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Italian American Reconciliation

Aldo monologue from Italian American Reconciliation

Aldo’s monologue from the play Italian American Reconciliation by John Patrick Shanley. A dramatic piece for men with a playing age of 20s–40s, running about 1:30.

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The full speech. Read it out loud twice before you start working it.

Aldo’s monologue

So our fathers are dead. We can't go on trying ta make our fathers love us or fightin our fathers or tryin ta kill our fathers. What's the point of killing a dead man cause he won't love you? A dead man don't need killin and a dead man can't love you at all. I know you're crazy and just me talking ain't gonna make you sane. But comon! We're all crazy, that ain't no excuse. You been treated me bad my whole life and enough already. I been nuts, too. I'm tryin to be well, too. Let's drop this shitload, this weight of sorrow, these sandbags on our necks from a million years ago, and try to talk to each other about now. You can't kill me Janice. You been trying your whole life, an I just won't die. Even when you fire a gun at me, it explodes in your hand. Even if I die, I'll still be jumping around inside your head. You know, this distance you are from me, this distance now, if we talk to each other, this could be the least distance there ever has been between us.

There's somethin I've wanted to say to you for a long time but I never did. I'm sorry your marriage broke up.

Excerpt for study and audition practice. Read the full play for context.

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About Italian American Reconciliation

Play by John Patrick Shanley

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