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| Character | Medium Alison | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Female | |
| Age Range(s) | Teenager (13-19), Young Adult (20-35) | |
| Type of monologue / Character is | Angry, Scolding, Flips out, Complaining, Frustrated, Mocking | |
| Type | Dramatic | |
| Year | 2015 | |
| Period | Contemporary | |
| Genre | Drama, Musical, Biography | |
| Description | A 19-year-old Alison Bechdel reacts to her father’s response to her coming-out letter. | |
| Details | Middle of the Play | |
Summary
Having written to her parents from college weeks ago to tell them she is a lesbian, Alison finally receives a response from her father. Frustrated and insulted by his patronizing response, she reads the letter to her girlfriend and angrily declares that she will never be like him. (1-2 min)
Written by Thalia Peters
| Excerpt |
|---|
MEDIUM ALISON: (reading) “Dear Al, big week at Fun Home. Couple of kids from Lock Haven wrapped their car around a tree and I ended up working two eighteen-hour shifts. Bad for my blood pressure. Anyway, that’s why I’ve been out of touch for a bit. “Oh, by the way, we got your letter. Well, kid, talk about a flair for the dramatic! As far as I see it, the good news is you’re human.” What does that mean? What else would I be? “Your mother’s pretty upset - not surprising, I guess, but I’m of the opinion that everyone should...experiment.” Seriously?! “I can’t say, though, that I see the value of putting a label on yourself. There have been a few times in my life when I thought about taking a stand, but I’m not a hero. Is that a cop-out? Maybe so. It’s hard sometimes to tell what is really worth it.” God. I just - The tone is what I can’t stand. It’s so typical! So all-knowing! He has to be the expert! Lots of advice and wisdom on things he knows nothing about. I’m gay, which means I’m not like him, and I’ve never been like him, and he can’t handle that! He still wants to be this intellectual, broad-minded liberal bohemian, but he can’t pull it off, because he can’t deal with me. And you know what? He never could. He never could. |
