, - click here.
For a list of the blurbs from each day, click here
Help a playwright and get more great award-winning monologues - MonologueZone.com
Thank you for your comments - and for liking and sharing this site
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
If you just started this blog and want to read the earlier monologues, please
scroll down for the previous days or go to http://www.monologuestore.com/ -click on the Monologue Mania button please scroll down.
To start at the beginning - Feb. 13, - click here.
For a list of the blurbs from each day, click here
Help a playwright and get more great award-winning monologues - MonologueZone.com
Thank you for your comments - and for liking and sharing this site
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maybe Next Time
©Janet S. Tiger all rights reserved 2015
tigerteam1@gmail.com
(A man comes out, sauntering. He is muscled, confident, in his prime. He stops and looks at an empty chair, touches it. Then he turns, waves at the crowd, he is burning with pride.)
Hey, thank you. It's great to see how many of you came today......
(He puts his hand to shade his eyes, surveying the audience)
Wow! Everybody's here, cool.
(He indicates a chair)
I know that's my chair, but I thought I'd say a few words before I sit down. Hope you don't mind, since this event is for me, too, right?
(He struts around the stage)
Amazing. I never was up on a stage like this, except for graduation from high school, and then the fire academy.....but that was part of a crowd, this is different.....(says it with pride) Medal of Valor, the top award for a firefighter. Only given when you die in the line of duty.....that's me!
(Indicates the empty chair)
I know you can't see me, or hear me, but you're all talking about feeling my presence, so here I am! I'm sorry I didn't come to the funeral, that was.....probably very depressing. But hey, you can't have everything, can you?
One thing, I am happy I did what I did. No regrets. No hassle. No worries. I would do it again, go into that window and pull out that grandmother and her two grandchildren.....go back in because they were unconscious, and.......
(He relives the moment)
I thought I saw another body in there......
And I put my foot in the wrong place.....and the whole world collapsed. It was stunning, and so here I am now. The occupant of the empty chair.
(He goes to sit down)
One nice thing about being dead, I don't have to listen to these speeches! Bonus!
(Stands up)
And I can talk whenever I want......I do have a few words for everyone.... mom, dad, I see you over there. Interesting story, never told anyone, but my mom was forty when she met my Dad, who was divorced, with grown children, and he told her that he didn't - absolutely never - want more children. And she agreed. She was not the motherly type. But then, well, you know how it is - accidents happen.
And my Dad wanted her to have an abortion, but even though she didn't want me, here's the funny part, she didn't want anyone telling her what to do! So, here I am! The child of stubborness....
And I know this story because I heard it many times, any time my parents had a fight....boy, could they fight....how I wished they would just shut up.........
So, maybe because of all the sparks, from when I was a little kid, I wanted to be a firefighter.....put out fires.
(Looks at the speaker)
That's Joey, my best friend. We met in the academy, and we've been buds since then. He's a good guy, he came in after me, to save me.
I would've done the same for him, and he was coming in for me.....but here's what really happened....I was already dead and I was yelling at him not to come in, too dangerous.....but he couldn't hear me, the noise was intense, it always is. Between the fire and the hoses and people screaming, he couldn't hear a dead man......so I.....
(Reaches out his arms)
I did what I saw in movies, funny, huh? Guess what, it works! .....I just grabbed his jacket......
(Yanks back)
And now he's telling it that he slipped and by the time he could up, the place blew - he was knocked back outside, into some bushes, broken ribs, but still alive.....
Why'd I do it? Because even though Joey and I could have a lotta fun this side, he has a wife, a coupla kids.......it's better this way.....
(Listens)
He knows what happened though, I could tell.....he told Jessica, too......I can see her looking at this chair.....
(He stares)
(Amazed) She can see me....I can tell......
(He sits in the chair, very moved)
She's crying now...... I can't take when she cries.....see, before she married Joey, we used to go out, but I didn't wanna get married. She did. So we broke up, and Joey asked if it was ok to go out with her. I said sure, what did I care?
(Remembering, he puts his head in his hands)
She came to me and asked me what I wanted to do.....she was pregnant. Just a few weeks.....I told her ...it was her choice......and if she didn't wanna tell Joey until later, and leave out the details......then that was also.....her choice
So he never knew, and there we have it......
(He points into the crowd)
Joey Jr. wants to be a firefighter, too. Look at him, he has a hat and the whole thing already.....(very affected).....that's my boy........
(Touches his eyes)
Hey, what about that? No tears! No kleenex! Cool!
(He looks at the 'speaker')
Nice speech, Joey.....I didn't know you had it in you....take care good of them.....take good care of... my boy....
(Watches the speaker leave)
Wow, what Joey said had some heavy effect on this crowd! They all need kleenexes......
(He scans the crowd, now surprised)
Is that my mom and dad? (Cynical) Are they crying?
(Looks closely)
(Not cynical now) They are.....they're crying....for me......
I can't believe it.....I think, they might actually have.....loved me.....(very affected).....wow....
(Still amazed) If I'd known that, boy, would things have been different....I guess.....
(Suddenly realizes something)
(A man comes out, sauntering. He is muscled, confident, in his prime. He stops and looks at an empty chair, touches it. Then he turns, waves at the crowd, he is burning with pride.)
Hey, thank you. It's great to see how many of you came today......
(He puts his hand to shade his eyes, surveying the audience)
Wow! Everybody's here, cool.
(He indicates a chair)
I know that's my chair, but I thought I'd say a few words before I sit down. Hope you don't mind, since this event is for me, too, right?
(He struts around the stage)
Amazing. I never was up on a stage like this, except for graduation from high school, and then the fire academy.....but that was part of a crowd, this is different.....(says it with pride) Medal of Valor, the top award for a firefighter. Only given when you die in the line of duty.....that's me!
(Indicates the empty chair)
I know you can't see me, or hear me, but you're all talking about feeling my presence, so here I am! I'm sorry I didn't come to the funeral, that was.....probably very depressing. But hey, you can't have everything, can you?
One thing, I am happy I did what I did. No regrets. No hassle. No worries. I would do it again, go into that window and pull out that grandmother and her two grandchildren.....go back in because they were unconscious, and.......
(He relives the moment)
I thought I saw another body in there......
And I put my foot in the wrong place.....and the whole world collapsed. It was stunning, and so here I am now. The occupant of the empty chair.
(He goes to sit down)
One nice thing about being dead, I don't have to listen to these speeches! Bonus!
(Stands up)
And I can talk whenever I want......I do have a few words for everyone.... mom, dad, I see you over there. Interesting story, never told anyone, but my mom was forty when she met my Dad, who was divorced, with grown children, and he told her that he didn't - absolutely never - want more children. And she agreed. She was not the motherly type. But then, well, you know how it is - accidents happen.
And my Dad wanted her to have an abortion, but even though she didn't want me, here's the funny part, she didn't want anyone telling her what to do! So, here I am! The child of stubborness....
And I know this story because I heard it many times, any time my parents had a fight....boy, could they fight....how I wished they would just shut up.........
So, maybe because of all the sparks, from when I was a little kid, I wanted to be a firefighter.....put out fires.
(Looks at the speaker)
That's Joey, my best friend. We met in the academy, and we've been buds since then. He's a good guy, he came in after me, to save me.
I would've done the same for him, and he was coming in for me.....but here's what really happened....I was already dead and I was yelling at him not to come in, too dangerous.....but he couldn't hear me, the noise was intense, it always is. Between the fire and the hoses and people screaming, he couldn't hear a dead man......so I.....
(Reaches out his arms)
I did what I saw in movies, funny, huh? Guess what, it works! .....I just grabbed his jacket......
(Yanks back)
And now he's telling it that he slipped and by the time he could up, the place blew - he was knocked back outside, into some bushes, broken ribs, but still alive.....
Why'd I do it? Because even though Joey and I could have a lotta fun this side, he has a wife, a coupla kids.......it's better this way.....
(Listens)
He knows what happened though, I could tell.....he told Jessica, too......I can see her looking at this chair.....
(He stares)
(Amazed) She can see me....I can tell......
(He sits in the chair, very moved)
She's crying now...... I can't take when she cries.....see, before she married Joey, we used to go out, but I didn't wanna get married. She did. So we broke up, and Joey asked if it was ok to go out with her. I said sure, what did I care?
(Remembering, he puts his head in his hands)
She came to me and asked me what I wanted to do.....she was pregnant. Just a few weeks.....I told her ...it was her choice......and if she didn't wanna tell Joey until later, and leave out the details......then that was also.....her choice
So he never knew, and there we have it......
(He points into the crowd)
Joey Jr. wants to be a firefighter, too. Look at him, he has a hat and the whole thing already.....(very affected).....that's my boy........
(Touches his eyes)
Hey, what about that? No tears! No kleenex! Cool!
(He looks at the 'speaker')
Nice speech, Joey.....I didn't know you had it in you....take care good of them.....take good care of... my boy....
(Watches the speaker leave)
Wow, what Joey said had some heavy effect on this crowd! They all need kleenexes......
(He scans the crowd, now surprised)
Is that my mom and dad? (Cynical) Are they crying?
(Looks closely)
(Not cynical now) They are.....they're crying....for me......
I can't believe it.....I think, they might actually have.....loved me.....(very affected).....wow....
(Still amazed) If I'd known that, boy, would things have been different....I guess.....
(Suddenly realizes something)
Maybe I woulda been the one giving the speech....(deep breath)..... going home with my son......
(He turns to leave, stops, looks back)
Maybe....next time......
(He exits, the fire now slowly burning out.)
(He turns to leave, stops, looks back)
Maybe....next time......
(He exits, the fire now slowly burning out.)
------------------------------------------------
Note - last month! Only 29 days to go!
------------------------------------------------
Janet S. Tiger
858-736-6315
Member Dramatists Guild since 1983
Playwright-in-Residence
Swedenborg Hall 2006-8
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