okay... what do you think.
this is my crazy monologue for playwriting. I could really use some feedback of any kind from anyone about any of it. it's due in tomorrow and I won't have time to alter things before then so it's really only to benifit me as a writer and give me more of a clue for future stuff... here goes....
(the woman's diction must be very proper... think of a typical middle class keeping up with the jones' sort)
A woman is sitting at a dining table that is neatly covered with a white lace tablecloth. She is in her early fifties and is smartly dressed in a light coloured blouse and below-the-knee length dark skirt. She wears her hair back in a bun that is falling out in places she is made up but it has run a little. She is dealing cards for a game of solitaire. A clock behind her reads 2.20.
UNA: (begins to play solitaire in silence which develops into quiet speech. Audible.) Hmmm… I’m not sure I’ve quite got to grips with this game yet. Oh I’ve been over the rules time and time again with Henry and still... Well that’s just silly, I know how to play, I just wish he was here to help me again. I do so love the way he explains things, always just so. (Smiles)
Well I shouldn’t complain, of course he can’t be here all the time, he’s got ever such an important job, can’t be expected to be home on the dot every evening just because I say so now can he? And I’m ever so proud of him. Of course it was different when I was working, we’d both get home at about the same time, and we’d be so exhausted and he’d tell me all about his day, and I’d say all about mine. But I didn’t have time to keep the house properly and once he got promoted there was no use in us both working if we didn’t need to. It gave me more time to really get everything sorted around here, and, well if things had been different I’d have needed a lot more time to look after things here. Still I don’t know how I ever fit in a job, it seems my whole day is full anyway no matter what I do. That’s why I like to sit down here at the end of the day, everything done. Can’t have Henry coming home to a sty now can I?
(Plays a few more cards). It must be hard for him, he has to spend such a lot of time travelling around, late nights, trips away, all over. I don’t make it any easier for him I know. I don’t mean to make him feel guilty for leaving me alone, (sounding rehearsed) I mean for heaven’s sake I am a grown woman, I don’t need to be looked after. It’s just sometimes it seems he’s away more than he’s here and it’s so quiet without him. I know he hates leaving me, he really does, just what with all the silly arguments I suppose he’s more aware of how much I miss him.
Oh I’m so annoyed with myself for getting into those rows, and they’re all the work of that silly little idiot he works with. Stupid young thing has such a crush on Henry, absurd in a girl of her age, he could be her father after all, I mean he’s old enough. She’s a simple, common sort, very showy. I only saw her once at one of Henry’s work dos, dressed up to the nines, all chest and legs you know the sort, I don’t often go to those things anymore, not really my cup of tea, it’d only bore me. What was I saying…? Oh this girl, well Henry just feels sorry for her and I thought it was funny, but after a while it was just a bit much. She calls here sometimes and Henry never wants to speak to her, she doesn’t take the hint though… so many times I’ve seen him pick up the phone and give her the brush off, tell her he can’t talk now. Humours her far longer than I would. Well one time she really overstepped the mark, sent me a letter trying to make out all sorts of lies about her and Henry, disgusting really. And of course I got upset and heaven help me it did cross my mind that it might be true but of course, she was just making trouble telling me I should “just let him go” she said. Absurd! I can understand a little jealous infatuation but really! I’ve never seen Henry so angry I’m surprised he didn’t sack her! She doesn’t call here anymore though, not after that. But of course once those sorts of thoughts get in you can hardly dismiss them completely so we’d bicker. I must try harder not to, it’s the last thing Henry needs, me acting crazy when clearly his work is riddled with lunatics! (small laugh)
Oh and Henry is so considerate with his time, we always play together. I love card games, we used to play poker a lot with some of Henry’s friends, he taught me that too. He said the trouble was, women are too good at bluffing, said it came naturally to us. I never thought I was any good at bluffing, I think he’d deal me good cards on purpose, he’s like that Henry, always wants to help me out, give me the best. Still he’d usually win though, I don’t think I’d take enough risks. Of course poker’s not really the sort of game respectable women play, Henry usually goes and plays at the club now. Much more proper that way really, I do miss that sometimes though, it was such fun.
I’ll make it all up to him, I really ought to, I’ll make more of an effort, well I could look nicer for him I suppose. (Touches hair) I just feel a bit silly getting all dressed up. The last time I tried, well it was just ridiculous, I bought this new outfit, a bit more expensive than I would normally pay. Ever so daring really I don’t know what got into me. Red it was, a nice dark red dress, a little short I thought but I’ve still got nice pins, well, they’re nicer than some anyway. I was ever so excited about it, it was my birthday you see so I took my time and when I came downstairs, “just how old do you think you are Una?” Henry said to me when he saw. I took it back the next day. I don’t know what got into me. He used to love it when I’d get dressed up you see, well I was quite a catch in my day, he’d parade me around with a big grin on his face and tell me that all his friends were jealous. Silly to think I could do that now though, mutton dressed as lamb I’d say. (laughs but then becomes more thoughtful, plays a few more cards).
Oh now look at that, I’ve come to a dead end. That’s the thing with this game, sometimes it just doesn’t work out and you have to start over. Henry said that when that happens to save all the effort I could just take a card from the bottom of one of the decks. It’s just me playing so it doesn’t matter if I cheat, doesn’t seem right to me though. No I will start over, it feels wrong to me, I wish I could be more offhand like that. I’ll just stop, Henry’ll be back soon, just wait a little longer and then we can play something together perhaps.
(the woman's diction must be very proper... think of a typical middle class keeping up with the jones' sort)
A woman is sitting at a dining table that is neatly covered with a white lace tablecloth. She is in her early fifties and is smartly dressed in a light coloured blouse and below-the-knee length dark skirt. She wears her hair back in a bun that is falling out in places she is made up but it has run a little. She is dealing cards for a game of solitaire. A clock behind her reads 2.20.
UNA: (begins to play solitaire in silence which develops into quiet speech. Audible.) Hmmm… I’m not sure I’ve quite got to grips with this game yet. Oh I’ve been over the rules time and time again with Henry and still... Well that’s just silly, I know how to play, I just wish he was here to help me again. I do so love the way he explains things, always just so. (Smiles)
Well I shouldn’t complain, of course he can’t be here all the time, he’s got ever such an important job, can’t be expected to be home on the dot every evening just because I say so now can he? And I’m ever so proud of him. Of course it was different when I was working, we’d both get home at about the same time, and we’d be so exhausted and he’d tell me all about his day, and I’d say all about mine. But I didn’t have time to keep the house properly and once he got promoted there was no use in us both working if we didn’t need to. It gave me more time to really get everything sorted around here, and, well if things had been different I’d have needed a lot more time to look after things here. Still I don’t know how I ever fit in a job, it seems my whole day is full anyway no matter what I do. That’s why I like to sit down here at the end of the day, everything done. Can’t have Henry coming home to a sty now can I?
(Plays a few more cards). It must be hard for him, he has to spend such a lot of time travelling around, late nights, trips away, all over. I don’t make it any easier for him I know. I don’t mean to make him feel guilty for leaving me alone, (sounding rehearsed) I mean for heaven’s sake I am a grown woman, I don’t need to be looked after. It’s just sometimes it seems he’s away more than he’s here and it’s so quiet without him. I know he hates leaving me, he really does, just what with all the silly arguments I suppose he’s more aware of how much I miss him.
Oh I’m so annoyed with myself for getting into those rows, and they’re all the work of that silly little idiot he works with. Stupid young thing has such a crush on Henry, absurd in a girl of her age, he could be her father after all, I mean he’s old enough. She’s a simple, common sort, very showy. I only saw her once at one of Henry’s work dos, dressed up to the nines, all chest and legs you know the sort, I don’t often go to those things anymore, not really my cup of tea, it’d only bore me. What was I saying…? Oh this girl, well Henry just feels sorry for her and I thought it was funny, but after a while it was just a bit much. She calls here sometimes and Henry never wants to speak to her, she doesn’t take the hint though… so many times I’ve seen him pick up the phone and give her the brush off, tell her he can’t talk now. Humours her far longer than I would. Well one time she really overstepped the mark, sent me a letter trying to make out all sorts of lies about her and Henry, disgusting really. And of course I got upset and heaven help me it did cross my mind that it might be true but of course, she was just making trouble telling me I should “just let him go” she said. Absurd! I can understand a little jealous infatuation but really! I’ve never seen Henry so angry I’m surprised he didn’t sack her! She doesn’t call here anymore though, not after that. But of course once those sorts of thoughts get in you can hardly dismiss them completely so we’d bicker. I must try harder not to, it’s the last thing Henry needs, me acting crazy when clearly his work is riddled with lunatics! (small laugh)
Oh and Henry is so considerate with his time, we always play together. I love card games, we used to play poker a lot with some of Henry’s friends, he taught me that too. He said the trouble was, women are too good at bluffing, said it came naturally to us. I never thought I was any good at bluffing, I think he’d deal me good cards on purpose, he’s like that Henry, always wants to help me out, give me the best. Still he’d usually win though, I don’t think I’d take enough risks. Of course poker’s not really the sort of game respectable women play, Henry usually goes and plays at the club now. Much more proper that way really, I do miss that sometimes though, it was such fun.
I’ll make it all up to him, I really ought to, I’ll make more of an effort, well I could look nicer for him I suppose. (Touches hair) I just feel a bit silly getting all dressed up. The last time I tried, well it was just ridiculous, I bought this new outfit, a bit more expensive than I would normally pay. Ever so daring really I don’t know what got into me. Red it was, a nice dark red dress, a little short I thought but I’ve still got nice pins, well, they’re nicer than some anyway. I was ever so excited about it, it was my birthday you see so I took my time and when I came downstairs, “just how old do you think you are Una?” Henry said to me when he saw. I took it back the next day. I don’t know what got into me. He used to love it when I’d get dressed up you see, well I was quite a catch in my day, he’d parade me around with a big grin on his face and tell me that all his friends were jealous. Silly to think I could do that now though, mutton dressed as lamb I’d say. (laughs but then becomes more thoughtful, plays a few more cards).
Oh now look at that, I’ve come to a dead end. That’s the thing with this game, sometimes it just doesn’t work out and you have to start over. Henry said that when that happens to save all the effort I could just take a card from the bottom of one of the decks. It’s just me playing so it doesn’t matter if I cheat, doesn’t seem right to me though. No I will start over, it feels wrong to me, I wish I could be more offhand like that. I’ll just stop, Henry’ll be back soon, just wait a little longer and then we can play something together perhaps.