Monologues for "Pollyanna"

So you'd like to try out for "Pollyanna"! Here are a few things to keep in mind. Just because our characters are from "small town America" doesn't mean that they can't be played "larger than life" or "over the top". Use your whole body when auditioning and remember to pay attention to directions in (parentheses). Most lines have been taken from a conversation and are pieced together. If something doesn't make sense it will once you read the actual script. There are a variety of parts for all kinds of actors! If you're a bit shy and don't think you can even squeak out one little line, but would like to be on stage, there is a part for you! There are quite a few town scenes which keep the majority of the cast is on stage - milling about, shopping, visiting, etc. So whether it's 40 lines, 5 lines, or no lines at all, there is a part for you!

Character and description	Monologue
Pollyanna Whittier: About 10 years old, she's suffered greatly, but is determined to find good in every situation. Cheerful and optimistic, Pollyanna explains The Glad Game to Nancy. (251 lines)	..."I don*t think Aunt Polly knows how to play The Glad Game. We began the game on some crutches that came in a missionary barrel. You see, I'd wanted a doll, and Father had written them so; but when the barrel came, the lady wrote that there hadn't any dolls come in, but the little crutches had. So she sent 'em along as they might come in handy for some child, sometime. The game was to just find something about everything to be glad about, no matter what 'twas . ...I couldn't see what there was to be glad about either, at first. That's why I cried. Father had to tell me. He said, "Just be glad you don't need them!" You see, it's just that easy when you know how.
Miss Polly Harrington: Youngest sister of Pollyanna's mother, around 30 years of age, she lives alone in the family mansion. She shuts out others and holds bitter grudges. Pollyanna arrives as she is preparing her servants for her arrival and she becomes flustered when Pollyanna hugs her. (148 lines)	...(Paces, then stops to call loudly.) Mrs. Durgin! Mrs...(Stops and composes herself; goes to table, rings bell and waits impatiently.) Nancy and the child are due to arrive any moment. Is the room prepared?...Just be sure to keep them shut until the window screens arrive. Flies carry a multitude of disease...(refers to list)...I have made out a schedule for the child's education. Both you and Nancy will take part in teaching her how a household is to be managed. She will be learning Mathematics and English Grammar from a private tutor, and I have employed a classic piano teacher who will...(Pollyanna enters the room and claps her aunt in a bear hug from behind. At a lost for a moment, but composes herself enough to take control of the situation)...How do you do? Please be good enough to come around in front of me and stand erect in a proper manner so that I can have a look at you.
Nancy: Miss Harrington's "hired girl," who helps care for Pollyanna. She is young and has a big heart that makes her slightly worrisome. After Pollyanna is hurt, Nancy becomes bold and explains The Glad Game to Miss Harrington. (80 lines)	...(restrained intensity)...Ever since last June that blessed child has jest been makin' the whole town glad, and now they're turnin' 'round an' trying to make her a little glad, too...Just Glad! That's The Game!...(challenging, at last)...I'll tell you, Ma'am. It's a game Miss Pollyanna's father learned her to play...Everybody most knows it now, I guess. Anyhow I should think they did from the way I'm hearin' of it everywhere I go. Now since she's hurt, everybody feels so bad, 'specially when they heard that she can't find anything to be glad about. And so they've been comin' every day to tell her how glad she's made them, hopin' that'll help some. You see, she's always wanted everyone to play the The Game with her. But most especially you.
John Pendleton: In his mid-40's, he once loved Pollyanna's mother. His broken heart has made him a hermit. Following an accident, he isn't happy about the new nurse/housekeeper. (77 lines)	...You and all your confounded expensive instruments that I'm paying you to probe me with. I wish you'd all get out of here and leave me alone! ...This woman you've hired has disarranged every room of my house. I can't find a confounded thing!...Which book of yours says I need a pill like her around?...(Pollyanna has entered the house and she is attempting to cheer him up by trying to help him find something to be glad about.)...(losing patience)...You expect me to say I'm glad about it all? A woman who disarranges the whole house and calls it "regulating" and a man who aids and abets her and calls it "doctoring," meanwhile expecting me to pay them for it, and pay them well, too?
Dr. Thomas Chilton: Mid-30*s to 40 years old, he was once involved romantically with Polly Harrington and loves her from afar. He finds purpose in dutifully serving as town doctor. He is intelligent and kind, as well and patient and humble. In this scene, he speaks to a patient on the phone and then to Pollyanna when she enters. (42 lines)	Dr. Chilton...Dr. Chilton here. (normal conversational pause.) She's still coughing? Did you try the steam treatment I recommended? (Pause). How long did you try it for? (Pause). Well, then, I'd better bring around some coughing syrup. I'll be there in about half an hour. Till then, keep her in bed and continue using the steam. It may be helping more than you know (Pause). Yes, goodbye, now. (Pollyanna enters) Why, Miss Pollyanna Whittier! And how are we this morning?...These are prescriptions I'm filling; medicine to help people feel better when they are sick. I only wish I could put you into one of these little bottles...You*re better than a quart-sized bottle of tonic any day. If anything or anybody can brighten up my patients, it's you... Your tonic is called "Dr. Pollyanna Whittier's Patented Gladness Tonic." If I could prescribe that kind of medicine, then I might have to go into ribbon making or ditch digging instead of doctoring, for all the patients I'd have left.
Pastor Malden: A pastor serving in a town where people hold grudges and prefer the Bible verse "Woe unto you" over "Rejoice and be glad." The first scene in this monologue has Pastor Malden practicing his "best preacher voice." Much later in the play he tells Aunt Polly to relay a message to Pollyanna. (40 lines)	(Almost mumbling.) Woe unto you. (He tries and again, with more determination) Woe unto you! ( Pastor Malden screws up his courage as well as his face and puts as much of his deep, rumbling vocal fire and expressive body language into as he can.) Wo-hoe unto you-hooooo! (he is shortly humiliated because he meets the eye of Winkle, the grocer, who has been watching him). ....(then later he is meeting with Miss Harrington, and is little worried) I thank you for seeing me at such a time as this, and I wondered if you might give a message to your niece for me...Just tell her this. I counted them myself, and there were even more than eight hundred...I know it sounds odd, but if you'll pardon me, I would rather not explain. Your niece will know just what I mean, and I felt that I must tell her now; I know how to play her game. Not very well yet, but you know - I*m sure I'll get better as I go along. People always do...
Jimmy Bean: A 10-year-old orphan who is trying to get himself adopted. He narrates the play, and some of his narrations are very long, so be aware of this if you audition for this part! In this scene, Jimmy has just met Pollyanna. (25 lines)	...All right, then, here goes! I'm Jimmy Bean, and I'm ten years old goin' on eleven. I come last year to live at the Orphan's Home; but they've got so many kids, there ain't much room for me, an' I wasn't never wanted, anyhow, I don't believe. So I've quit. I'm goin' to live somewheres else. But I hain't found the place, yet. I'd like a home, just a common one, y'know, with a mother in it, instead of a matron. If ya has a home, ya has folks, and I hain't had folks since Dad died. So I'm a-huntin' now. I've tried four houses, but they didn't wanted me, though I said I expected to work, 'course. There! Is that all you want to know, Miss Busybody?
Mrs. Snow: A seasoned hypochondriac, around 50 years of age. She complains in order to garner in the form of gifts from her neighbors. In this scene, Pollyanna delivers a gift to Mrs. Snow. ( 21 lines)	...Keep that young'un away from me, Millie. She's likely to be carryin' the influenza...Dear me! You brought Jelly? Of course, I'm very much obliged, but I was hoping 'twould be lamb broth today... Your aunt is very kind, of course, but my appetite isn't very good this morning, and I was wanting lamb. I never slept a wink last night. Not a wink...Be glad about things? When you're as sickly as I am? Well, I should say it would be hard to do that. If you don't think so, just tell me something to be glad about, that's all!
Old Tom: Gardener at the Harrington home and a compassionate and wise old man. In this scene he is talking about Pollyanna's accident. (9 lines)	...(Old Tom enters with cut flowers and places them in a vase)... saw that big-city doctor finally got here. Took him nearly two weeks!...Did he say how she is yet?...Is she hurt bad?...Just about the whole town is outside waitin' to hear news about the girl. What can we tell them? Where is she hurt?...There, there, now. Let's just go outside and tell all them good folks to go home. Tell 'em the girl can't see anybody right now.
Millie Snow: She is sarcastic and dreary. In this scene, she and her mother meet Pollyanna. (7 lines)	...If that's true, you're the first one that ever "liked" to see her...(sarcastic) I don't think it's influenza she's carrying, Mother...I find Pollyanna very amusing.
Loretta: Mr. Pendleton's housekeeper. She sees Pollyanna's accident and alerts Dr. Chilton in the second portion of the monologue. (7 lines)	... I've only been regulating the house as you asked me to, sir...There's someone at the door, sir. Shall I get it?...It's a little girl, sir...with some jelly. Shall I show her in?....Dr. Chilton! Oh, Doctor! There's been an accident. She's been hit by an automobile out on the road!
Mrs. Benton: A dignified and somewhat shy widow learning to take small risks. In this scene, she speaks to Miss Harrington about Pollyanna. (6 lines)	...(refers to the bright blue scarf around her collar)...Would you please tell her that I've put on this. The little girl has been trying for so long to make me wear some color that I thought she'd be glad to know I'd begun. If you'll just tell Pollyanna, she'll understand...I was told that she was feeling rather downhearted. So I though that if I wore this, it might help her to play her game again.
Mrs. Durgin: The Harrington's cook. In this scene, she receives instructions about Pollyanna*s arrival. (5 lines)	...(wiping her hands on a small towel) Yes, Miss Harrington?...(tries to hide her disapproval)...Yes, Ma'am. We swept all the flies out this morning and shut the windows...Yes, ma'am. (Uncomfortable silence)...Will there be anything else?
Mrs. Payson: She's rough around the edges, but sincere and long-sighted enough to see through the eyes of a child when given the opportunity. In this scene, she is telling Miss Harrington what Pollyanna has taught her. As with the majority of the townspeople, Mrs. Payson lines are few, but she does have one that is extremely long. Please take this into consideration if you are trying out for this part. (5 lines)	...My name is Mrs. Payson. Mrs. Jack Payson. I presume you've heard of me. Most of the good people in this town have. And maybe some of the things you've heard ain't true. But never mind that. It's about the little girl I come. I heard about the accident and it all broke me up. Maybe you don't know it, but I've seen a good deal of that little girl of yours. We live on the Pendleton Hill road, and she used to go by often. Only she always didn't go by. She came in and played with the kids and talked to me, and my man, when he was home. She seemed to like it and to like us. She didn't know, I suspect, that her kind of folks don't generally call on my kind. Maybe if they did call more, Miss Harrington, there wouldn't be so many of my kind. Be that as it may, she came, and she didn't do herself no harm, and she did us good. A lot o' good. How much she won't know, nor can't know, I hope. Cause if she did, she'd know other things that I don't want her to know. But it's just this. It's been hard times with us this year in more ways than one. We've been blue and discouraged, my man and me, and ready for 'most anything. We was reckoning on getting a divorce about now, and letting the kids...well, we didn't know yet what we would do with the kids. Then came the accident and what we heard about the little girl's giving up hope and all. And we got to thinking how Pollyanna used to come and sit on our doorstep and train with the kids and just be so glad. She was always being glad about something and then, one day, she told us why, and about The Game, you know, and she tried to coax us to play, too.
Joey Payson: (almost 6) In this scene, he meets Pollyanna at the train station. (5 lines)	...Pollyanna! Hi!...What are those things?...What do you have to have those for?
Emily Payson: (almost 5) In this scene, she meets Pollyanna at the train station. (5 lines)	...Pollyanna! Hi!...Let me carry 'em for you...Then I'm glad for crutches, too.
Dr. Mead: An elderly specialist from New York City. In this scene, he is delivering the bad news to Aunt Polly-in a rather insensitive way. (5 lines)	...As you know, the patient received a slight cut on the head, and one or two bruises. The legs are not broken, no bones or ligaments damaged, but there's a small injury to the patient's spine...You don't understand Miss Harrington. The paralysis is permanent. There's nothing more I can do, other than administer some drugs to dull the pain. The patient will never walk again.
Monique: Another townsperson -Monique will need to carry off a French accent! (5 lines) < /td>	...Bonjour, my friend. How are you this morning?...Oh, it was nothing. Pas du tout...Yes, it's true. But I'm really rather glad she did, you see...Mais, oui! (removes her hat to reveal a completely bald head) Now that I don't have to comb my hair, I'm hardly ever late to work!
Mrs. McCleary: A townsperson (4 lines) ...Good morning, Mrs. Snow. Good morning, Millie. Why Millie, your hat brim is broken. Townsperson: (1 line)	...What do you know about anything? You're just an old grump!
Conductor (offstage voice): - (1 line)	...Beldingsville, Vermont. All passengers disembark at Beldingsville. Beldingsville, Vermont.
(Additional "townspeople" needed with no lines!)	***

NOTE: Some roles may be double-cast, meaning that one actor would portray that character in two performances and another actor in two performances. Some actors may double as two characters, and the possibilities for that are indicated above.