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The Storm Drain Monolgues
Brother Ignatius Fell’s increasingly offended resignation is a great comic premise, and the escalation works beautifully: first he’s accused of smelling like soggy broccoli, then mistaken for a projection, and finally reduced to “a guy in a trench coat yelling Shakespeare into a storm drain.” That final insult lands especially well because the letter has established how seriously he takes his craft. The formal, self-important voice is consistently funny, with details like “tastefully arranged pile of skulls” and “antique despair” making him feel like a genuine theatrical professional trapped in the wrong era. I also enjoyed the little glimpse of ghostly workplace politics with Wallace in Section D and Samantha’s support. The piece is slight, but its escalating structure and sharp closing line make it a very entertaining read.
Adrian Chen