I’ve had to make my time inside these walls count.
In one-act drama play Castles in the Sky, Arco pleads with Manuel to not go ahead with his plans and instead end things quietly for him.
Featured Scene – Castles in the Sky
ARCO: I can’t go through with it. Not after what I’ve done. Please.
MANUEL: It doesn’t matter what you’ve done.
ARCO: It does! Don’t you see? I’ve shamed them all. Everything I thought I stood for has died. It’s wasted away. There is nothing left but my rotting flesh and blood. I deserve to peel away quietly amongst myself. I deserve the treatment I’ve received. I am guilty of my wrongs.
MANUEL: You are guilty of your wrongs. That is quite true.
ARCO: And I must perish at the hands of fire!
MANUEL: You will perish. I can attest to that.
ARCO: I wish to be forgotten. I didn’t exist. Don’t you see? Please. I could never have existed.
MANUEL: But you do exist.
ARCO: Kill me now! Kill me now!
MANUEL: You will not die until I say you are ready to die.
ARCO: Kill me now! I want to die! Please!
MANUEL: I was thinking about inviting your mother and father as well.
ARCO: NO!!!
MANUEL: (laughs) (beat) At the end of the day, I’ve asked you, and you refuse, and that’s fine. You will meet with your family regardless. You can do it gracefully or you can do it like a beaten dog. Makes no difference to me Arco. We’ll begin making our progress tonight.
ARCO: What progress?
MANUEL: Good food, wine, fresh air, music, dance. Do you like to dance?
ARCO: I don’t wish to dance!
MANUEL: I can teach you. What dance would you like to learn?
ARCO: I don’t wish to dance, please!
MANUEL: The tango, cha-cha-cha, many to choose from.
ARCO: NO!! Guards! Guards!!
MANUEL: The guards only answer to my voice, you know that. Calm down. Catch your breath and relax. Sometimes in life Arco, there are things we simply have to accept. Sometimes there are things we do not want to accept but we must accept because there is nothing we can do about it. This is one of those situations we find ourselves in when unfortunately for you, you have to accept. There is no change, other than you will achieve the goal I have set for you and see your family one last time.
ARCO: You are a sick man.
MANUEL: One might think.
ARCO: Aware of your own sickness?
MANUEL: I’ve always been aware of my own incapacities.
ARCO: Why not let me go for good?
MANUEL: (laughs)
ARCO: Why not pretend you have already killed me?
MANUEL: It’s a sweet thought.
ARCO: Either kill me or set me free.
MANUEL: What’s the sense in that? I want you to get well. I want you to become your former self. Strong, confident, focused. I want you to see your family one last time, knowing that you are going to die thereafter. What does that do to a man? I’m curious. (beat) The truth is, I’m writing a book. I may as well tell you. I’m writing a book about all these experiments I’ve performed throughout the years. I jot down notes, I explain in full detail the psychology these experiments have on an individual’s mind. It’s quite fascinating when you consider it…how far can the mind go? Where is the breaking point? It’s a fragile thing. Our mind.
Yet, it’s almost impossible to see its boundary. What happens is that once a mind is unlocked, it doesn’t seem to ever go back. Quite a mystery, really. Where does the mind travel? Sort of like broken glass, all the pieces are there but it’s not what it once was.
So, I’m writing this book with the hope that all my important work will somewhat contribute to science.
ARCO: (laughs) You are a delusional man.
MANUEL: Am I?
ARCO: You are nothing more than a thug carrying out orders for a paycheck.
MANUEL: On the surface, that’s all but true.
ARCO: You will fail science.
MANUEL: …No…I think I’m going to make significant headway.
ARCO: You won’t ever succeed with me.
MANUEL: Yes, perhaps, but I’m still carrying out my agenda. I’ve had to make my time inside these walls count. It wasn’t until the tenth or eleventh execution that I began to feel like I wasn’t doing enough.
ARCO: And what do you expect to gain from all of this?
MANUEL: What are any of us to gain from doing what we feel is a contribution to humanity? Maybe all this pain and suffering we’ve been forced into will somehow be useful.
ARCO: FOR WHAT??!!
MANUEL (calmly): We’ll just have to wait and see…won’t we Arco? Sometimes things take on a life of their own and it’s our job to do the work faithfully…the rest is something we can’t control.
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Scene Summary
In the one act eplay Castles in the Sky, military warden Manuel makes an offer to prisoner Arco in order to gain information for what he signifies is valuable scientific research for his book.
- Genre:Â Drama
- Length: ~5 minute scene
- Characters:Â 2 men
- Themes:Â prison, freedom, manipulation, power struggle
- Best For: 1 woman, 1 man serio-comedy scenes
FAQ
A: Monologue Blogger has a play titled Lenny about a man struggling to find his true self.
A: Monologue Blogger has a section of scripts for performers titled Serio-Comedy where you will be able to explore script material that contains both a mix of humor and drama elements.
Related Drama Scenes
Scene Source: Castles in the Sky
Castles in the Sky is a drama play script by Joseph Arnone, 2026.
