Member-only story
Play in one Act
Extended monologue, with stage direction
I wrote this short piece for a playwriting course for my writing minor in college and am presenting it here as written, so please understand that “(pause)” is often used in place of punctuation that would be used in prose.
I could easily rewrite this as prose, a typical short story; but I like the feel this format gives it.
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Play in one act.
Extended monologue, with stage direction
MJ Mr. Johnson
SW Social Worker
Setting: a single room, hospital bed in dark shadow off to one side. In front of a window are two chairs of the institutional type, vinyl and chrome, wooden armrests: a floor lamp between them. The rest of the stage is empty. A woman sits in one chair, holding a notebook on her lap; a satchel is on the floor beside her. She has a professional appearance, is in fact a social worker. She had just been assigned this new client and hadn’t yet read his file.
In the other chair sits Mr. Johnson, in his bathrobe and slippers. His eyes are closed, and he rocks forward and back ever so lightly, and continues to do so intermittently throughout the act.
SW Do you have any family, Mr. Johnson? (Pause) Mr. Johnson? (Mr. Johnson opens his eyes…
