Buried Child Monologue
Buried Child Monologue
Buried Child Monologue
Shelly
Don’t come near me! Don’t anyone come near me. I don’t need any words
from you. I’m not threatening anybody. I don’t even know what I’m doing
here. You all say you don’t remember Vince, okay, maybe you don’t. Maybe
it’s Vince that’s crazy. Maybe he’s made this whole family thing up. I don’t
even care anymore. I was just coming along for the ride. I thought it’d be a
nice gesture. Besides, I was curious. He made all of you sound familiar to
me. Every one of you. For every name, I had an image. Every time he’d tell
me a name, I’d see the person. In fact, each of you was so clear in my mind
that I actually believed it was you. I really believed that when I walked
through that door that the people who lived here would turn out to be the
same people in my imagination. Real people. People with faces. But I don’t
recognize any of you. Not one. Not even the slightest resemblance.
Monologue 2
“A Chorus Line”
Val Clark
Female, Comedic
So, the day after I turned 18, I kissed the folks goodbye, got on a Trailways
bus - and headed for the big bad apple. Cause I wanted to be a Rockette. Oh,
yeah, let's get one thing straight. See, I never heard about the Red Shoes, I
never saw the Red Shoes, I didn’t give a fuck about the Red Shoes. I decided
to be a Rockette because this girl in my home town - Louella Heiner - had
actually gotten out and made it New York. And she was a Rockette. We'll,
she came home one Christmas to visit, and they gave her a parade. A
goddamn parade! I twirled a friggin' baton for 2 hours in the rain.
Unfortunately though, she got knocked up over Christmas. Merry Christmas
- and never made it back to Radio City..
Monologue 3
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Helena
Female – Advanced
“Buried Childe”
Vince
Male, Dramatic
I was gonna run last night. I was gonna run and keep right on running. Clear
to the Iowa border. I drove all night with the windows open. The old man’s
two bucks flapping right on the seat beside me. It never stopped raining the
whole time. Never stopped once. I could see myself in the windshield. My
face. My eyes. I studied my face. Studied everything about it as though I was
looking at another man. As though I could see his whole race behind him.
Like a mummy’s face. I saw him dead and alive at the same time. In the
same breath. In the windshield I watched him breathe as though he was
frozen in time and every breath marked him. Marked him forever without
him knowing. And then his face changes. His face became his father’s face.
Same bones. Same eyes. Same nose. Same breath. And his father’s face
changes to his grandfather’s face. And it went on like that. changing. Clear
on back to faces I’d never seen before but still recognized. Still recognized
that bones underneath. Same eyes. Same mouth. Same breath. I followed my
family clear into Iowa. Every last one. Straight into the corn belt and further.
Straight back as far as they’d take me. Then it all dissolved. Everything
dissolved. Just like that. And that two bucks kept right on flapping on the
seat beside me.
Monologue 5
Male, Comedic
I know you think Mr. Mushnik's too hard on me. But, I don't mind. After all,
I owe him everything. He took me out of the Skid Row Home for Boys
when I was just a little tyke. Gave me a warm place to sleep, under the
counter. Nice things to eat like meatloaf and water. Floors to sweep and
toilets to clean and every other Sunday off. A lotta garden clubs have been
calling - asking me to give lectures - imagine me, giving lectures. I never
even finished grade school. And, I know I need new clothes, Audrey, but I'm
a very bad shopper. I don't have good taste like you.
Monologue 6
Male, Advanced