A monologue from the play by Dominique Morisseau
MYA (twenties – thirties)
Mya’s boyfriend Darrin is a chauffeur for a wealthy man and his daughter. He dreams of one day getting a job in his boss’ company as a stockbroker.
The daughter is moving, and Mya and Darrin are packing up her stuff.
Mya wants to know why the daughter has gotten them a studio apartment in Manhattan.
We movin’ to Manhattan.You and me. Down for each other since two years back. Living in a one bedroom reppin’ the Boogie Down.
Now… a studio in Manhattan. And she’s just gonna take care of this? Give us a place to stay in Manhattan while you start your new position? For free.
Thing is, most of the 1 don’t never see the potential in the 99.
We be like there to do all the building and they get to walk through a door or look out a window and never think about what’s holding those bricks together.
Who put ‘em in. Who work late hours. Who got five kids at home and still make sure the floors clean every mornin’.
That’s the thing….they don’t never have to see your potential cuz most of us be invisible to them. So what make you visible?
What make our short-sighted boss wake up one day and be like—you know what?
You shouldn’t be no Lincoln car chauffer driving me from firm to firm while I try to convince folks to invest their money with my Daddy.
What make her say—you gifted with the numbers and could probably invest folks money much better than I can
and I’ma make sure you got a job in my Daddy’s company. What make her say—bring yo’ woman of two years from the Bronx
and take this Manhattan studio til’ you get on yo’ feet good? What make her move clear cross the country to get away from you and her Daddy and all of New York?
When you just a chauffeur. Driver. Homeboy from the BX that didn’t even graduate high school.
Got your GED and some econ books and an obsession with math and numbers but no college education. No degrees.
No validation card or stamp of approval or goldenseal. Your label is hood. Designer knock-off. And our boss be Armani. Versace. Claiborne. Real deal.
What make her see anything in you other than low expectations? Thug. Brute. Hood n*gga. Gangsta. Dealer. Jailbird—Just wondering….