Monologue Monday: Mrs. Pringle in Fourteen (Gerstenberg)

Hello one and all!

Welcome back to Monday, where we find a slew of monologues off the Youtube and and run ’em here.

Since last week’s unknown playwright was Alice Gerstenberg, it is only fitting that this week’s monologue arises from her play.

The play is FOURTEEN and concerns the preparations of a fashionable dinner party.

Design used for a performance of the play by Play With Your Food.

This particular monologue concerns Mrs. Pringle who is having a meltdown because some guests have cancelled, etc. You can even read said monologue here:

MRS. PRINGLE: [Exhausted, harassed, angry, tempestuous.] I shall go mad! I’ll never entertain again–never–never–people ought to know whether they’re coming or not–but they accept and regret and regret and accept–they drive me wild. [DUNHAM goes out.]This is my last dinner party–my very last–a fiasco–an utter fiasco! A haphazard crowd–hurried together–when I had planned everything so beautifully–now how shall I seat them–how shall I seat them? If I put Mr. Tupper here and Mrs. Conley there then Mrs. Tupper has to sit next to her husband and if I want Mr. Morgan there–Oh! It’s impossible–I might as well put their names in a hat and draw them out at random–never again! I’m through! Through with society–with parties–with friends–I wipe my slate clean–they’ll miss my entertainments–they’ll wish they had been more considerate–after this, I’m going to live for myself! I’m going to be selfish and hard–and unsociable–and drink my liquor myself instead of offering it gratis to the whole town!–I’m through—Through with men like Oliver Farnsworth!–I don’t care how rich they are! How influential they are–how important they are! They’re nothing without courtesy and consideration–business–off on train–nonsense–didn’t want to come–didn’t want to meet a sweet, pretty girl–didn’t want to marry her–well, he’s not good enough for you!–don’t you marry him! Don’t you dare marry him! I won’t let you marry him! Do you hear? If you tried to elope or anything like that, I’d break it off–yes, I would–Oliver Farnsworth will never get recognition from me!–He is beneath my notice! I hate Oliver Farnsworth!

And now without further ado, here are our monologists….

A

B

C

D

E

F

Which Mrs. Pringle went the maddest? Feel free to comment and join us on Thursday when we profile another unknown playwright!!!

Here’s a complete list of our monologues.

Thank you.