Prepare one of the following monologues. Note: it does not need to be memorized. 

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Zuzu Monologue

People say I dance with a lot of grace and that I’m beautiful and above-average and stuff.

Here’s what they don’t say.

They don’t say I’m sensational.

They don’t say I take their breath away.

They don’t say they could watch me forever.

They don’t say they cry when they watch me dance.

When they watch Amina dance, they cry.

I know. Because I cry when I watch Amina dance. 

 

My Mom asked me to dance for her cancer. She saw a documentary about this woman who did a dance and it cured her cancer and so she asked me if I would do a dance for her and my Mom is not normally like that but she was feeling really emotional at the time and she kept breaking down all the time so I did this solo at the year end recital for my Mom and her cancer. And I tried to make it the best dance I had ever done. I tried to like feel things with my arms and my legs. I tried to make people feel things with my arms and my legs. … But it was just an ordinary dance, really. A lot of people didn’t know it was about my Mom’s cancer at all. They thought it was about whatever our dances are usually about. Flowers. Or sailors, you know. Not cancer. I didn’t make them cry. I didn’t make myself cry. I don’t even think I made my Mom cry. She told me that she liked it. But she didn’t cry. And it didn’t cure her cancer, so. Her cancer actually got worse after that, so. It was just an ordinary dance.

 

Ashlee Monologue

I think I might be frickin’ gorgeous

My ass, especially

Might be frickin’ gorgeous

I wish I could show you my ass but I’m only 13

My ass has been described as “epic”

An “Epic Bottom”

Someone said that to me once. He said: “You have an Epic Bottom”

It sounds a little creepy now, but it didn’t sound creepy when he said it

Men like to stroke my ass when they see it

They pull me over their laps

And they stroke my ass

Like it were a talisman

Or a worry stone

Worn perfectly smooth and round

By time

Except it’s the opposite of time

I’m young

I just got popped out like this

Me and my perfect ass

Like two little deer droppings

Smooshed together

Frickin’ epic

Also I have a pretty face

I have a really nice face, I think

I really like my face

And I have great tits, so

I feel really lucky

I feel really blessed or whatever

Let’s just admit it

I’m a frickin’ catch

I walk down the street and I feel everybody looking at me, you know

I’m not trying to brag

I’m serious. I promise. I’m not

I’m just trying to figure this out

I’m just trying to be real for a moment

I think it’s important to be real about things like this

Like sometimes people post pictures online

And all of their friends are like

Whoa. Gorgeous

Look at you girl. You could be a model. KaBOOM!!!!!

Why do people lie to people like that?

I’m serious

I don’t get it

Just say: That’s a great picture of you! Nice shot! You look great!

Not: “You’re gorgeous”

Not: “KaBOOM”

It’s like what exploded? Nothing exploded. I don’t see anything explosive about that picture.

Why are you pretending that something exploded?

I don’t get it

Just tell the truth

 

 

Connie Monologue

I remember this dude from Germany who used to visit my parents

I don’t even remember why he was there…

He was my parents’ friend?

He was German?

He was only in town for a short while

This was like 3 years ago

I don’t know

He would come and he would put his belly against my back and he would put his hand on my

shoulder and he would sing along when I played the piano

Like is that normal?

I got very nervous that it wasn’t okay

But no one said anything about it

My parents saw him do it and everything

So I guess it was okay?

 

 

Dance Teacher Pat Monologue

You ready?

I want you to think about children

Who don’t have anyone to turn to

Who don’t have anyone they can trust

Or they can talk to

Who are being abused

Who are living in garbage, sometimes, literal garbage

Their beds, their houses

And no one touches them, no one loves them, no one wonders when they’re coming home at

night or asks them how there day was

 

You girls don’t realize how lucky you are

You don’t realize that the problems you struggle with

Are not real problems

That the world is full of suffering

And you’re tasting only a tiny part of it

 

… (it shifts, slightly… becomes very small, quiet, internal…

… like a tiny, private vigil…

… the audience should register what he’s saying

… as something that’s really happening in the world, right now,

… as he speaks…)

 

You breathe in…………………………..Someone dies……

 

 He snaps his fingers, quietly.

 

Another person just died

 

*snaps*

 

Another person just died

 

*snaps*

 

Another person just died

 

*snaps*

 

Another person is on their knees…

In their closet…

Crying, in so much pain…

Right now, right in this instant

 

I want you to think about all the people in the world who are suffering…

…

…

And I want you to go out there

And I want you to dance for them

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Maeve Monologue

It sort of washes over me. Like sleep. Like all of a sudden I notice my leg is falling asleep. And I

feel it crawling up from the bottom of my feet and I’m like: Uh-oh. I’m about to fly again.

…

…

And then I hold my breath and let my eyes go soft focus and I try to concentrate on it but also I

can’t concentrate on it too hard or else it goes away. I have to sort of concentrate on it sideways,

you know?

 

And then I just sort of float away. And I’m constantly in danger of crashing to the ground if I

don’t keep my mind in the right place. But if I do, if I do keep my mind in the right place then I

just sort of float to the top of the room and sit there

 

And sometimes when I’m at the top of stairs My body just takes off And I just glide down Like I’m a ghost And I always think Oh my god This is the end I’m about to fall down the stairs and break my neck But then I just float down and I’m fine

 

And one time I flew over the Great Lakes and then up into Canada and over the Rocky Mountains? Maybe I was dreaming. But I just went out the window. And I was flying belly down over the mountains. Like right over the face of them. And I saw all their crags and crevices and pockmarks like I was looking into their faces. I don’t know how I could’ve seen the mountains’ faces if I hadn’t been actually flying like that.

 

 

Amina Monologue

Sometimes I think I want to lose

Like I actually think I want to lose

Like I close my eyes and I say:

God. It’s okay, if I lose

I don’t mind this time

Like I feel like I hurt people

Just by existing

Like just by me, just I— living

It hurts everyone else

And I think: Okay, pleasssse, just let me lose…………………………………

But then I get up on that stage

And they take the trophies out

And when they take the trophies out

It’s like I get the taste of metal in my mouth

And all of a sudden, all I want is to win

I want to win so bad

I just like, pray for it