The Power of What Isn’t Said in The Last Words I Heard Her Say

In Heath’s dramatic monologue in the play script The Last Words I Heard Her Say, we explore what exists between the character’s words.

Finding Signals into Heath’s Character

The script strongly suggests that Heath is a troubled figure. Based on how his brother and father react to him upon seeing him inside the hospital is a clue into his person. We observe their negative perspective and tolerance of him. The insistence expressed from Heath’s brother Charlie to have Heath enter their mother’s hospital room is one filled with anguish, disgust, and restraint.

When Heath’s father arrives at the hospital after him, he too expresses disdain for Heath by being annoyed he has shown up for a visitation.

Another signal you may wish to use is the fact that Heath lights up a smoke and drinks from his flask, all while inside the hospital hallway right outside his mother’s room.

Perhaps the way he is dressed, wearing boots, is another aspect of Heath’s character you can take into consideration as you develop him. Do the boots suggest a physical labor job? Is he an outdoorsman? Does he wear them for style or purpose?

Once you start to get a stronger feeling for who Heath is from your own research, you may wish to supply questions for yourself, growing roots into why he has become who he has become in the present context of the play.

• Did Heath experience something traumatic in his past?
• Was there a choice Heath made during his life that set him on a negative path?
• Is Heath avoiding something in his life, causing him to make decisions that will keep him away from it?
• How strong is Heath’s own self-awareness in the face of how others view him? Does he care what others think?
• Does he even have an opinion about himself?

Ask yourself all the questions you wish, hopefully stimulating your creative imagination and bringing you closer to your portrayal of Heath.

Relationship / Monologue Text

Heath’s monologue is specifically about his relationship with his mother.

HEATH: Well, I’m here… I don’t want to be here, but I’m here; you asked me to be here, and I’m here, alright?

It becomes instantly evident early on in the monologue that Heath doesn’t wish to be at his mother’s side while she is dying. But keep in mind that he is there. Which tells us that something else is also at play within him. He says one thing, but is doing another. This conflict between what he says and what he does is where the strength of performing this monologue lives.

What is between the words is where we see Heath struggle, where we see him pull away from his mother and push toward her. This pulling and pushing is Heath’s emotional crises. It is his tug of war within himself over his love for his mother and perhaps his pride.

What happened? What caused Heath to be so angry and distant from his mother all along? Even though it is not said in the play, the actor must supply the imaginary truth based on the world you invent.

HEATH: This’ll be the final thing you put on me, I guess.

That line is another interesting piece of information. It suggests that Heath’s mother has “burdened” him before. This is yet another clue into the nature of their relationship to consider.

HEATH: Want me to say you were a great mother?

The honesty in which Heath speaks to his mother reveals something about the nature and dynamic of their relationship. In order to be so forthcoming with someone, usually indicates that truth has been spilled between them before. Although Heath’s mother does not respond verbally, you can imagine that if she were to, she would be equally blunt to Heath in response.

This may reveal that there may have been a closeness between them, but something caused a painful rift to exist.

HEATH: Charlie is the one that could take this head-on. I’m just… I’m just nothing, Mom…this whole thing…ahhh man…you ah… I’m not strong enough for this, Mom. I’m not strong enough to be here right now for this.

This is where Heath is trying to claim that his brother is the one who should be dealing with their mother dying. Which turns into an admission of how he is not worthy of such a responsibility here:

HEATH: I’m not what you always thought me to be; I’m not worthy..of anything, and I’m not good enough to be here for you like this… I’m not…I don’t know why you chose me, Mom…

This tells us that Heath’s mother wants Heath to be at her side because she does have faith in him and who he is and this is difficult for Heath to believe and handle.

Between those last two lines shared here from the monologue is a physical behavior. Heath steps away from holding his mother’s hand but then embraces her hand. This is the evolution of the character within a single monologue. Who Heath is from the beginning of the monologue is not who he is by its end.

Monologue Key Point

If you enter your character Heath from a place where he is trying to feel less intentionally, rather than feel more, you may be on to something. In this dramatic monologue, your goal is not to “express grief” or “show love,” but to play the tension of being unable to fully act on either. That is what reveals Heath’s character, and what makes this monologue have music.

The power isn’t necessarily what Heath says, but it’s what isn’t said between the words, during the beats, pauses, and silence, all expressed through his behavior. The way in which you will find physical expression will stem from Heath’s interior life. That’s not to say you won’t find expression through externals but Heath is just so wound up with agony, failure, anger, depression, it’s all bottled up inside him trying to escape.

Think of steam trying to exit a hot pot with a lid over it. That is Heath.

• To read the full one-act ePlay The Last Words I Heard Her Say find purchase button below: