MonoBROW Part One

This is something I've been meaning to post for a while now. Back in May I participated in a Monologue Slam as part of Intrepid Theatre's UnoFest. The concept appealed to me so I wrote and performed this piece:

Lillian and Vera (working title)

Lillian: Why can't you people just mind your own business? Why can't you all just hush? Hush up, I tell you! I won't stand for it anymore! Just shut up and play the damn game.
Natter-natter all night long. Some of us came here to play Bingo. Nothing but a bunch of sour old bitties. I can hear you! I may be going deaf, but I know when someone's talking about me. You think I haven't noticed? Not a one of you so much as says hello. Not to me nor to Vera. Not even you, Sophie. Shame on you! She's your sister. Used to be people came to Bingo to see their friends and family. It was a good night out. Now it's nothing but your gossip and greed. Oh, I know if it weren't me and Vera it would be somebody else. And don't think I don't see the way your eyes cut through me. You act like I've done something sinister.
Well, you will not chase me out. I have earned my place here. That's more than I can say for some of you. I have been a member of this legion for over 35 years. Both my brother and my husband served in the war. We worked hard to see this place become a community. But you wouldn't know what that is, would you? These young folks come in and you treat them like family, while Vera and I... You know there hasn't been anyone even sit near us for months. Look at you! All crammed into one side of the room so you don't have to be near us. We're not diseased you know!
Norma-Jean Foster, you shut your mouth! How dare you call yourself a Christian, spreading your hate around like that? Every time there's a rumor going around this place I don't have to look farther than you to know where it started. You think you're such a saint? You gossip and natter, spreading nothing but poison. Every last one of you is just as bad. You call yourselves a community! Bah! You wouldn't know community if it bit you.
You have got no sense of support of decency. What goes on in peoples' homes is their own business. You really think we're so different? I have worked hard all my life, I raised a family and made my contribution. My husband died. There isn't a day that passes that I don't wish the Lord had taken me first. My children have grown and moved away. It's only human that I wanted company. I was lonely. Lorraine married after Terrence died, didn't she? Moira's got her kids. I didn't have anyone. Well, nothing but a good friend. A best friend. And is that sin? I haven't done anything wrong. And I am not ashamed. I love Vera. Did you hear that? I love her. Love, the greatest gift God ever gave us. And you want to hate me for it? Well, it isn't me judging you at the end of the day is it?
***

This piece was inspired by a documentary I'd seen years and years ago about older women finding themselves in same-sex relationships after being widowed or divorced. These women seemed to be caught between worlds. Not many of them identified as lesbian, but the people around them labeled them as such. They simply loved each other and found comfort in each other's company.

I was also inspired by a night of Bingo with my parents. The small town legion hall was packed with retirees gambling away their pensions. There was also a lot of gossip, falseness and nasty looks going around. At one point a woman began screaming at the woman across the table from her to mind her own business. The hall was dead quiet for a few restless moments and then flared up as everyone began gossiping about what had just happened and the women involved. My parents had nasty nicknames for most of the people there. It was supposed to be a community, but they were all only there to win money or talk about each other behind each other's backs. It was frightening and sad.

I hope to develop this piece further, maybe into a full length script. There are so many stories here. This piece did not win the slam, I didn't even place in the second half. The competition was fierce and mine was the only dramatic piece. I am still proud of it and the conversation it started there. It will be interesting to see where it goes.

If this sort of event interests you stay tuned for MonoBROW Part Deux as part of this year's Victoria Fringe Festival. I'm already signed up and have started writing.