I'm Dating Myself

1w 45-65

Dorothy is a generally sour and caustic woman who suffers from blackouts that occur when she lets her mind wander. She thinks she has the situation under control until she starts finding cryptic love notes in her apartment. In an attempt to grapple with the sorrows of her past, she writes them down in a journal, hoping it will bring them to an end. The ending, though, comes in a way she could not have anticipated.

I'm Dating Myself does not require any set beyond a chair and table, although an indication of an apartment kitchen would be appropriate. Paper, pens, a photo scrapbook, a cup of tea, and a snack are the required props, but other props befitting an apartment could easily be incorporated. Dorothy makes a few changes of clothing, from work clothes to at-home clothes to nightwear.

I'm Dating Myself allows an actress to navigate through a series of extreme emotions in a half-hour monologue. Part is a screed against the changes taking place in modern life, and part is grappling with the changes in her own life. Direct address to the audience is a significant feature of the play at the start, progressively dwindling as Dorothy's focus becomes more inward.