'Marilon' Audition Piece From Coyle's 'HOARD'

USE ONLY WITH PERMISSION © Thomas Coyle 2018

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MARILON, a woman in her sixties, inspects the renovation work done by her friend CALLY at the house of their mutual friend CONNIE. MARILON is alone. More at Amazon.

Place has potential. Good floors. Walls are wrecked. Fake wainscoting. Pull it off, all of it. Sand it, paint it. Mustard here. Indigo there. White trim.

Inspecting Cally’s work on the ceiling.

Makes no sense. Gloss on these beams? Won’t say a word though. Hold my peace. If someone thinks they’ve got all the answers, let them prove it. Pull it down. That’s fine. I get it. But it won’t be done in time. So dumb.

Now reflecting on Connie’s state of mind.

No pride. No spark. Addiction. Depression. Squalor. Self-hatred. Should be locked up. And never allowed to have a child. (Resignedly.) But I’ll keep quiet. (Cheerfully.) Want my help, Cally? No problem, dear, really, I’m thrilled to help. (Bitterly.) But this project’s for shit. Think you know everything, honey? Sure you do. Everyone does. Everyone knows everything. Except for me. I don’t know anything. I just go along. I couldn’t have built, run and sold two highly profitable businesses, and to this day own a house and a camp and half the apartments downtown. (Proudly.) And owe nothing. (Fearfully.) And still know it’s not enough. Not when I could live another thirty years. I will die. I will die poor and alone, tortured by some thieving immigrant caregiver. (Flatly.) But what do I know?

-End of audition piece-

For more on HOARD, a darkly comedic two hander for senior female actors, visit Amazon and www.greatworkslibrary.com/.