Dialogue

Jingle of the keys, husband enters an takes off his shoes.

Wife: Why are you so late?

Silence

Wife: Why did you ask me to cook? For what? To throw away?

Silence

Wife: You don’t even care to give a call home to say that you’re coming back late, when you said you will be home for dinner.

Husband: If you want to throw away the dishes, just do it. Don’t screech like a chipmunk.

Wife: I wonder who’s the one who started this. Yelling our heads off in the middle of the night, for the neighbours to hear?

Husband: In the morning you nag, at night you nag. Every little thing that happens, you nag. What can you do besides nagging? Do you want me to call you every hour and tell you what I’m doing?

Silence

Sound of Wife emptying dishes

Wife: I’d rather feed it to the dogs.

Husband: Have you had enough? You’re calling me a dog? Who gave you money to spend? Who works from morning to night? You’ve got the guts to say those things. Go be a beggar then, don’t take my money.

Wife: This is money that you ought to give. What do you want us to eat without money? Shit?

Husband: Eat it yourself. All you know how to do is ask for money and nag, you spoil every single electrical appliance-

Wife: You want this to go on forever?

Husband: Can’t be bothered.

Husband leaves the house, slams door.

Dialogue exercise during lesson:

Exercise: Writing Dialogue
The Scenario:
- A middle-aged man returns home from work.
- He had stopped for a few drinks with his friends and forgot to phone his wife to tell her he’ll be late.
- The dinner is ruined.

Write a short scene composed of dialogue between husband and wife.

Man throws his briefcase and suit down onto sofa and loosens his tie.
Wife: (arms folded) Where have you been?
Husband: What’s wrong?
Wife: We’re supposed to have dinner together, don’t you remember?
Husband: Really?
Wife: Yes! You were the one who said you wanted to dine at home tonight!
Husband: I’m sorry…but I can’t really think right now, I think I’ll just go and bathe and go to sleep. We’ll have dinner together next time okay?
Wife: You’d better be back the next time, or I’m never gonna cook for you again.

THE REAL EXERCISE:
- repeat ‘the experiment’ but:
- husband and wife are your own parents
- get 2 ppl to read the dialogue
- record the reading
- post it to your blog (using Youtube, Multiply, etc.)