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!
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Monologue Mania Day # 1598 Scene 1 revised by Janet S. Tiger (c) July 2, 2018 This is last night's play, with revisions - which do you like better?
Scene One © June 30, 2018
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, computer chairs,
desk, Eric is sitting at computer. Looks
around, getting itchy. We hear a voice,
this is Darryl)
DARRYL - Hey, it’s time.
(Eric goes to door,
opens it and calls out)
ERIC - Mrs. Beechum, I’m working on a very important
project, please hold all my calls.
(He
now closes the door, locks it very carefully.
Goes to the curtains and closes them.
Sits down, 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 enters – through the locked
door! – and he is annoyed)
DARRYL - I don’t want to be at the DMV again!
ERIC - (Irritated)
You are getting to be a very annoying character!
DARRYL - Hey, you made me up, I can’t help it if I
hate the DMV! I had to wait there for three
hours last week! For real! And who wears a
suit to the DMV? So, how about we work on the one at that doctor’s office?
ERIC - (Sighs) All right……(Reads) Man enters generic doctor’s office….
(Eric
puts on lab coat. Darryl goes out, 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…..
(Stops, looks at Eric) And are you ready for this one
…..remember? it’s the one with the guy
finding out how sick his father is and it’s upsetting him because…..
ERIC - (Cuts him off) Ok, maybe you’re right….
DARRYL - The character is always right…
ERIC - ……(Getting
annoyed) Ok already! 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?
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 - And this is where you want to work? Really?
In this building with no windows that
open? Just like your Daddy?
ERIC - (Irritated)
Stick to the script!
DARRYL - Not so easy…….
(Eric
picks up a script)
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 –(Looks at script) 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 – 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)
ERIC - Wait, I didn’t say we were switching to the
detective movie!
DARRYL - (Laughs) Who says you’re in charge?
(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 - (Reading)
“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 - look at this….
(DARRYL takes out Frisbee,
Eric is affected)
ERIC – (Hard
to say) Meaningful prop?
DARRYL -Yes, but
need to uncover reason
ERIC –
Take long?
DARRYL - All movie
(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? Everyone knows
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 never played
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…
ERIC - I know my father pushed me!
DARRYL - 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 write your way
through it….
(Eric
nods and he and Darryl turn to leave.
Then Eric stops and smiles)
DARRYL - And
maybe one day, you can admit….that you are a writer….
ERIC - (Laughs) That’s gonna
be a long time…
DARRYL - Why
is that?
ERIC
- (Hard to admit) Because…….it’s always easier to be the
character
than to be….me…..
(Darryl
looks at him, Ericlooks at the items on the desk)
ERIC
- (Takes a deep breath) Or maybe ……now…..
(Eric takes his arm and sweeps them into the
box.
As
lights fade we hear)
ERIC
– “Eric leaves office….The end…of the beginning.”
(Really the end)
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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
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