New Dramatic Monologue for Women: Holding On Tightly
In this new dramatic monologue, HOLDING ON TIGHTLY, from the play THE VISITOR IN THE DOORWAY, Clare speaks to personified Grief himself, who has come to her cabin in the woods and keeps hounding her to let him inside after a recent tragedy. Clare is fed up with who Grief keeps haunting her with multiple deep losses in her life. In the monologue, HOLDING ON TIGHTLY, Clare begins to allow for Grief coming in, as she confesses how the most recent devastating loss has broken her. She asks Grief if the more losses she experiences, the easier it is for more losses to follow.
While the monologue is written for a woman in the play, HOLDING ON TIGHTLY, could be played by any gender with whom it resonates. It runs around 1.5-2 minutes or so, depending on performance. This is a powerful dramatic monologue for an actor really looking to sink into the after-effects of loss. Clare is angry, exhausted, filled with regret and guilt, irritated with Grief, and holds extreme intense sadness. It’s a beautiful and touching monologue as Clare starts to confront what has happened to her, through the support of Grief, standing by and listening. For more context, check out the play from which this comes, THE VISITOR IN THE DOORWAY, as you’ll get a complete feeling for both Clare and Grief.
Emily Aronoff as Clare in the premier production at Westchester Collaborative Theater; also starring Shenendoah Thompson, directed by Marna Lawrence.
Enjoy an excerpt below:
CLARE
He’s…he was…so little…and… he was part of me. Half me. Half Paul. So…it’s like half of me has died and… Paul has died all over again.
(pause)
And…it’s so horribly ironic because…man, Grief. I held onto him so tightly! I would cross the street with him and, literally, Grief, I would literally hold onto his four-year-old fingers so tightly they would be white when we got to the other side. I was that mom people made fun of because I had a leash on my kid in the park. And I get it. To them, it’s like, what are the chances that anything is going to happen, right? But to me… I know. I know that—END OF EXCERPT
Click below for the complete digital copy of the monologue, HOLDING ON TIGHTLY.
To learn more about the character, Clare, and for the complete play, THE VISITOR IN THE DOORWAY, from which this monologue comes, click below:
After a life-altering event, Clare runs away from everyone she knows and isolates herself in a secluded cabin. But when a familiar, yet unwelcome, visitor shows up at her door and refuses to leave, she must decide if she should let him inside.
DETAILS
Cast: 1 female (20s-30s) 1 male (could be not gender specific; any age)
Running time: 15-20 minutes
Setting: A cabin in the woods
Time: Contemporary