Intersectional Speeches for History-Making Women : PerformerStuff More Good Stuff

Intersectional Speeches for History-Making Women

Written by Amanda Grace

March 22nd, 2021

For this year’s Women’s History Month (and contained-within International Women’s Day), we’re celebrating women who make history simply living their layered lives to the fullest. The characters collected here aren’t striving to be inspirations, but just by being, they write the ongoing story of what it means to be a woman.

**From My Secret Language of Wishes by Cori Thomas**

(Female, Dramatic, High School 14-18, College 18-22)

Rose grew up in an orphanage with Cerebral Palsy, a Seizure disorder, asthma, and heart disease. Now that Rose is 18, a very wealthy—and fellow African American—woman, Brenda, has offered to adopt her… but she wants Dakota do it.

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**From Stage/Mother by Kristine M. Reyes**

(Female, Dramatic, Young Adults 20s, Adults 30-40s)

Marielle, a Filipina American actress, is about to perform in her London premiere of The Glass Menagerie, which she has decided to continue playing in despite her mother’s declining condition. Isabel has a brain tumor, and is likely to die soon. Marielle has come to say goodbye and explain her choices.

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**From Lipshtick by Romy Nordlinger & Adam Burns**

(Female, Dramatic, Adults 30-40s)

Dorca works at a neighborhood diner in Spanish Harlem. She shares dreams of being an independent, working, and sensual woman free from anyone’s judgment with her sister, Marisol, while polishing the silverware.

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BLACKIE-BLACK from MONTOUR #10 by Chrystal Bates

(Female, Dramatic, Young Adults 20s, Adults 30-40s, Mature 50s)

MONTOUR #10 is a collection of monologues based on interviews conducted with African-American residents of a Pennsylvania coal-mining town. In BLACKIE-BLACK, an adult woman reflects on teaching her light-skinned son about race.

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**From Wounded by Kerry Kazmierowicztrimm**

(Female, Dramatic, Adults 30-40s)

Angelica’s husband, Thomas, returned from war severely mentally and physically injured, and Angelica has served as his caretaker ever since. She has managed to move on slightly with her new boyfriend, Samuel, but they’ve just gone to the fertility doctor, and Angelica feels the need to at least try to check with Thomas before taking the next step.

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**From Policarpa by Diana Burbano**

(Female, Dramatic, High School 14-18, College 18-22, Young Adults 20s)

Policarpa carries the plague, which has evolved inside her to give her the ability to move objects and read minds. When the ex-wife of the leader of La Gran Colombia finds out, she decides Policarpa will carry out the ultimate solution to the plague… the apocalypse. She didn’t plan on Policarpa falling in love with General Valentia.

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**From Working Girl by Ife Olujobi**

(Female, Dramatic/Serio-Comic, College 18-22, Young Adults 20s, Adults 30-40s)

Jordan has been working at the studio front desk for three years. It’s the new Director of Culture’s first day, and he’s also called Jordan, and also black. The rest of their office is white, and Jordan 2 asks Jordan 1 for the “low down” about her working experience.

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NORA, the Pedestrian from Women of Choice by David Rush

(Female, Dramatic, Adults 30-40s, Mature 50s)

When she was little, Nora was paralyzed in a car accident. Sometimes, she daydreams about what life would be like today if rehabilitation had gone differently. She might even make it to the circus…

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**From The Cuban Spring by Vanessa Garcia**

(Female, Dramatic, Mature 50s)

Siomara is the American-born daughter of Cuban parents, Olga and Miguel, and she’s just found a of Miguel’s father that compromises the secret they’ve been keeping. Here, Olga reluctantly explains to Siomara’s husband that she once played a role in an exile retaliation mission led by the US.

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**From Happy Birthday! by Mary Weems**

(Female, Dramatic, Adults 30-40s)

Miss Jazzy does sex work to support a drug habit. She is one of many women who have been assaulted by a police officer. Here, she composes a spoken-word open letter to her support group’s assailant.

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Amanda Grace is an actor, writer, composer, improvisor and director whose work has graced stages from Central Florida to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She is based in London, where she is studying to obtain her M.F.A. in Actor & Performer Training at Rose Bruford College. Amanda holds an honours B.A. in Theatre Studies and a B.A. in Psychology, as well as a certificate in Shakespearean Performance from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Her original albums can be streamed at amandagrace.bandcamp.com.