Character: Marion, a neighborhood volunteer.
Suggested playing age: 40s–70s.
Tone: Comedic · civic persuasion.
Length: 204 words; approximately 75–105 seconds.
Format: one woman addressing a silent listener.
The age range is a rehearsal suggestion. Time your own delivery with pauses. This is a complete original standalone piece, not an extract from a longer published play.
The Bench Has a Waiting List: full monologue
The bench has a waiting list. I appreciate that's not what you mean by community engagement, but you gave us one bench and twelve people with knees.
At first I suggested taking turns. Apparently that was divisive. So I made a rota, which was authoritarian. Then I said whoever gets there first, which favored Dennis. Dennis lives opposite and can see the bench from his bathroom.
We now have three categories: resting, chatting and waiting for someone who has probably forgotten. A carrier bag does not count as a person. I had to put that in writing after Wednesday.
The thing is, they're coming out. Mrs. Khan brings a flask. Dennis puts actual shoes on. June has stopped telling me there's nobody left to talk to, although she mostly comes to complain about Dennis.
I used to walk past that patch of grass without seeing anyone. Yesterday they were still there when I came home. They'd saved me six inches. I had to sit sideways, but it was a very pleasant six inches.
So, a second bench. Facing the first, please. Not a commemorative one. If we put a name on it, Dennis will ask what that person did to get a permanent booking.
What is happening in the scene?
A volunteer asks a council officer for a second park bench after her informal seating system becomes too successful.
Speaking to: A council officer who has just congratulated her on encouraging community participation.
Immediate objective: Secure a second bench before she has to keep managing the first one.
The change to explore: The seating dispute reveals that people have started organizing their day around the chance to see one another.
Acting questions
- Does Marion want praise, a bench or permission to stop organizing everyone?
- Which objection is still annoying enough to sharpen her explanation?
- Who is she picturing when the account stops being a complaint?
- Why must the benches face each other?
A rehearsal experiment
Try the speech to an officer who is sympathetic but already putting on a coat. Give each comic detail a job in keeping the meeting alive. Let the six-inch memory briefly slow the argument, then recover the practical request.
Choose one response for the silent listener and let it affect your next thought. The recorded reading offers one interpretation; your performance can find a different pace, emphasis or relationship.
Rehearse The Bench Has a Waiting List free
The real CueRoom interface opens with the exact text above divided into 6 thought beats. Use Practice my lines to recall the words, Listen to the recording to hear the prepared reading, or Prompt for the current beat. Bookmark a difficult transition and return to it.
No account, purchase or replay credits required. Replays and prompts use saved Studio recordings. The text and voice are fixed, and changes stay in this tab.
Rehearse this monologue free →
Manual advance and timed hands-free practice are available. Voice Control depends on your browser and optional microphone permission.
Learn the sequence of thoughts
Use the failed systems as stepping stones: turns, rota, first arrival, categories. Learn the names with the different actions attached to them, then connect the saved space to the final seating arrangement.
Attempt each beat before revealing it, then check the exact wording. Once the separate beats hold, practice their joins and time a complete take. Use the monologue preparation plan for a deadline or the line-learning guide for a longer routine.
Choosing this piece for an audition or class
Check the brief before learning it: some auditions require a named published play, a particular period or a strict time limit. This piece is suitable where original standalone material is accepted. The free demo uses the full text; it does not create custom cuts.
Content: Light references to aging, loneliness and neighborhood disagreements; no strong language.
You may use this CueRoom original for personal rehearsal, classes and auditions that permit original material. Do not republish or sell it as your own.
Build a contrasting pair
Try The Signature on the Drawing for a different tone and immediate objective. Compare what each character is trying to get from her listener, rather than simply making one performance louder or sadder.
For a classical option, explore Portia’s appeal for mercy or Beatrice’s change of heart. Check that the pairing fits your audition’s requirements.
Browse all 18 monologues for women · Explore the monologue library
Want a speaking scene partner?
A monologue has one speaking character. To try choosing a role while CueRoom reads the other character, open The Last Train. Select Maya or Jules; both roles are already recorded.
Rehearse your own material in CueRoom
Keep using these prepared demos free. When you want to import scripts you have permission to use, choose reader voices and keep a personal script library, explore the full CueRoom app.
Considering this piece for an audition? Compare it with the audition monologue shortlist, including source requirements, time-limit checks and contrasting-pair suggestions.
Choosing for a limited performance slot? Compare this 204-word piece with the other short monologue selections, then time your own complete take with the pauses you need.
Compare this original with the other contemporary monologue selections, with comic and dramatic situations and guidance on audition source requirements.