Rex McGregor
Site search
  • Rex McGregor
  • Short Plays
    • Threatened Panda Fights Back
    • Grow Up, Juliet
    • Tickle That Dragon
    • Flight of the Cows
    • Proud Mary and Prejudiced Lydia
    • Feline High-Rise Syndrome
    • Lullaby for a Librarian
    • Surfing in Munich
    • Ebook Meets Treebook
    • Garage Invasion
    • Trumpettes Anonymous
    • Amazons of Tomorrow
    • The Girl Who Would Rather Not Grow Up Just Yet
    • Dueling Judges
    • Wayward Seniors
    • This Particular Crevasse
    • Almost Immortal
    • Love Those Cockroaches
    • Sugar Horror
    • Aleema the Boy Girl
    • Taking the Plunge
    • Pseudo-Human Resources
    • Fingers and Toesies
    • Her Daughter's Doll
    • The Mama and the Papa
    • Played for a Sap
    • A Supportive Wife Supports Her Wife
    • Kindness Pays
    • Outfox
    • Cushion
    • Phenomenals Anonymous
    • Possible Fathers
    • Cobra v Tiger
    • Canary Now
    • Who Remembers Éponine’s Sister?
    • President Charles Evans Hughes
    • Speechless
    • Higgledy-Trilogy
    • Refloat Our Whale
    • Welcome to Belarus
    • Zany Planets
    • Next Door Nativity
    • Best Chance Café
    • Roasting Death
    • Fountain of Youth
    • The Power of Enchantment
    • Becky and Tom
    • The First Christmas Presents
    • Grandis, Juliette
    • Herding Catastrophes
    • Twilight of the Grizzly
    • Courtesy
    • Rasha and Abd
    • Geordie Heroine
    • Horrifying Mary
    • Table in the Air
    • Subversive Action Chick
    • Cathy Haunts Catherine
    • Estella Expects a Lot
    • War and Peace for Girls
    • Party Crasher to the Rescue
    • Mother of Chemistry
    • Motile
    • Kurt and Orla
    • One Wish Each
    • Realm-Hopping at the Library
    • Rivals-Slash-Friends
    • Across the Lake
    • Skull Against the Sky
    • Nude with Oblong Halo
    • Clash of the Lorde Fans
    • Marked for Deletion
    • That's No Mannequin (That's His Wife)
    • Put Down the Gun
    • Shredded
    • Chest-Beating for Gentlemen
    • It Could Be Anyone
    • Skull
  • Plays
    • Girls on the Brink
    • Margaret Thatcher Changes the World
    • Lady Godiva Womans Up
    • Sunshine in Every Window
    • I Love an Earthling
    • Three Weird Mornings at the Library
    • Grow Up, Girls
    • Brink Time
    • Safe Trip
    • Pacific Caper
    • Miss Imposter
    • Girls Rock the Classics
    • Nine Plays Wonder
    • Stale Obsession
    • Clash of the Delusions
    • Lady Godiva Doesn't Ride Again
    • Margaret Thatcher Hits New Zealand
    • Wind Above the Water
    • Seductive Haven
    • Unpardonable Virtues
    • Nude with Tuba and Skull
    • Triple Fandango
    • Snatched
    • Hour of Misjudgement
  • Audio plays
    • Contains Nudity
    • This Particular Crevasse
    • Wind Above the Water
    • Lament of the Failed Alcoholic
    • Pacific Caper
    • Above the Stave
    • Finesse
    • A Flying Visit
  • Monologues
    • None of Your Blarney
    • A Bride for the Pope
    • Carriage Horse Chat
    • Boot's Vacation
    • Sweet Fright
    • Post-Baby Body
    • Derrick's Tactic
    • Frida Kahlo Must Be Jewish
    • The Reluctant Barker
    • The One Waving
    • Shakespeare's Protestation
    • Friar Oswald's Confession
    • Speechless
    • Boot Discovers the Big Apple
    • The Clueless Bishop
    • Paddy's Spiel
    • Your Attention, Please
  • Musicals
    • Possible Fathers
    • Space Dancers
  • Books
    • Laugh with Jesus
    • Cuisine for Angels
  • Stories
  • Links
  • Contact

A Bride for the Pope

monologue
A woman presents a list of candidates in her campaign to find a wife for His Holiness Pope Francis.
Picture
Cory Johnson on her mission to find A Bride for the Pope, Riverside Theatre, Iowa City, Iowa
Picture
Walking the Wire: Classified
Riverside Theatre
Iowa City, Iowa
March 6-15, 2015

Directed by Jody Hovland

Performed by Cory Johnson

Even the pope needs someone to love, according to one of the more vivacious members of his flock. 
A loyal parishioner, played by actress Cory Johnson, is ready to make the case for an all-out match-making campaign. The search for the Holy Father’s earthly love is the focus of Rex McGregor’s “A Bride for the Pope."

McGregor’s script, straight from New Zealand, is one of 13 monologues performed by nine actors in the 16th iteration of Riverside Theater’s “Walking the Wire” series.  - Michael Kadrie in The Daily Iowan, March 5, 2015

[Cory Johnson] said she particularly enjoyed preparing for this year’s performance. 

“I love the ardent passion that my character has. There is no sense of blasphemy, but there most certainly is questioning of man-made rules as they pertain to religion. And, if I do it right, it is particularly funny,” Johnson said.

Her role plays with the physical and emotional needs traditionally associated with the Pope, a celibate religious figure. Johnson, who works at a Catholic university, said she enjoyed sharing her preparations with coworkers.

“It is fun to let some of the priests on campus read this and respond to it. I have received nothing but laughs and well wishes,” she said.

Sample:

A woman with a smart corporate look supervises stagehands as they set up an easel and place a large framed picture on it. The painting or photograph is a romanticised portrait of Pope Francis. When the stagehands leave, the woman adjusts the placement of the picture to her satisfaction. Then she beams at the audience

                                                                                                                      WOMAN
We are truly blessed. Beyond our wildest dreams.
    When something this glorious happens, it’s hard to resist calling it a miracle. Oh, I know the Church doesn’t like to bandy that word about unless there’s clear evidence of divine intervention. Fair enough. Strictly speaking, a democratic election, carried out in accordance with due process and subject to thorough scrutiny, may not qualify as “miraculous”. But to us it’s been a godsend.
    By the way, I hope you all handed in your suggestions earlier. Results are being tallied now. 
    Last year the future of the Catholic women’s ordination movement looked irredeemably bleak. Let’s face it. We were toast. 
    The old boys’ club delivered the message loud and clear. Admit women to the priesthood? Over their dead bodies! 
✕