Daily Dialogue — November 20, 2010

“Five months ago I was on the subway on my way to work, was sitting on the express same as every morning looking out the window watching the local stops go by in the dark with an empty head and my arms folded, not feeling great, not feeling rotten, just not feeling. And for a minute I couldn’t remember, I didn’t know, unless I really concentrated, whether it was a Tuesday or a Thursday or a… for a minute it could have been any day, Arn. I gotta know what day it is. I gotta know what’s the name of the game and what the rules are without anyone else telling me. You gotta own your own days and name ’em, each one of ’em, every one of ’em, or else the years go right by and none of them belong to you. And that ain’t just for weekends, kiddo.”

 — Murray N. Burns (Jason Robards), A Thousand Clowns (1965), screenplay by Herb Gardner, based on his play

The Daily Dialogue theme this week is monologues, suggested by Annika W. A Thousand Clowns suggested by Steve Axelrod.

Trivia: Jason Robards originated the role “Murray Burns” on Broadway in 1962 with Sandy Dennis in a Tony Award-winning performance as “Sandra Markowitz”. The play won the 1963 Tony Award as Best Play.