Monologues

Joanna’s Monologue from Kramer vs. Kramer

Look, during the last five years of our marriage, I was scared and I was very unhappy. And in my mind I had no other choice but to leave. At the time I left I felt that there was something terribly wrong with me. And that my son would be better off without me. I know I left my son. I know that that’s a terrible thing to do. Believe me I have to live with that every day of my life. But in order to leave him, I had to believe that it was the only thing I could do. And that it was the best thing for him. However, I have since gotten some help, and I have worked very, very hard to become a whole human being. And I don’t think I should be punished. Billy’s only seven years old. He needs me. I’m not saying he doesn’t need his father, but I really believe he needs me more. I was his mommy for five and a half years. And Ted took over that role for eighteen months. But I don’t know how anyone can possibly believe that I have less of a stake in mothering that little boy than Mr. Kramer does. I’m his mother. I’m his mother.

JANICE by Susan Pomerance
Janice is awakened to the fact that the boy next door is no longer just the boy next door.

How in the world could you ever predict something like this? It's...I mean, you're so close. We've been neighbors forever, since we were little kids. Playing together, messing around and stuff. I've always thought of Ralph Merriweather as this little playmate next door, you know? This goofy kid with unruly hair and a squeaky voice and acne. How was I to know I'd fall for Ralph Merriweather? Things change, you know? One day here's this skinny, uncoordinated guy with a big Adam's apple and then, all of a sudden, you turn around and he's super-neat. One day he's a dork, the next, a hunk. It happened last night when we went over to the Merriweather's for the holidays like we have since I can remember. Of course, there was mistletoe. And Ralph grabs me and kisses me, and - wow! All of a sudden like he's not just the little dork next door anymore. He's like this familiar stranger who turns me on. Amazing. After all these years. And now everything is turned upside down. Now I find him handsome and sexy and very interesting. Why, when we were little, we used to take baths together and I never ever once thought about looking below the water line. I was more interested in his plastic duck.

http://iws.punahou.edu/department/theatre/curriculum/monologues/female/janice.html