Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Monologue Mania Day # 1273 Shell Collection by Janet S. Tiger (c) Aug. 9, 2017

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Monologue Mania Day # 1273 Shell Collection by Janet S. Tiger (c) Aug. 9, 2017       

Alert - there are two versions of this - the top and the one below, which are identical until the last line - please let me know which one works better - thanks!


                               Shell Collection (c)
                                                        
                                               by Janet S. Tiger  (c) 2017 all rights reserved 
                                                             tigerteam1@gmail.com
              (Young man in an institutional uniform enters, he is clean and pleasant.)

Hey welcome ...... I think you're coming maybe for the first time? Right.... yeah this is a nice place. I've been here a few years..... in some ways it's just like a museum.  I mean, it's well taken care of, an more people visit on the weekends.  This here building, I like to think of it is my shell collection.

You don't get it? Look at all the people around you. See that guy over there just sitting staring into space..... he was a head of some big corporation..... his kids put him in here because you know they have the money and they don't have to worry if he's going to wander around at night.

          (Points in another direction)

 Over there that lady, the one reading the book upside down...... she was the head of a library or something like that..... really smart.

          (Indicates another area)

Those two over there sitting and arguing .....I got to watch and make sure they don't fight like two year olds.  They argue about stuff nobody else can figure it out...... like two year olds.  One of them was a dentist, the other a teacher.

You see, everybody here was somebody.  Somebody special.

And now..... they're just like the shell of what they once were. So you got it now .....shell collection ...it's my collection of shells ....shells of people.

I got a different shell for each person ......some people are clams because they're kind of quiet now. Other people are like those big abalone .....kind of blustery. Others are crabs!  Big shells, little shells, smooth, wrinkly, some all battered, others just beautiful still, but nothing inside.

When you pick up a shell at the ocean on the sand you don't think much about the animal that lived in it, do you? Just like these people here ...they're like.....my shells....and the good part is...  just like on the beach if you put them close to your ear and listen really hard you can hear something beautiful ....like a gentle breeze of what they once were.  

        (Listens)

Who got me started on conchology....that's the study of shells.....  When I was a kid, my grandfather took me to the beach every week......he had a great memory....he knew all the names of all the shells......

       (Turns to leave, stops, looks back, smiles)

If you come on over here .......I'll introduce you to him......

        (He exits to find more shells)
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version 2 -
                                Shell Collection (c)
                                                        
                                               by Janet S. Tiger  (c) 2017 all rights reserved
                                                             tigerteam1@gmail.com
              (Young man in an institutional uniform enters, he is clean and pleasant.)

Hey welcome...... I think you're coming maybe for the first time? Right.... yeah this is a nice place. I've been here a few years..... in some ways it's just like a museum.  I mean, it's well taken care of, an more people visit on the weekends.  This here building, I like to think of it is my shell collection.

You don't get it? Look at all the people around you. See that guy over there just sitting staring into space..... he was a head of some big corporation..... his kids put him in here because you know they have the money and they don't have to worry if he's going to wander around at night.

          (Points in another direction)


 Over there that lady, the one reading the book upside down...... she was the head of a library or something like that..... really smart.


          (Indicates another area)

Those two over there sitting and arguing .....I got to watch and make sure they don't fight like two year olds.  They argue about stuff nobody else can figure it out...... like two year olds.  One of them was a dentist, the other a teacher.

You see, everybody here was somebody.  Somebody special.

And now..... they're just like the shell of what they once were. So you got it now .....shell collection ...it's my collection of shells ....shells of people.

I got a different shell for each person ......some people are clams because they're kind of quiet now. Other people are like those shells.... big abalone kind of blustery.  Big shells, little shells, smooth, wrinkly, some all battered, others just beautiful still, but nothing inside.

When you pick up a shell at the ocean on the sand you don't think much about the animal that lived in it, do you? Just like these people here ...they're like.....my shells....and the good part is...  just like on the beach if you put them close to your ear and listen really hard you can hear something beautiful ....like a gentle breeze of what they once were.  And like all the shells in the ocean, they're all beautiful in their own way.

So .....are you thinking about bringing someone in here? It's a nice place...I'll finish showing you around....after the museum, we'll head over to that area, down by the water.....that's for when, the shells can't walk anymore, or talk, or get outta bed......

       (Turns to leave, stops, looks back, smiles)


What do I call it?  That's .....the vegetable garden......

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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 
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Janet S. Tiger    858-736-6315                CaregiversAnon.org
Member Dramatists Guild since 1983
Playwright-in-Residence
Swedenborg Hall 2006-8