Control

Posted by Jaiyeola Omowamide in English 2 - Pahomov - A on

(The patient is sitting in a chair. He has a very desolate look on his face, eyes are droopy and his mouth is partially open. He leans in the chair  because he is heavily sedated; his arms hang out by his side of his body, almost lifeless.)


(Sings)

Hickory...dickory..dock..

The mouse… ran up the clock

The clock struck one…

The mouse ran down…

Hickory….dickory..dock


*whispers*

Hickory…..

Dickory……

Dock! (Right on the dock, the patient shoots up in seat, and he discontinues his whispering)

The mouse ran up my clock!

My clock struck one

But it never ran down!


And up that clock he sure did…

(The patient stands up from his seat and walks around stage)


They say I’m crazy (chuckles) but I refuse!

WHY DID I END UP IN HERE?!

I don’t belong in here. They diagnosed me with schizophrenia. Do you believe that?

(Leans toward the audience and points to himself) Look at me. I said look at me goddamn it!


(cries) I’m sane….(stops crying and face gets serious) They threw me in this hell hole

*Bangs repeatedly on head*

Why did he run up that clock?

Why must there be a reason for why he did it?

They took over head, my entire being. I can’t control it! (pulls at hair) Why would they take over my body? Every aspect of my being is completely in control of them! (points to his head)

GET OUT OF ME! (falls to the ground on his knees and sobs) Just get out of me, please. I’m begging you. (continues to sobs and slowly gets up. He staggers from lack of energy)


(Turns front of body toward the audience) I want to go back to a place where I was normal. Back when I was in control. The time where I had a job I was fresh out of college..just graduated. (smiles) Everything was going great for me. (Pauses and thinks to himself) Until they took over me! Why? Dispel from me you beings. You are not me. There is but one and that is me.


(The patient is losing control and starts to show behavior)

So you listen to me! You run down that clock! You and all your little friends. Run down that clock so this clock can finally strike DONE! (At this point, the two men in uniform burst through the room, and drag the patient from his room. The patient is kicking his feet and profanity escapes his mouth)

YOU RUN DOWN THAT CLOCK! RUN DOWN! RUN!

(HE continues to yell the same words until he is dragged out the room. The door slams behind him and all noise is subdued)





Comments (7)

Pedro Castillo (Student 2017)
Pedro Castillo

I really enjoyed reading this and how you were able to show his feeling or thoughts from the song. The descriptive sentences and words really created images in my head too. I could see this being acted out greatly by the actors that visited our class.

Imani Weeks (Student 2017)
Imani Weeks

It was really creative the way you wrote it. It kept me interested the entire time I was reading and was easy to follow along. You can really tell his character through everything that he says and he even gives you a bit of a backstory

Chiara Nemati (Student 2017)
Chiara Nemati

I really liked this monologue it was very interesting to see a scene shaped around a common song. It was easy to follow and really showed off your writing skills. Great Job!

Arsenio Gomez (Student 2017)
Arsenio Gomez

I thought this monologue was really creative. Also I like how you describe the characters actions. I gain that the main character is crazy and is talking to him self. Also that he is in a room being supervised.

Liam Hart (Student 2017)
Liam Hart

I really loved your piece! Leaning on the fourth wall is an old and honored trope, and I'm glad that somebody was able to do it justice.

I feel like your piece demonstrated really well what you can do with a first-person unreliable-narrator piece, and I might try something along those lines myself sometime.