{"title":"Drama","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"chimes-a-monologue-by-tom-cole","title":"Chimes: A Monologue by Tom Cole","description":"\u003cp\u003eThrough a striking and unforgettable performative monologue, Tom Cole’s \u003cem\u003eChimes \u003c\/em\u003eintroduces the distinctive voice of a first-person narrator mentally indexing his lifetime of memories. His individual experiences of shame, addiction, and self-destructive behavior are recounted with mischievous humor, even if they have left lasting scars. Now, after months of monotonous solitude, a storm of unresolved issues resurfaces, triggered by the incessant and irritating clang of an out-of-town neighbor’s outdoor wind chime. As his self-examinations become an obsession, feelings of alienation and unworthiness worsen and lead to unconventional solutions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the tradition of the plays of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Georg Büchner, Charles Ludlam, and Sarah Kane, Cole weaves the very bleakest of humor with startling and heartbreaking feats of intimate self-reflection. Speaking on issues of class, sex, intimacy, and the highs and lows of queer reality today, \u003cem\u003eChimes\u003c\/em\u003e asks how and where one finds the answers to living a complicated life. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"I picture Tom Cole on a bare stage reciting \u003ci\u003eChimes\u003c\/i\u003e to an audience who lie on cots in the dark. They slip in and out of consciousness and their own lonely dreams, which intermingle with Cole’s stories of isolation and longing, sexual desire and addiction. The Sun rises and Cole finishes. Everyone opens their eyes and stares into space. It wins a Tony.\" —\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCharlie Kaufman\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Chimes \u003c\/em\u003erevolves on the axis of hope and degradation\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e—a story as old as time. Mainly our hero keeps going, through shame, through drugs, through mania, through the isolation of the pandemic and other kinds of isolation. Through the grandeur of self-obliterating sex, with its own regulations and community norms. Lyrical insight and pangs of humor spangle this darkness like stars. Am I a monster? Or is this what it means to be a person?\" \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e—\u003cb\u003eRobert Glück\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Chimes\u003c\/em\u003e is an intimate shape shifter—it’s a poem, a novella, a play, a prayer—carnal, spiritual, sweet \u0026amp; funny. I love this book.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eEileen Myles\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"In Tom Cole’s stunning debut, \u003cem\u003eChimes\u003c\/em\u003e, clean, sparkling writing takes us into the mind of an unnamed narrator as he shares memories, dreams, and moving attempts toward making peace with the world. Cole’s crisp style and humor took me from laughing out loud to questioning my own sanity.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eJoe Westmoreland\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255); text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArticles:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bombmagazine.org\/articles\/2026\/09\/15\/tom-cole-chimes-a-monologue\/\" style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255); text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eBOMB\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thebaffler.com\/latest\/desperate-living-wilson\" style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255); text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eThe Baffler\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255); text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.publishersweekly.com\/9798993181134\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.full-stop.net\/2026\/07\/31\/reviews\/natelippens\/chimes-a-monologue-tom-cole\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255); text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eFull Stop\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lithub.com\/tom-cole-on-autofiction-shame-based-writing-and-being-an-unreliable-narrator\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255); text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eInterview with Morgan Bassichis in Lit Hub\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTom Cole\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer, performer, and artist living in the Lower East Side and Kingston, NY. His work has been presented at Participant Inc, Thread Waxing Space, Art on Air, Dixon Place, Clocktower Gallery, ICA Boston, Performa, Howl Arts, Poetry Project, and the Boston Center for the Arts. He is a three-time MacDowell Playwriting fellow, and an Edward Albee Foundation Playwriting fellow. Tom heads the New Play Commissioning Program at True Love Productions, where he commissioned, developed and produced Heidi Shreck’s \u003cem\u003eWhat the Constitution Means\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eto Me\u003c\/em\u003e (Pulitzer Prize Finalist, two Tony nominations, Amazon Prime Original), as well as commissioning and developing major works by Craig Lucas, Nathan Alan Davis, Sheila Callaghan, and others. With True Love Productions, he has worked on over 20 Broadway productions, as well as a dozen Off-Broadway events, including \u003cem\u003eWell\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Flick\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSleep No More\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSkylight\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eShockheaded Peter\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMedea \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eWaverly Gallery\u003c\/em\u003e.  He co-produced ANOHNI’s \u003cem\u003eTurning\u003c\/em\u003e (St. Ann’s Warehouse) in 2004, as well as her performance \u003cem\u003eHopelessness\u003c\/em\u003e (Park Avenue Armory), and acted as assistant director\/dramaturg\/actor for \u003cem\u003eShe Who Saw Beautiful Things\u003c\/em\u003e (The Kitchen). He was the artistic director of the Market Theater in Boston during its acclaimed 2000-2002 seasons, where he presented new work by ANOHNI and the Johnsons, David Mamet, Ricky Jay, Ping Chong, Frederick Wiseman, and Biljana Srbljanovic. In 1991, Tom worked with Robert Wilson on his production of \u003cem\u003eWhen We Dead Awaken\u003c\/em\u003e, (American Repertory Theater), and from 1991-2001 assisted David Mamet on all of his major works. His writing has been anthologized in \u003cem\u003ePathetic Literature\u003c\/em\u003e, edited by Eileen Myles; \u003cem\u003eSluts\u003c\/em\u003e, edited by Michelle Tea; \u003cem\u003eFlesh and the Word 4\u003c\/em\u003e, edited by Michael Lowenthal; \u003cem\u003eThis New Breed\u003c\/em\u003e edited by Rudy Kikel; and \u003cem\u003eFlashpoint\u003c\/em\u003e, edited by Michael Bronski.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCover drawing by \u003cstrong\u003eMichael Leonard\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Song Cave","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45378607448237,"sku":null,"price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1614\/5743\/files\/finalcovermockup.jpg?v=1764268841"}],"url":"https:\/\/the-song-cave.com\/collections\/drama.oembed","provider":"The Song Cave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}