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Monologue Mania June 3, 2019 Root - a play in one act by Janet S. Tiger (c) all rights reserved
Just learned I was chosen again for That24HrThing 2019 (5th time in 6 yrs) to write a monologue. For more details click here
(In the next two weeks, my work will be seen in 4 venues in San Diego- first time this has ever happened!)
Just learned I was chosen again for That24HrThing 2019 (5th time in 6 yrs) to write a monologue. For more details click here
(In the next two weeks, my work will be seen in 4 venues in San Diego- first time this has ever happened!)
Root
A play in one-act
By Janet S. Tiger
Tigerteam1@gmail.com
Setting - a
field, barren, cold – truly very far from home
Time - 1944
Nazi occupied Europe
Characters-
SARAH - in her 30s, looks older, very tired, drained,
cold, in prisoner clothing
CHILD - around 9, full of life
NAZI GUARD - 20s
(Through the audience,
the Nazi is yelling at and we see Sarah struggling to keep up. She is exhausted and finally the guard
stops.)
GUARD - We stop here for break – for dinner!
(He laughs and takes
out something from his pocket and starts to eat. Sarah watches then bows her head. The guard sees something and begins shouting,
storms off.)
SARAH
– It was Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, and an easy day to fast in
those times.
There
was no food, and it was freezing….
(We hear the guard shouting, then a
gunshot)
SARAH
- Even though the Nazis were running short of everything, somehow, they managed
to
find
bullets to kill us. I remember
thinking….it’s time to die….
(She
takes off her shawl and lays down, as a young girl approaches in a pretty
dress)
CHILD - Mama!
Mama! Please get up!
(Sarah
looks around, cannot see the child)
SARAH – I heard a voice….
CHILD - Not just a voice, but my voice, Mama!
(She
struggles to get up and looks around as the child follows her)
SARAH - It was so real….
(The girl goes and hugs the woman,
who now tentatively puts her hand onto the girl’s
head)
SARAH
– I couldn’t be pregnant…..my period had stopped a year ago….when we got to the
first
camp. No food will do that……Even though one of the
guards had……
(She stops, shudders, and holds her
stomach)
SARAH - Maybe
it was the best thing not to bleed every month……
..
CHILD - But
Mama, you cannot die now! I will never
live if you give up!
SARAH
- But how can I go on! There is a limit! The guard just killed another friend…..even
if
I survive this Yom
Kippur, how could I possibly be written into the Book of Life? There is no life!
CHILD
- Don’t say that, Mama! I am here!
I will be here….in a few years….things will be
different!
SARAH
– Sadly, it’s not the first time she has done this….given me this false
hope…..there
was an air raid, and
the bombs fell close to the train we were on, and we were sure the bombs would
kill us, and I heard her voice saying….have faith…..
CHILD
- Wasn’t I right, Mama? Didn’t the bombs hit other cars?
SARAH - And
killed other friends….but did they spare me….why me? Why must I live?
CHILD
- Because I’m here, and it will be a
good life for me, and you will have grandchildren
through
me!
SARAH
- Not if I can’t eat! I can’t live on a dream! On something my brain has created! I
don’t
want to live anymore!
(The
guard is seen, he looks at Sarah standing)
GUARD -
Stupid woman! In a few minutes we
walk again and you’re standing! Stupid
Jew!
(He
goes off laughing and Sarah moves to go after him. The child grabs at her skirt.)
CHILD - No,
Mama! Don’t do this! He will kill you!
SARAH
- Then I will die so you can
escape! Run away! Get away!
When I go to him, you run
to
the forest, and hide, there will be someone to help you!
CHILD
- Please! Listen!
You are not thinking well!
SARAH
- How can I think without food? Without water? How can I go one more step? It is
the
end of the year, and the end for me!
CHILD
- All right, Mama, I will help
you…..there is rain coming…
SARAH - There
are no clouds….
CHILD – Watch, and pray…..say the prayers for the
evening of Yom Kippur…..
(Sarah bows her head and begins to
pray. There is the sound of thunder,
then a flash of
lightning, and we hear rain falling. Sarah looks up and feels the rain on her face
and
starts
to cry)
CHILD -
See…you just need a little faith!
(The
guard comes back, shaking his head)
GUARD
- Get under the trees you idiots! It’s raining!
Don’t you know enough to come in out
of
the rain! Even a dog knows to do that!
(He kicks at the ground
near Sarah and she hears a sound, drops to her knees and starts to dig. She pulls out a carrot, muddy, and wipes it
on her clothing, starts to eat. The
guard watches, amazed. He lifts his hand
as if to take the food, then shakes his head and backs
away)
GUARD - (In
awe) With luck like that, we will never
beat these people……
(He
walks away as the child comes forward to face the audience)
CHILD
- That was my grandmother……and this is
the story my mother told me…..do I believe
it? All I know is….although I never met my
grandmother – she died before I was born and I’m named for her…..
(She takes something
from her pocket)
CHILD – And I have always loved carrots!
(As
she walks off she says the motzi – the prayer before eating. Thank God not 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
Janet S. Tiger 858-736-6315 CaregiversAnon.org
Member Dramatists Guild since 1983
Playwright-in-Residence
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