Monologues

Saturday, February 23, 2013

1:19 PM

Coriolanus
Act V. Scene III.
Vol. Should we be silent and not speak, our raiment
And state of bodies would bewray what life
We have led since thy exile. Think with thyself

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How more unfortunate than all living women

Are we come hither: since that thy sight, which
should
Make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with
comforts,
Constrains them weep and shake with fear and
sorrow;
Making the mother, wife, and child to see

115

The son, the husband, and the father tearing

His countrys bowels out. And to poor we
Thine enmitys most capital: thou barrst us
Our prayers to the gods, which is a comfort
That all but we enjoy; for how can we,

120

Alas! how can we for our country pray,

Whereto we are bound, together with thy victory,
Whereto we are bound? Alack! or we must lose
The country, our dear nurse, or else thy person,
Our comfort in the country. We must find

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An evident calamity, though we had

Our wish, which side should win; for either thou
Must, as a foreign recreant, be led
With manacles through our streets, or else
Triumphantly tread on thy countrys ruin,

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And bear the palm for having bravely shed

Thy wife and childrens blood. For myself, son,
I purpose not to wait on Fortune till
These wars determine: if I cannot persuade thee
Rather to show a noble grace to both parts

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Than seek the end of one, thou shalt no sooner

March to assault thy country than to tread
Trust to t, thou shalt noton thy mothers womb,
That brought thee to this world.
Vir.

Ay, and mine,

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That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name

Living to time.
Boy.

A shall not tread on me:

Ill run away till I am bigger, but then Ill fight.

Cor. Not of a womans tenderness to be,

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Requires nor child nor womans face to see.

I have sat too long. [Rising.
Vol.

Nay, go not from us thus.

If it were so, that our request did tend

To save the Romans, thereby to destroy

150

The Volsces whom you serve, you might condemn

us,
As poisonous of your honour: no; our suit
Is, that you reconcile them: while the Volsces
May say, This mercy we have showd; the
Romans,
This we receivd; and each in either side

155

Give the all-hail to thee, and cry, Be blessd

For making up this peace! Thou knowst, great son,
The end of wars uncertain; but this certain,
That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit
Which thou shalt thereby reap is such a name

160

Whose repetition will be doggd with curses;

Whose chronicle thus writ: The man was noble,
But with his last attempt he wipd it out,
Destroyd his country, and his name remains
To the ensuing age abhorrd. Speak to me, son!

165

Thou hast affected the fine strains of honour,

To imitate the graces of the gods;
To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o the air,
And yet to charge thy sulphur with a bolt
That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak?
Thinkst thou it honourable for a noble man

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To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o the air,

And yet to charge thy sulphur with a bolt
That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak?

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Thinkst thou it honourable for a noble man

Still to remember wrongs?

Orange Flower Water

By Craig Wright
Beth: David, do you really want to be one of them? You think you could really take
being one of them? You spent all that time trying to convince me the world out
there had disappeared. Why? Because it's full of people who do this, David. It's full
of people who shit all over each other, and whose word doesn't mean anything and
whose kids are so screwed up, coming home to no Dad or no Mom, and it's all sold
to us like it's almost normal, are we really gonna be like them? Isn't that what we're
asking each other to do? There are no moments of goodness that don't come with
responsibilities. David, this is not a mistake. We're doing the right thing. You have a
life. I have a life. This is not a mistake.
Orange Flower Water
by Craig Wright

When I was really little, you know ... i thought god was like my dad, only bigger.
And just like it felt to walk through our house where my dad had built all the
furniture, thats how it felt to walk through the whole world. everything seemed like
it had a little note taped to it: thought youd like this tree! thought you might like
this sunset! thought you might like this cute boy! i made him just for you! and, I
told my guidance counselor in high school, you wont believe this, I told her I didnt
need to choose a career, because god had a plan for my life? and she said she was
part of how god let people in on his plans. and i believed her. and that was the
beginning of the end ... because after that, it was so easy to see everything that
way, right? Making out in the back of Jeff Kosternoples VW Bus seemed like gods
way of letting me in on something; and drinking too much in high school was gods
way of letting me in on something. and now, just when I would really love to look
out over those trees, Cathy, and see a little note: Hi, Beth! thought you might like
this world -- i look around and there are no notes on anything, anywhere. (after a
Beat.) Cathy, im really sorry about whats happened. if it ever felt like a choice, id
have chosen a differently, but it never did. im sorry.
Patter for the floating lady
by steve martin - angie
Oh yes, i loved you. so many things. safety, words exchanged, letters. i would cough
and the phone would ring and it would be you, asking if i was all right. You could
imitate me and make me laugh. You would buy me a little thing. When i made
spaghetti for you, you were so grateful, Pavarotti himself couldnt have made better
spaghetti. We were at a restaurant and a woman came up to you, flirting and right
there in front of her, you laced your fingers between mine, showing her who you
loved. But the most powerful was the tennis shoe. My god, icried. after our week in
the tropics- where we collapsed, ended- a month later, not having spoken, you sent
me a tennis shoe. i looked at it for days, not knowing why you sent it. then one
morning, barefoot, not knowing why, i slipped my foot into it. sand. grains of sand
still in it from seven thousand miles away; each one the size of a memory. i will love
you forever for that second. i cried. i cried for us. But when we fell apart, you didnt
understand that i would be back. that if you let me have my life, i would be with you
forever. But everything you said 3and did, every touch, every kindness, every loving
comment had this sentence attached: maybe now shell love me. and it made you
weak. and if im not going to love someone strong, why love at all?

loVe always
by renee taylor and JosePh bologna - marilyn
david, wake up. im sorry to bother you again, but i want a divorce. i cant stand it
anymore. im living a lie. i panicked when i met you. ithought you were my last
chance so i got you under false pretenses. i pretended to be perfect because i
thought you wanted that. david, im not perfect. When you were going through
your difficulties in making a commitment to me, i know you thought i was
understanding, but david, im not understanding. everything you do bothers me,
and i hate your guts. im sorry. i dont mean that. go back to sleep. (After a
pause.) alright, heres the bottom line. i lied when i said youre exciting. Youre
romantic. Youre brilliant. Youre handsome. Heres the truth that no one will every
tell you about yourself. Youre just an ordinary guy. this is just a place. im just
ordinary. i want more. its not enough. i dont want to be just a person. its too hard.
(She starts crying. Then, suddenly, through the tears:) What am i talking about? it is
enough. its the best thing in the world to be a person. You do love me. oh, were
going to have a wonderful, magnificent life together. a good marriage. i have
everything. i finally have it. i do deserve it, even though its more than my mother
had. i love you. im so lucky to have you to see me through my honeymoon. im so
happy. goodnight, david.

Sue
i dont know if i really want to marry Walter. i know i accepted his proposal, but,
Mother, you encouraged it. Maybe i was so used to trying to please you that i just
went alonguntil, before i knew itwe were engaged. You and dad were certainly
pleased about it. i did not say i didnt love Walter. i said im not sure now that im
ready to marry him. things just arent as clear now. You never really asked, did
you? neither of you. Mother, for all of my life, you have planned my every move.
You have created a perfect daughter, and for the past two yearssince Janie
disappeared youve buried your life in what ive been doing. ive become the
living antidote for what Janie did to our family reputation. and you, dad, youve
always petted your daughters and bragged to others about how charming we
werethat is, when you had time. Weve never really talked, have we? We dont
really know each other very well. Youve attended the important ceremonies of our
lives, and youve paid our bills. But what did this tell you about us as individuals? for
the last two years, youve been involved with only two things your job and finding

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the last two years, youve been involved with only two things your job and finding
Janie. this has been a silent household when the three of us have been here.
Havent we always been interested mostly in achievements and in recognition, not
in feelings or personalities? Were in the same house but on different wave lengths.
i want to be looked on as something more than a Blue ribbon winner at the Child
show. ii think Janie did, too. Yes, you showed me you loved me, and all you gave
me you gave from love. i know that. Yes, you have given us a great deal. Youve
given us everything, and i do appreciate it. But you didnt give us a chance to give.
Maybe we had something to give you . . . if youd just let us.

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