Back Booth at the Boomerang

As a class assignment, we were given a whole menu of monologues from which to choose. I considered one about a man who was addicted to cigarettes and had to give a talk on the evils of smoking. I decided not do this one since the guy was wearing a “Colombo” type raincoat that he needed to be removed. Having to memorize a 2-3 minute talk was hard enough I thought! But, having to work with a prop sounded tricky and was more than I could comprehend as a beginner. Alissa gave us the option of choosing our own monologue and submitting it for approval. Two pieces came to memory.

Kevin Costner played a minor league baseball play in the movie “Bull Durham”. He delivered a monologue where he described what he believed in. It was shorter than the others. That had great appeal. But there were two words in it that I had a hard time saying. I did not grow up around that kind of language and I do not use it, even in front of men. Plus, there were two 14 year old girls in the class. The idea made me uncomfortable. So I passed.

The second one was given by Matthew McConaughey in the movie “A Time to Kill”. He played a lawyer defending a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his 10-year-old daughter. His summation speech in front of the jury was riveting. Yet again, it included some language and portrayed some images that I would feel uncomfortable saying in front of young girls. However, I could do this in front of an older group.

I really liked the monologue I used. A man loses his wife in a poker game. Actually, I sense in that he probably threw the game. It was just the right length and even though I had blown it when I originally gave it, I did just fine the final class, having finally paid attention to the instructions Alissa had given me.

Alissa assigns lines from a scene in a movie or play to be delivered with another. “H” and I get a scene from the play “Proof” which was later turned into a movie. The movie starred Anthony Hopkins (my part) and Gwyneth Paltrow (her part). Great fun. It starts out as a rather mundane talk between father and daughter, but ends up with them arguing at the end. Where do we practice arguing? The place we took lessons had no rooms in which to practice. The OU library would not allow us to use one of their rooms since I did not have a student ID. Ditto Norman library without a card. Before the next class, we decided to meet at Panera Bread and go over our lines. I got there a little early and the place was jammed. I found a table in the middle of the crowded dining area. Not going to work out. Turns out there was an animal adoption meeting, or something like that, and many people showed up to support that particular agency.

Needing to find another place, I drove past the Boomerang and noticed few cars in the lot. This was a favorite of mine when I was in college. A back booth looked very promising and no one was that close to the booth I picked. I called “H” told her of the change of plans and she joined me. Now this was the interesting part. The scene calls for moving around, standing up, gathering books, and papers, etc. But, that is hard to do in a booth. So we just said our lines to each other over a Theta burger and a Frito chili pie. Some of the lines require each of us at one time or the other stepping on the lines of the other and then later raising our voices. But, because we were in a public place we would have felt like fools doing it. Therefore, we went to class knowing the lines, but without the actions that go with it.

Alissa was great about directing us in what we should do, giving me a greater appreciation of what a director does. Alissa loaned me her copy of the play. It was flat on paper. Her explanation of how to give it zing was impressive. The next Thursday, we were again in the back booth at the Boomerang and went over our lines several times, this time over her salad and my jalapeño poppers and onion rings. Don’t get those at home. But, still locked into a booth. As we delivered it again to the class, Alissa taught us how to embolden the characters. The last night is upon us and we still have not had a private practice. My office in OKC would have been a good place, but it is a long drive for her as a student so we nixed that. We could not take our accustomed place at the back booth at the Boomerang because she had a test that evening but would be out in time for class. Even so, we felt we had it perfect, including the actions necessary to the scene, because of what Alissa had taught us in class. "H” reaches me on my cell phone in class and tells me that once she finished her test and went to her car, it would not start because of a dead battery. She would miss class. So, as it turns out my debut scene was not to be. But, for the last time, I gave my monologue and quite well I thought. I can hear it now, “And the Oscar goes to …….”

Monologues are a necessary tool in your repertoire if you wish to try out for a stage production. Apparently, that is often the case at those auditions. That talk is now thoroughly imbedded in my head. I say it to myself while driving, showering, and laying in bed when I awake in the middle of the night. I can get up and say it at anytime. Just ask me if you have 3 1/2 minutes to spare. But, I still have to do some scene work because I am not going for a part in a play. At my age, I don't have time to start in community theatre and work up. I have to go for the full boat. I see myself as a star of television or movies. Missing the fun part (a true dialogue) is a bummer as I want the interaction of doing a scene with another. But, there are more lessons on the horizon so I'll have other opportunities.

There is a word that keeps popping up at the most inappropriate times. I hear it here, I hear it there, and I hear it everywhere. It is a little thing I am starting to worry about. I feel confident I can prepare for an audition, but the word “talent” keeps appearing.