Tara Meddaugh

THE MEANING OF PLANTS
A monologue from the play, Brush Them Fleas
by Tara Meddaugh

About the play, Brush Them Fleas:
As the owner of a high-end dog grooming salon, Tootsie takes great pride in presenting an upstanding establishment. Yet when Mr. Boland's dog is murdered on site, it stirs up ill feelings and suspicion amongst the staff and clients. Through the commotion, however, Mr. Boland discovers a rare connection with an awkward dog groomer, Stacy, who thinks he may give meaning to her past. And…who murdered Mr. Boland’s dog?
Click here to learn more about the entire play, Brush Them Fleas, from which this monologue comes.

About the monologue, The Meaning of Plants:
Stacy, an awkward young dog groomer at an upscale dog grooming salon, bullied by a fellow employee, finds herself in a room with Mr. Boland, a client who has been undergoing some stress of his own. As they struggle to find even absurd conversation, she lands on confessing that she sometimes “knows things.” When pressed on what she knows, Stacy reveals her interest in plants. In this monologue, she speaks about her disinterest in typically beautiful flowers which may hold emotional meanings from the giver. She prefers dandelions, which have a brightness and relatable dying process she appreciates. But she truly cares about potatoes, humble but important, vegetables hidden in a world of their own, which no one else sees.

MONOLOGUE DETAILS
Genre: Dramatic/Comedic/Teen/Young adult
Cast: Female/male
Age range: 14-50
Setting: A dog grooming salon waiting room
Running time: Approximately 1 minute

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STACY

I guess, um, I know about plants. I took a class about them once and I started planting my own little garden. I’m not too big on pretty flowers. They frighten me… They always mean something. They mean, “I’m sorry or “I love you”… or… you died.

(pause)

I do like dandelions though. They don’t mean anything. No one gives dandelions to someone else. They grow as much as they want to and they make your hands turn brown when you pick them, and they don’t smell or even look that pretty. But, I like them. Because if you have enough of them, in your hands or in a field, you have to squint your eyes to look at them—they’re so bright. And when they get old, they don’t just wither away. They get grey hair like us and then fall apart all over the grass and the air.

(pause)

But I don’t even care that much about dandelions. I like them, but I don’t care about them. I really care about potatoes. I like planting them because no one sees them. Most people—END OF EXCERPT

Click below for the digital download of the 2-minute monologue, The Meaning of Plants.

To learn more about Stacy and to read the absurdist comedy, Brush Them Fleas, from which the monologue comes, click below: