Emma’s Monologue from People, Places, and Things by Duncan Macmillan
"I find reality pretty difficult. I find the business of getting out of bed and getting on with the day really hard..."
Overview of People, Places, and Things
People, Places, and Things by Duncan Macmillan is a raw, visceral exploration of addiction, mental health, and recovery. Emma’s monologue is an unfiltered outpouring of frustration, despair, and defiance. It offers actors a chance to delve into themes of existential dread, emotional vulnerability, and self-destruction, making it a challenging and rewarding performance piece.
Character Breakdown: Emma
Name: Emma
Age: Late 20s to early 30s
Background: Emma is an actress struggling with substance addiction. She is cynical, intelligent, and deeply troubled, grappling with the harsh realities of her life and her dependence on drugs and alcohol to cope.
Who the Character is Talking To in This Moment: Emma is speaking to a therapist or counselor, resisting their attempts to help her and questioning their ability to understand her struggles.
What’s Just Happened: Emma is in rehab, and this monologue reflects her resistance to treatment, her existential despair, and her conflicted relationship with reality and sobriety.
The Monologue
I find reality pretty difficult. I find the business of getting out of bed and getting on with the day really hard. I find picking up my phone to be a mammoth fucking struggle. The number on my inbox. The friends who won’t see me anymore. The food pictures and porn videos, the bombings and beheadings, the moral ambivalence you have to have to just be able to carry on with your day. I find the knowledge that we’re all just atoms and one day will just stop and be dirt in the ground, I find that overwhelmingly disappointing. And I wish I could feel otherwise. I wish I could be like you. Or my mother. To feel that some things are predetermined and meaningful and that we’re somewhere on a track between the start and finish lines. But I can’t because I care about what’s true, what’s actually verifiably true. You’re able to forfeit rationality for a comforting untruth so how are you supposed to help me? You’re looking at the world through such a tight filter you’re barely living in it. You’re barely alive. Drugs and alcohol have never let me down. They have always loved me. There are substances I can put into my bloodstream that make the world perfect. That is the only absolute truth in the universe. I am being difficult because you want to take it away from me. So Sorry.
BROKEN DOWN
"I find reality pretty difficult. I find the business of getting out of bed and getting on with the day really hard."
Commentary: Emma opens with stark honesty, setting the tone for the monologue. Actors should deliver this line with a sense of exhaustion and vulnerability, immediately drawing the audience into her struggle.
"The friends who won’t see me anymore. The food pictures and porn videos, the bombings and beheadings, the moral ambivalence you have to have to just be able to carry on with your day."
Commentary: This section reflects Emma’s cynicism and overwhelming frustration with modern life. Actors should emphasize her sharp intellect and anger at the mundanity and horrors of existence.
"I find the knowledge that we’re all just atoms and one day will just stop and be dirt in the ground, I find that overwhelmingly disappointing."
Commentary: Emma’s existential despair is central here. Deliver this line with a mix of hopelessness and resignation, capturing the depth of her disillusionment.
"Drugs and alcohol have never let me down. They have always loved me. There are substances I can put into my bloodstream that make the world perfect."
Commentary: This is the emotional core of the monologue, revealing Emma’s dependency on substances as her only perceived source of comfort. Actors should convey her defiance and the tragic sincerity of this belief.
"I am being difficult because you want to take it away from me. So Sorry."
Commentary: Emma ends with a sarcastic apology, reinforcing her resistance to help. Actors should deliver this with bitterness and a touch of self-awareness, leaving the audience with a sense of her inner conflict.
Suggested New Thoughts Chunking / Paragraphing
Opening Despair: Emma introduces her struggle with reality, setting the tone for the monologue.
Overwhelmed by Modern Life: She reflects on the ambivalence and disconnection required to navigate daily existence.
Existential Crisis: Emma expresses her despair about the meaninglessness of life and her desire for a comforting belief system.
Dependency on Substances: She defends her reliance on drugs and alcohol as her escape from reality.
Defiant Closure: Emma sarcastically apologizes, reaffirming her resistance to change.
Journey Keypoints
Hook: Emma’s brutally honest opening grabs the audience’s attention and establishes her vulnerability.
Turning Point: Her critique of modern life and existential despair adds complexity and depth to her struggle.
Climax: Her passionate defense of substance use reveals the emotional intensity of her dependency.
Resolution: Emma’s sarcastic apology leaves the audience with a sense of her defiance and inner turmoil.
Performance Tips
Embody the Emotional Weight: Emma’s monologue is raw and unfiltered. Embrace the intensity and avoid sanitizing her emotions.
Balance Vulnerability and Defiance: While Emma is resistant to help, her pain and despair should remain palpable.
Use Pacing to Build Intensity: Start with a measured tone, allowing the emotion to build to the climactic defense of substance use.
Connect with the Audience: Though Emma is speaking to a therapist, her existential musings resonate universally. Use direct delivery to draw the audience into her world.
Learn with Acting Coach Scotland
Emma’s monologue from People, Places, and Things is a challenging and deeply rewarding piece, offering actors the opportunity to showcase raw vulnerability and emotional intensity. At Acting Coach Scotland, we help actors bring authenticity and depth to performances like this, ensuring every moment resonates powerfully with audiences.
