first year - Feb. 13, 2014 - Feb. 12, 2015 second year - Feb. 13, 2015 - Feb. 12, 2016 third year - Feb. 13, 2016 four year Feb. 14, 2017- today!
I've continued with a monologue a day until the spirit moves me to stop - if you have any ideas for a monologue you want me to write, please let me know at tigerteam1@gmail.com.
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Scene 1
© June 30, 2018 all rights reserverd
A
play in one-act by Janet S. Tiger
Characters -
Eric -
40s white, dressed in suit
Darryl – 30s black, dressed in suit
Setting –
An office – several offices – generic
(Office in generic building, chairs,
desk, Eric enters, holds up paper, reads)
ERIC - “Scene 1
- Man named Eric, sitting in office at
the DMV” That would be me.
(He goes to sit down in a chair in the
office)
ERIC – (Reads)
“Black man named Daryl walks into office”
DARRYL - I don’t want to be at the DMV again! I had to wait there for three hours last
week!
For real! And who
wears a suit to the DMV? So, how about
that doctor’s office?
ERIC - (Sighs)
All right……(Reads) Man enters
generic doctor’s office….
(Eric
puts on lab coat. Darryl enters, looks
worried)
DARRYL - Dr. Jeckyll, I presume?
ERIC - That’s Dr.
JECK-ALL…..and you are…. Mr. Hyde….
DARRYL - That’s Heed-dee…my father was Danish…..Nah, I
can’t do this one either, how
about the one…..
ERIC - (Getting annoyed) All right!
I know which one is your favorite!
(Takes off lab coat, brings out
another paper, reads)
ERIC - “Scene 1
- Man named Eric, sitting in generic
office.”
(He goes to sit down in a chair in the
office)
ERIC –. (Reads) “Black man named Daryl walks into
office”
DARRYL - And that would be…..(with a flourish)…. Moi!….
(Daryl sees Eric sitting there -they
look at each other then they look at their phones.)
ERIC - Hi…..Are you the next appointment?
DARRYL - I'm here for the 11 A M.
ERIC - I’m here
for the 11AM!
DARRYL - There must be some mistake ….
(Eric shows his phone)
ERIC – No…. I think I got it right
(Darryl
shows him phone, they both look
surprised step back from each other )
ERIC -What's going on?
DARRYL - I don't know
(They
step back from each other a little more)
ERIC - Are you in the right building?
DARRYL - I'm
in the right building - are you in
the right building?
ERIC - (Getting desperate) Look, I really need this
job! Please please understand! I've been out
of
work- my kids are starving! I really need this job!
DARRYL – Boo hoo! Let me shed a
tear. You want me to give you some sad - I got sad! I grew
up with no money! I am the first person in my entire family to
go to college! And I have to pay back
not only my loans but my Auntie Ella too! And wait a minute …how many kids you
got? You got any pictures?
ERIC – (Embarrassed to be caught in
the lie) Oh, I have pictures…. but I
just don't have them
with
me…… anyhow maybe we shouldn't fight maybe we should band together…..
DARRYL - I kind of like that…… you
know maybe they're watching us through one of these
walls
or something……. maybe that's a camera……
(They
inspect the wall)
ERIC - Well, maybe it's new technology and they want
to see if we work together ….maybe
they
plan to hire both of us!
DARRYL – Now that is what I call ….positive
attitude! How about you and me, we get some
coffee, we can talk this over make….maybe make them
come out to us……
ERIC – (Excited) That's a great idea…… I like that!
(Eric
goes to door and exits, while DARRYL locks the door after him smiles and
laughs. When Eric realizes he’s locked out, he starts
to pound on the door, as he takes off
his jacket , coat and tie while Darryl also removes his jacket and
looks much more casual as he takes a box from underneath the table)
ERIC - Hey - idiot man! We’re supposed to be a
team! You think by getting in there and
finding
some important clue first you're going to get some kind of promotion?
What's the deal?
DARRYL -I just want to see if you
can unlock a door…. that's all….. didn't they teach you
anything
in that fancy school you went to?
ERIC - I went to the same school you
did - the FBI Academy! - and I graduated before you did
and
I graduated higher in my class
DARRYL - Yeah, but who's on this side of the door?
(Eric
goes to kick in the door just as DARRYL opens it for him)
ERIC/ DARRYL- (together) Idiot!
DARRYL -Take a look at this stuff….. maybe we got
something………….
ERIC - We don't have a lot of time……
DARRYL -Another cliché……
ERIC - …. generic ….
DARRYL - Stereotype
ERIC - …. Archetype….
(They agree – nod)
DARRYL - Pinter….
ERIC – Mamet….
DARRYL – Pfeiffer….. or Iva….
ERIC - Iva?
DARRYL - Iva headache after all of this……
(They shake their heads and Darryl
takes a paper and rips it up)
ERIC - What's in there……
DARRYL – Clues!
ERIC - And we can solve them….
DARRYL - This guy left a few things behind….. I
think he wants us to find the kid…
ERIC - I just hope we can figure it
out before anything else happens to that little girl….
DARRYL - Why does it have to be a
little girl? Why can't it be a little
boy sometime?
ERIC - Boys can be annoying….
(They
point at each other)
DARRYL - look at this….
(DARRYL takes out
frisbee)
ERIC –
Meaningful prop?
DARRYL -Yes, but
need to uncover reason
ERIC –
Take long?
DARRYL - All movie
ERIC –
Clevah!
DARRYL - Bettah
clevah!
(Both shake heads, ERIC takes out
notebook from box)
DARRYL – Real
clue?
ERIC- Made to look like it
DARRYL- Clevah!
ERIC - But
Frisbee!
(DARRYL takes Frisbee
and throws it, ERIC catches)
ERIC–
Never like
DARRYL (Nods)–
Yet another new plot
ERIC –
(Gets excited) Reveal! Big reveal about childhood!
DARRYL –(Quiet) Father never play?
ERIC –
Father play, but… not want to tell,
DARRYL
–(nods) Understand….need to wait ….
ERIC - Build tension!
(Both wipe sweat off foreheads, ERIC
waits, Darryl looks at him)
ERIC – Your line…..
DARRYL – (Quiet) Nah, I’m done…..
ERIC - You can’t be done! It’s not finished….
DARRYL – But I am! I’m sick
of this! It’s weird!
I mean - I know you're a white guy and you want to write
this stuff …but why do you always have black guys like me?
ERIC - I want to be inclusive…..
DARRYL – Well - include me out!
I'm sick of listening to you!
ERIC – (Getting angry) I'm the one
writing….. you….. you have to do what I say!
DARRYL – Who told you that crap?
Is that what they taught you in business school?
Well, here’s a new lesson for you - I can do whatever I want! You can start… but we characters have a
life of our own!
ERIC – (Covering ears) Shut up! I don't have to listen !
DARRYL - Yeah you do -
(quiet)….because it's time!
(Eric
turns away)
DARRYL - Why do you sit in this big office
and make up these stories? We know when
you
come
in here ….and close the door and the curtains and pretend.
ERIC - Shut up!
DARRYL – (Serious) Your
father got you this job and you don't want to be here….He made
you get a degree in
business but you…..what you really want is to be in the theater! – an actor, a
writer, a director… and inside…..you know it and so you ….make believe.
(Eric
turns away and Darryl follows him)
ERIC - No……
(DARRYL
picks up the Frisbee and throws it at Eric)
DARRYL - This is the perfect prop -
something that will make you remember something from
your childhood….. the fact that your father used to play
Frisbee with you….or maybe he didn't
play Frisbee with you…. but the fact is …you can't stay in this room and play
Frisbee forever!
ERIC - (Hard to remember) My father didn’t play
Frisbee with me – I always wanted him to, but
he was busy. But he
was big about teeth! He was always after
me to brush my teeth……he’d call me at college, and that would be our joke…..I’d
have to brush my teeth……because that’s what people see when you meet them – a
big smile…..
(Eric
turns, picks up the Frisbee, sighs.)
DARRYL - Because you know that this is the part where the emotions
come out… where you have to face the fact that…… your father…
is dead… and ..you don't have to
follow in his footsteps.
ERIC - First my characters rebel, and now….……this
death stuff is harder than I thought….
DARRYL - We can get through it….you can act your way
through it….
(Eric
nods and he and Darryl turn to leave.
Then Eric stops and smiles)
ERIC - And maybe one day, you can admit….that you
are the writer….
DARRYL - (Laughs)
That’s gonna be a long time……
ERIC - At least explain again why you have to write
in so many white characters….
(As
they exit, we hear Darryl explaining he wants to be inclusive. End of this scene)
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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
