Monologue

Our Town

by Thorton Wilder

Marissa Bendit as Emily

I can’t bear it. They’re so young and beautiful. Why did they have to get old?

Mama, I’m here! I’m grown up! I love you all, everything! I can’t look at everything hard enough. Oh Mama, just look at me once as though you really saw me. Mama, fourteen years have gone by! I’m dead! You’re a grandmother! I married George Gibbs, Mama! Wally’s dead too, Mama. His appendix burst on a camping trip to Crawford Notch. We felt just terrible about it. Don’t you remember? But just for a moment now were all together. Mama, just for a moment, let’s be happy. Let’s look at one another. I can’t! I can’t go on! It goes by so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another. I didn’t realize all that was going on and we never noticed!

Take me back up the hill to my grave, but first: wait! One more look, goodbye! Goodbye world! Good bye Grovers Corners. Mama and Papa. Goodbye to clocks ticking and my butternut tree! and Mama’s sun flowers and food and coffee–and new ironed dresses and hot baths and sleeping and waking up!

Oh, earth, you are too wonderful for anyone to realize you! Does any human being ever realize life while they live it every, every minute?