THE SET UP
Spencer is a young gay man in his late teens/early twenties, who works his way through college by walking around a local mall in a dog outfit, based on a popular cartoon character. When in costume, it’s hard to see, and he’s not allowed to speak. During the course of the script, other people step into the dog suit so that Spencer can step out of it and speak to us about his experiences. This is one of those times, though the dog suit should always be nearby, to remind us.
(NOTE – Can be combined with Spencer’s other monologue beginning – “Do you have any idea how wonderful and terrible it is…” to make a fuller monologue)
“All my seams are showing. And that’s just on the outside.”
SPENCER
All my seams are showing. And that’s just on the outside.
I see this thing from the inside — the painted over mesh that’s supposed to be the eyes — the breathing holes — and I wonder, how can anyone allow themselves to be fooled by this, to go along with this? Even children – they’re not that dumb. I guess people must really want it to be true. Need it to be true, against all logic.
Do you have any idea how many times I banged my shins into things, tripped over things, stubbed my toes, walked into walls, or worse yet, small now terrified children who weren’t looking where they were going? I have no peripheral vision in this thing. I need a seeing-eye person.
People don’t even bother to introduce themselves. But they know my name and figure that gives them a claim, some kind of ownership of me.
The boys on skateboards who poke me – and not in a good way. The teenage girls yanking on my tail or my ears, trying to feel me up through my costume – like all I need is a good cheerleader and I’ll be whole again. The makeshift leashes that I’ve been threatened with, fashioned out of anything handy, trying to choke off what little air I get inside this thing.
Think about it – somebody needs the money so badly, they’d do THIS.
THERE’S A PERSON IN HERE WHO’S HAVING A HARD ENOUGH TIME HANGING ONTO HIS DIGNITY – NO ONE GETS INTO THIS SUIT WILLINGLY – THINK ABOUT THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU TAUNT ONE!
(photo: 2004 production by Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (Edinboro, PA); Kevin C. Vespaziani (standing on the bench) as Spencer)
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