Monologue
Cast:
A LOVER, 20s-30s, dressed as if braving an apocalypse.
* * *
LOVER: One: The Tupac poster you’ve hung on the wall. It’s old, wrinkled, straight out of the ’90s. It’s been taped up and taken down again many times. I wonder how Susan felt about it. You’ll never tell me.
Two: Why you cry in your sleep.
Three: Where you were when it happened.
I was a singer with New York City dreams, staying with a buddy until I could save up for the move. He was the first I saw turn. He tried to …
(A moment)
I locked him in the bathroom and ran for my life.
I’ll never make it to New York City. I’ll never be a star. There’s too many of … them. At least I get to sing for you. Not as loud as I could. We do everything in a hush now. We speak in hushed whispers, make love in grunts and moans. We can’t let them hear us. They’ll kill us if they hear us.
You like it when I sing for you. It stops the shaking. You melt like ice cream beneath my voice.
(Closes eyes)
I sing with my face on your chest, my ear to your heartbeat.
A moment. They open their eyes, compose themselves.
We’re down to our last can of peaches, so we’ll have to leave soon. The Tupac poster will be coming down again. South. Always South.
This is no longer a world for lovers. Love can get you killed. We know the time may come where we may have to leave the other. But I have you here now. Well, some of you. Part of you will always belong to Susan. You wanted to let her turn you too. But you didn’t. You ran.
Your heart can never be fully mine. Part of you is enough of you. For now. This is no longer a world for lovers.
A long, long moment. This is hard.
Four: Your children. You never found them. You won’t even say their names.
END OF PLAY.
Christian St. Croix is a queer, Black playwright known for his award-winning works that blend slice-of-life storytelling with vintage Americana and hints of magical realism. Based in San Diego but eyeing Los Angeles for his next chapter, his notable plays—like Monsters of the American Cinema, ZACH, and We Are the Forgotten Beasts—have received critical acclaim for their raw, multidimensional characters and unique narratives. St. Croix’s work explores the lives of diverse, often working-class characters, earning him honors such as the Carlo Annoni International Playwriting Prize, the Dominic Orlando Playwriting Award, and several festival awards. His productions have been staged across the country, captivating audiences with his evocative and boundary-pushing storytelling.