“Distractions” (drama) 2 minutes

Monologue Description:  “Distractions” is about sharing your life experiences with a loved one, who is being faced with their own life lessons.

Character Description:  In this monologue, GRANDPA (73/male) enlightens his Grandson, by sharing his own wisdom of hard knocks. 

Character Background:  Grandpa is a self made business man.  He struggled early on his is life, coming from a poor family in Texas.  When he married, upon coming back from the war, he married the only woman he ever loved, Adelaide.  Grandpa (real name Mitch Frederickson) had dreams of becoming a wealthy business owner in retail.  His dream was to build his own successful retail store.  In order to begin his passion, with no money and no relation with the banks, he he put his pride aside and borrowed enough money to open his retail store, from Adelaide’s own father.  Although his father in law gave him the money to borrow, he as many people, did not believe that Grandpa could fulfill his ideals.  Nevertheless, the money was given and Grandpa built not one store but a chain of stores across the country. 

Although his Grandson is an artist, he draws a correlation between the two careers, in order to create knowledge for his Grandson and teach him how to face adversaries.

Character Circumstances:  Grandpa gets approached from his beloved Grandson, who is depressed by critics in his artistic profession.  His Grandson is contemplating as to whether or not he should continue his work.  In order to keep his Grandson’s dreams alive, Grandpa provides him with sound advice. 

GRANDPA:

Listen to me son…if you let the negative people you cross paths with in your life, affect your work, then they win.  That is the only way they can win.  If you don’t allow them to prevent you from growing as an artist, YOU win.  Art is a tricky thing my boy.  It takes a lifetime of patience.  No one is born perfect.  Life shapes you.  Both good experiences and bad experiences make you who you are and help you grow in your craft.

You will always encounter the naysayers, the critics and the haters as the phrase is used nowadays.  But that’s okay.  Just accept it and move on.  You have nothing to prove and will only gain something by focusing your efforts by doing what you believe in. 

I spent my life building my store enterprise.  I’ve had people telling me it was impossible.  People telling me I would amount to nothing, criticizing me, telling me that they would NEVER shop in my store.  Years go by and I’ll bump into one of these people, only to find them in aisle 3, in the shampoo section of my store.  Ha!  Do you know what I do?  I look at them dead in the eye and I smile and I offer them my services and I thank them for coming.  I don’t believe in revenge or “getting back” at people.  If you do make mistakes in such case, and you will, I assure you, LEARN FROM IT. 

When you provide something of yourself that you are passionate about, don’t ever let it go because of what other people think.  Sometimes people won’t get it, they will misunderstand, sometimes people fear you and other times they simply hate for no reason whatsoever.  Or they think they have a reason but are sadly mistaken.

You will do fine.  Just do what you love and I promise you, as long as you keep working hard, people will come into your store.

(he smiles warmly)

“Full Speed Ahead” (drama) 1 minute

Character: JACK
Description:  Jack talks to his best friend Ray about the horror of almost losing his son.
Gender: Male
Age:  39    

….I’m the worst father in the world…I just wanted him to learn how to ride a bike, my son.  All I did was turn my back for a second, to say hello to my nextdoor neighbor Sal…I didnt see it coming, I didn’t hear it coming, until it was to late…

When I looked back, it was too late for me to stop it.  All I was able to do was scream my sons name.  And than, the car hit him.  (beat)  The car kept going full speed ahead.  Never stopping.  I ran to my boy and blood was trickling out from his mouth.  I held him in my arms and before I could blink, Sal drove up next to me with his car and yelled for me to get in. 

We must have gotten to the hospital inside of two minutes.  I ran to the emergency with my son in my arms.  Every time I glanced to look at him, his eyes would flicker and roll to the back of his head.  Frightening, the most frightening experience of my life…

After an hour, pacing back in forth in the waiting room with my wife…a Doctor approached us and told us our boy was going to be allright.  He suffered minor injuries.  It looked worse than it was and when the Doctor told us that, I had to sit because my legs felt like jelly. 

My wife and I cried like two kids, holding one another tightly.  When I saw my son again, for the first time after the accident, he looked at me and smiled.  He told me that he was sorry.  I told him it wasn’t his fault, that it was daddy’s fault.  Then my son asked me if I could take him riding again and all I could do was nod and kiss my child.

…I still feel terribly guilty about the whole ordeal…

“Sock Thievery” (comedy) Under 1 Minute

Character: JILL
Description:  Jill complains about her laundry mat, stealing her socks.
Gender: Female
Age:  24   

They have to be, they HAVE to be.  Everytime I bring my clothes to the damn laundry mat, I’m missing things.  ONLY SOCKS.  I’m always missing pairs of socks, or I only get one sock back.  What is that?!  What kind of laundry mat, steals your socks.  I don’t mind if one or two get lost in the wash every now and again but come on, I must have lost about twelve pairs already.  Are you kidding me?  What’s next, shirts?!

I’m going out and buying socks again and now I am going to a different laundry place about two blocks further down the road.  It’s a pain in the ass because the one right up the block is so close and convenient but not if they are going to take my socks. 

MY SOCKS!!!

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