Here I have the initial draft of the monologue along with a couple of lines of dialogue that lead into it. Some background is necessary to understand the monologue

Background (A more detailed film outline is coming)

• The teacher that is hired is a former graduate of that Yeshiva school but was horribly affected by it as he did not receive a functional education
• The teacher was still able to make it out of his community boundaries and attain a proper education
• Upon being hired as a temporary teacher at his old Yeshiva, he cannot bear to see the students not receiving a proper education so goes off the books in secret
• The students respond very well to the material, so much so that they revolt against their previous teachings in a way inspired by the book and true story, The Wave.
• This “club” that they develop takes things too far as, unintended by the teacher, the students get together and burn their previous books
• This leads to the teacher being caught by the school and the whole situation being blamed on him
• He is faced with a courtroom-style appeal with the board of the school, and the parents of the students are in attendance.
• Upon the end of his scrutiny, he set off on a speech that begins as an uncontrolled, angry rant but turns into a more reserved, constructive statement.

Process

Before writing the monologue I participated in a writing exercise called the four emotions, pioneered by playwright Simon Stephens. In this, you spend five minutes on each of the four prompts: What makes you angry? What makes you frightened? What makes you hopeful? And what makes you feel ashamed? You write this in the first-person point of view of the character. In the end, you underline the lines in each of your responses that you like, and use them for your monologue. I didn’t end up using many of the lines, but that exercise helped me form a basis for the character and understand his perspective better. Here are my responses (sorry for the sloppy handwriting I was writing quickly).

With this being said there is still much that needs to be fixed/added in the monologue as well as some more dialogue before and after the monologue (mostly before). Unfortunately, the screenshots from the actual screenwriting software aren’t coming out well so I will copy and paste them below. I could maybe share the actual project through email if you want but you would probably have to create a free account with Arc Studio. Note: Currently the name of the teacher is Mr. Butler. This is an allusion to the Butler Act, which was the act that banned the teaching of evolution during the time of the Scopes Monkey Trial. I also have a YouTube link to a recording of me delivering the scene and monologue. I’m not a great actor nor have had the proper time to work out the delivery in its entirety but this should give a rough idea:

PRESIDENT: Mr. Butler, given your lack of credible defense and apparent remorse at the least for your actions, it is my order that you will be removed from this institution immediately for the betterment of the children of this community.

BUTLER: I feel no remorse

PRESIDENT: Excuse me

BUTLER: You said my “lack of apparent remorse”. It’s not apparent because I have none.

PRESIDENT: You truly believe –

BUTLER: Yes.

**pause of silence **

(Begins his rant spoken quickly and angrily. As if he is finally able to get what he wants to say off his chest)

I know what comes after this school. I know students walk out of here, knowing no more than the 12-year-olds across the street. And why? Because you sit here telling parents that their kids are receiving a “high standard of learning” meanwhile they can barely speak English, fail basic standardized math and reading tests, and graduate into poverty rate of 70%, a rate that is triple that of the city that it’s in. Now you can sit there all you want and tell yourself that you are giving something of value to these kids but I can-not. I am an educator and I will not sit here and get belittled for doing my fucking job!

**a brief period of silence as the council is at a loss for words**

**The next section is said at a more calm and relaxed pace. Realizing he lashed out he now has more reserve and can speak more constructively**

(Sigh)…an educator. What does that even mean anymore? What is education without asking questions? Without exploring new ideas, without, just, developing new opinions. You know I went to this school. Graduated almost 20 years ago today and in that time I was able to learn, think, explore. You know what I found? I found that the world is a beautiful place. Not because it was created by an all-powerful creator or because of some book, but because of people. People who walk around every day, curious about the world around them. Eager to ask questions and create new solutions. When I came back here, that curiosity, that spark, I saw it in those kids’ eyes. When I taught them evolution they weren’t critical, they were inquisitive. When I taught them math they weren’t cynical, they were analytical. And when I taught about the universe they weren’t angry that it went against the Torah, they were fascinated. What was asked of me to teach, it would have crushed that spark inside of them, and in doing so, would have crushed me as well. Did my mission get out of hand? yes. Of course my intention was never to have students burn their books or disrespect their religion. I believe all knowledge is sacred and religion is a wonderful thing. But it doesn’t belong as the sole material in our children’s textbooks. I know that much of what I am saying will likely be ignored. Yet, I remain hopeful. Hopeful for a future that is structured by scientific excellence and supported by the loving nature of religion. After all, why would God create such beautiful, scientific intricacies in the world if they are not meant to be studied? These students gave me that hope. So you ask me if I am remorseful Mr. President and my answer remains no, I am hopeful.

Some Notes:

• When formatted correctly this takes up about 2.5 pages of the screenplay
• The delivery is an important consideration, some words that seem redundant or commas that seem excessive are meant to guide the delivery of the speech
• The first section (angry rant) needs some polishing. I am working on making it deliver a little smoother and a little more clearly, I struggle more with the angry part because it is difficult for me to write something that expressive
• The second, more calm part, reads quite nicely when the pacing and tone are done correctly. as shown in the Youtube video

Things to change:

• I would like smoother dialogue from the president that feels more like something he would say and not something to set up a monologue
• I need a little more aggressive first part or maybe just an extra line or two
• I would like more biblical/Torah references in it. Similar to how in the newsroom speech I posted he said “Star-Spangled awesome.” It gives a more creative playful feel
• This is a stretch but I have read that part of what adds to the musicality of writing, particularly in monologues, is writing it in iambic. Given time, I would like to write these longer paragraphs in iambic, both for sound and as a good learning experience.