Covid Monologues is excited to announce the public virtual premiere of the filmed monologues set for February 26, 2021 at 7pm. 

This date marks the one-year anniversary of the first case of community spread of COVID-19 detected in the U.S. Additional performances will be held on March 4, 2021 for stakeholders and public health professionals and on March 11, 2021 for high school and college students.

Covid Monologues is a series of fictionalized stories responding to peer-reviewed research about the social and societal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in America.

“The Covid Monologues project is a great way to bring public health research to new audiences through character-based storytelling,” says playwright Lane Stanley. Erin Riley, Artistic Director of Strand Theater Company says, “Covid Monologues have offered a wonderful opportunity to connect playwrights, directors, and actors all over the United States and do what we know best – creating art as an anchor in times of need. By teaming up with the medical community and using research conducted during the global pandemic, we’ve been able to explore the day to day effects the coronavirus has had on our communities.”

Marjuan Canady, actor in Black Pain by Christin Eve Cato, produced by Two Strikes Collective says, “This project changed my view of COVID-19 through my understanding of the government’s role in protecting some citizens over others and how black and brown communities continue to struggle to be visible in the healthcare system. I believe this project will wake the community up and those that are able will take active steps to fight for better healthcare systems and representation for communities of color.”

Monologues produced by local theatre makers include:

Black Pain by Christin Cato, produced by Two Strikes Theatre Collective

Angel by Kelleen Blanchard, produced by Strand Theater Company

I’m Old School by Reynaldo Piniella, produced by Arena Players

Better Cooking Than Talking by Alli Hartley-Kong, produced by Fells Point Corner Theatre

Wrong Disease by Lane Stanley, produced by Jess Rassp

Dance of the Dead Inside by Jess Kim, produced by Jess Rassp 

Get Ready With Me by Britt Willis, produced by Single Carrot Theatre

How to be a Carved Horse by Shawn Reddy, produced by Single Carrot Theatre 

Tickets are FREE and are available for the virtual premiere at covidmonologues.com. Following the performance, there will be a moderated discussion with project leads, researchers, and playwrights.

For more information about the professionals performance or the student performance, please contact [email protected].

Covid Monologues will be open access and made available after the performances online at covidmonologues.com

ABOUT COVID MONOLOGUES:

Created by Fulbright alumni and public health researchers Saraniya Tharmarajah and Emily Hurley, Covid Monologues translates public health research on health, behavior and societal aspects of COVID-19 into monologues. Covid Monologues aims to use research-based theatre to creatively disseminate and humanize emerging peer-reviewed to audiences outside of the research community, including lay audiences and policymakers on topics ranging from racial and ethnic health disparities, social media and medicine, and healthcare workers. Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund, Tharmarajah and Hurley have developed this COVID-19 research-based theater project in partnership with Single Carrot Theatre and Baltimore-based theater artists.  

SINGLE CARROT THEATRE

Single Carrot Theatre creates socially relevant theatre as a form of civic engagement in Baltimore by producing vibrant, experiential performances in traditional and non-traditional venues; building cross-sector partnerships; and facilitating empowering education programs.

Single Carrot Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Singlecarrot.com