Monologue text
Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
Information
Role: Judy, by nature a sunny soul.
Age: 21 years old
Place: Her room in college.
Monologue synopsis: Judy is an orphan. An affluential Trustees, whom has given
large sums of money towards the asylum’s support and wanted to remain unknown
shows interest on her case. When Judy was 17 years old and the asylum couldn’t
keep her anymore this men offered to send her to college... to become a writer.
Her board and tuition would be paid directly to the college. She would receive
in addition during the four years she is there, an allowance of thirty-five
dollars. In return, she would write a letter about her progress in studies and
the details of her daily life. Just such a letter as she would write to your
parents if they were living. In this last letter to her Daddy Long Legs we see,
as the years gone by, the feelings that grew in her. Now she is 21 and she
describes how she finally met him.
Monologue
Judy: (She is writing the last letter to Daddy-long-legs) It was
so dim coming in from the brightly lighted hall that for a moment I
could scarcely make out anything; then I saw a big easy chair before
the fire and a shining tea table with a smaller chair beside it. And
I realized that a man was sitting in the big chair propped up by
pillows with a rug over his knees. Before I could stop him he rose
-rather shakily- and steadied himself by the back of the chair and
just looked at me without a word. And then... and then... I saw it
was you! But even with that I didn’t understand. I thought Daddy had
had you come there to meet me or... a surprise...
Then you laughed and held out your hand and said: (Jane looks ahead
and her face softens as she speaks.) «Dear little Judy, couldn’t you
guess that I was Daddy Long Legs?» In an instant it flashed over me.
(She stands up.) Oh, but I have been stupid! A hundred little things
might have told me, if I had had any wits. I wouldn’t make a very
good detective, would I, Daddy? Jervie? What must I call you? Just
plain Jervie sounds disrespectful, and I can’t be disrespectful to
you!
It was a very sweet half hour before your doctor came and sent me
away. I was so dazed when I got to the station that I almost took a
train for St Louis. And you were pretty dazed, too. You forgot to
give me any tea. But we’re both very, very happy, aren’t we? I drove
back to Lock Willow in the dark but oh, how the stars were shining!
(She looks out of the window.) And this morning... I’ve been out
with Colin visiting all the places that you and I went to together,
and remembering what you said and how you looked. The woods today
are burnished bronze and the air is full of frost. It’s CLIMBING
weather...
(She sits down and writes again.) I wish you were here to climb the
hills with me. I am missing you dreadfully, Jervie dear, but it’s a
happy kind of missing... We’ll be together soon. We belong to each
other now really and truly, no make-believe. Doesn’t it seem queer
for me to belong to someone at last? It seems very, very sweet.
And I shall never let you be sorry for a single instant.
Yours, for ever and ever,
Judy
(She gets up again.) This is the first love-letter I ever wrote.
Isn’t it funny that I know how? (Smiles)
~An excerpt from Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster,
theatricalization by Alice Katsavou~
Related Books and movies
- Book: Daddy-Long-Legs (Puffin Classics)
- Book: Papaito - Piernas Largas
- DVD: Daddy Long Legs (DVD)
- VHS: Daddy Long Legs (VHS)
- VHS: Daddy Long-Legs (VHS)
- Audio CD: Daddy Long Legs (Audio CD)
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