Monologues Genres---Contrasting Engergies

Dramatic:

Holiday (movie)

I am about three years late in telling you this, but nevertheless, I need to say it. Jasper. Jasper,
you have never treated me right ever. Shussh. You broke my heart. You acted like somehow it
was my fault, my misunderstanding. I was too in love with you to ever be mad at you, so I just
punished myself for years. But you waltzing in here on my lovely Christmas holiday and telling
me that you dont want to lose me whilst your about to get married, somehow newly entitles me
to say, Its Over. This, this, this, this twisted, toxic thing between us is finally finished. Im
miraculously done being in love with you. Ive got a life to start living, and youre not going to
be in it.

Comedic:

California Suite
Neil Simon

Millie: One. . .two. . .three. .. Im praying, Marvin. . .Im praying the maid came in here to
clean, got dizzy from overwork and fainted in you bed. . .I pray to God the maid in this hotel
wears pajamas. Then I hope its the doctor. .. Is this your doctor, Marvin? If its not your
doctor, then youre going to need you lawyer. A woman. That was my third guess. You can
call American Airlines and tell them to forget my luggage. I wont be needing it. . . Let me ask
you a silly question, Marvin. Why doesnt she move? If you tell me you have been carrying on
with a helpless paralytic, I wont buy it, Marvin. DONT PLAY ON MY SYMPHATHY! You
deny nothing? Interesting, because I accuse you of EVERYTHING! I dont want to be calmed
down. I want to remember this moment. Did you bring the camera? I would like to have picture
of our first trip to California. . . Just the three of us.

Angry:
And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little
Paul Zindel

Ceil: Thats not what you hated me for all your life! Anything you didnt like you could have
done differently. Anything! Youre not going to blame me for that or anything about your sick
little life. You didnt have to follow melet me do everything. I didnt bend anybodys arm.
You could have lived your own lives, you know. You didnt have to feed on me all the time! I
am not going to let you pin the rap on me or Mama or anybody any more. Now its up to you.
For once in you life, you pick up the pieces however the hell you want. But no matter what you
do, let me tell you this: Youre not going to drag me down. Not at this stage of the game, my
sweet sisters. Not at this stage of the game.



Pleading:

Mary Mary
Jean Kerr

Mary: You clunk. You block of wood. Youre dumbyoure obtuseyoure do you know
something? I was so much in love with you that when you left I thought Id die. Thats right
big, healthy, well-adjusted MaryI thought I might just possibly die! I used to sleep with the
light on because in the beginning Id wake up in the dark and forget where I wasand Id reach
out for you. Do you know if I saw a man ahead of me in the subway who walked like you or had
shoulders like you, I used to feel faint, really faint. And you have the gall to stand there and talk
to me about the sensible reasons why I should come back to you. You and your damn, stinking
ABCs! Let me give you a little piece of advice. I think you should go right ahead and marry
Tiffany. It would be more than a marriage. It would be merger. You should be as happy as two
IBM machines clicking away together. Thats right, Im not coming back. AI dont want to.
BI dont want to, CI dont want to.

Monologues from my personal collection:

Brighton Beach Memoirs
Neil Simon

Nora: Then why did you send me to dancing school for three years? Why do I spend two hours
a day on a subway, four days a week after school, with money that you make going half blind
over a broken sewing machine? Why, Momma? Let me do something for you now. I could be
making almost sixty dollars a week. Maybe even more. . .In two years when I get out a high
school, I wouldnt make that much with a college diploma.

I dont want this just for myself, Momma, but for you and for Laurie. In a few years we could
have a house of our own, instead of all being cooped up here like animals. We could pay Uncle
Jack for what hes given us all these years. Im asking for a way out, Momma. Dont shut me
in. Dont shut me in for the rest of my life. I want a decision, Momma. From you. . .Please!

Born Yesterday
Garson Kanin

Billie: No. I dont want to, thats what I mean. No! In fact, Ive never be so insulted! How can
I not wanna marry you? Well, youre too dumb for one thing. I got a different kinda life in
mind, Harry. Entirely. Im sorry but you just wouldnt fit in.

All this stuff I been readingand that Pauls been telling meit just mixed me up. But when
you hit me before it was like everything knocked itself together in my headand made sense.
All of a sudden I realized what it means. How some people are always givin it and some takin.
And its not fair. So Im not gonna let you any more. Or anybody else! Im not scared of you
any more.

Billie: You cant hardly understand anything can you. You. . .menace. You eat terrible. You
got no manners. Taking your shoes off all the time, thats another thing, and picking your teeth.
Your just not couth. Oooh. And that cheap perfume you put on yourself. You dont own me.
Nobody can own anybody. Thats what the law says. Would you do me a favor Harry? Drop
dead.

Chapter Two
Neil Simon

Jennie: But theres one thing I do know. I know how I feel. I know I can stand here watching
you try to destroy everything Ive ever wanted in my life, wanting to smash your face with my
fists because you wont even make the slightest effort to opt for happiness and still know that I
love you. Thats always so clear to me. Its the one place I get all my strength from . . .You
mean so much to me that I am willing to take all your abuses and insults and insensitivity
because thats what you needed to do to prove Im not going to leave you. I cant promise Im
not going to die, George, thats asking too much. But if you want to test me, go ahead and test
me. You want to leave, leave! But, Im not the one whos going to walk away.

Contemporary Scenes

The Nerd
Larry Shue

Tansy: AxI am leaving here one week from tomorrow, and nothing, but nothing. Lookoh
I know how I must look to youlike a parody of the New Woman, casting off her chains to go
be the Washington Weather Girl. And all right, so maybe its not the loftiest goal ever
pursued by womankind, or anything, but to me it happens to be that damn thingthat one
chance that comes along in you life that you just gotta grab, cause if you dont, then before you
know it, your eyes glaze overand whatever or whoever you gave it up for, you start to resent.
And Im not gonna do that to Willum.


Norma Rae (movie)

Norma: I want this church for a union meetin next Saturday afternoon. Thats blacks and whites
sittin together. Now Ive come here and said I sinned and I done wrong and Im sorry and I asked
for God to forgive me. Now I wanna to see what this church stands for. I wanna see if youll
stand up in that pulpit and say there ought to be justice; there ought tbe a union. And if you
dont, then I say there aint nothing good for me in that church, and Im gonna leave it flat.


And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little
Paul Zindel

Anna: Yes, but Catherine doesnt have any more studs to steal. Ceil, does it ever gnaw at that
cybernetic soul of yours that Catherines turned into the old maid you should have been? Take a
good look at her. Catherine, how can you sit at the same table with the woman that stole the only
man that ever even liked you? When she was still living here and Edward came to see you,
couldnt you smell what she was doing? Her voice daintier than usual, an extra twinkle in her
eye. Shed behave herself while you were in the room, but if you went out she always had a
witty remark readysome humoresque about her pension or salary, how she really needed help
in managing her great big salary. And you got him, didnt you, Ceil dear? Even if he as a
schnook. He only married you because you had more loot. You deserve each other.

Notting Hill

The thing is. . .the thing is. . . yes. . .I have to go away today, but I wondered if I didnt, whether
you might let me see you a little, or a lot maybe. See if you could like me again. Yes, you can
say no. Fine. Of course, I , of course. Well, Ill just be going then. It was nice to see you. That
really is a real no, isnt it. Fine. Fine. Good decision. Good decision. The fame thing isnt
really real, you know. And dont forget, I, Im also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking
him to love her. Bye.