If you would like to audition for the spring drama department production of 1984, please select, memorize and prepare one of the monologues below. Auditions for this production and both musicals will be held after school on Monday, 10/7. Details will be provided soon regarding how to sign up for an audition time.
In all drama classes on Tuesday, 10/1, we'll discuss the play and I will provide context for the audition monologues.
Looking forward to seeing your work!
MALE MONOLOGUES
WINSTON: An unperson is a person who’s been vaporized—hanged—killed. He no longer exists. He never existed. That’s your job here. Look here! In the March 17, 1982 edition of the London Times, Bob Withers was awarded the goodworker medal. So we choose the name of another worker in the Ministry of Truth on March 17, 1982. Any name. And send it to the Times with the correction. That issue of the Times is re-run with the corrected name, and all old editions of that issue are destroyed. We toss this message in the incinerator…destroy it! Then—there is no record any place on earth that Bob Withers ever existed. You know the party slogan: “Who controls the past—controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” It’s our job here in the Ministry of Truth to carry out that slogan.
GOLDSTEIN: Friends…Countrymen of Oceania. I am Emmanuel Goldstein. Your ex-leader and still your friend. I am still fighting for your liberty, your freedom, your hope. I am no traitor. In the past I was one of the leaders of your Revolution. Today I am in hiding…sometimes in exile…but eternally working for your liberation. Big Brother is false to you. He has usurped power. He is a ruthless, bloody tyrant. He lies. He talks of a new happy life while he starves your bodies and denies your souls. Remember the past. Cast off your chains! Down with Big Brother! Down with Big Brother!
O’BRIEN: Power is inflicting pain…tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again. Do you begin to see what kind of world we are creating? It will be a world of fear and treachery and torment. Progress in our world will be a progress toward more pain. In our world there will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph and self-abasement. Everything else we shall destroy. Everything! If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stepping on a human face—forever. That is the world we are preparing. A world of victory after victory. And you will accept it, Winston, welcome it…become part of it.
FEMALE MONOLOGUES
JULIA: I hate everything about the Party but I’m smart about it. I always hiss the loudest at Goldstein…I devote three nights a week to the Youth movement…and Saturdays to the children’s Spies organization. I always carry a flag or a banner in the parades. In fact, I’m very well thought of. Why do you hate the party? What started you? Winston, what’s wrong? You’re actually trembling! I’m sorry, darling. I suppose all of us have one thing we literally cannot bear. As for me, its…oh—never mind. We haven’t much time.
SYME: We’re cutting the language down to the bone. The Eleventh Edition of the Newspeak Dictionary won’t contain a single word that will become obsolete before the year 2050. A beautiful thing—the destruction of words. Absolutely the best way to control thought. Of course, verbs and adjectives are the easiest to destroy…and, nouns, too. Take “good.” What need is there for a word like “bad”? “Ungood” will do just as well…better, in fact, because it is the exact opposite. Simple, isn’t it? In the end the whole notion of good and bad will be covered actually by one word. See the beauty of it? Of course, it was Big Brother’s idea originally.
PARSONS: Gladys! Stop making all that noise. You’re a good spy but you shouldn’t say things like that—about Comrade Smith—even in play. Go on to bed. (To Winston.) I’m sorry, but you know how children are. Gladys is only fourteen but already she knows all the words. Oh, they teach them well in the Spies. You know, Winston, she has a toy ear trumpet so she can listen through keyholes. Only a toy, of course, but it works. You know what that means. It’s death to be caught with a woman…a Party member, too. It’s hard to believe. Always thought you were a goodthinker, Smith. Well…I’d better hurry. It’ll look bad if I don’t report you before she does. After all, I’m your neighbor.
NOTE: THE ROLE OF THE LANDLADY WILL BE PLAYED USING AN ACCENT. IF YOU CHOOSE THIS MONOLOGUE, PLEASE COME PREPARED WITH YOUR BEST BRITISH, COCKNEY, IRISH OR SCOTTISH ACCENT.
LANDLADY: I know what you expect me to say. You expect me to say I’d sooner be young again. Most people’d say they’d sooner be young, if you arst ‘em. You got your ‘ealth and strength when you’re young. When you get to my time of life you ain’t never well. I suffer something wicked from my feet, and my kidneys is jest terrible. On the other ‘and there’s great advantages in being a old woman. You ain’t got the same worries. Well, ta ta, dearies. If there’s anything you need, just stick your ‘eads through the window and ‘oller for it. I pro’ly won’t ‘ave it, but you can ‘oller.