Monologues to Unite the World

One of the most ambitious online theatre events with a local connection is Theatre is the Cure. Created by San Diego artists, Hannah Logan and Ron Logan, shortly after the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States, each performance consists of original monologues featuring talent from around the world. Writers are given prompts, and then write monologues which include the prompts. Directors and actors are then paired together to bring the words to life.

Logan, who is presenting each performance through her and Ron Logan’s company, Logan Squared Productions (L2P), felt horrible for all the people who lost jobs in theatre, because of Covid-19. “I thought about artists who busted their butts, just to have their shows closed,” she said. “I thought someone should do something, since so many artists are at home and out of work.”

Since beginning on March 27, monologues are performed and presented each Friday and they have ranged from escapist entertainment to ones that acknowledge the coronavirus crisis.

A show that was filmed on Friday, April 10, is a very strong one. In just the span of 71 minutes, theatregoers experience many humorous, dramatic and personal monologues that were filmed live.

Logan hosted the evening with energy and enthusiasm for the work being produced.

The founder wrote a monologue and directed two other speeches, which included the relatable A Place of Peace, for the April 10th show.

Written by Sarah Stanley, Bethany Stillion plays an overworked mom and wife who plans to smoke her first cigarette in 16 years, because of being under constant stress. Stillion captures both the humor and the tension in her portrayal of the woman who is suffering from high anxiety, due to family issues and the Covid-19 crisis, coupled with her plan of giving into temptation by starting to smoke again.

Stillion, who lives in Florida, collaborated with Logan completely through technology. “It all seemed to come together in a magical way,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like this happen so fast. It really was a whirlwind of coordination, and Logan should be applauded for that.”

There were many times when Stillion empathized with the mom and the conflict the character experiences. “Trying to find your own space for a moment to breathe is something all human beings can really relate to,” she said.

Another monologue that strongly dealt with a character on edge was Wearing Away the Enamel.

Written by Drew Crabtree, Los Angeles resident, John Moeslein, stars as a nervous dad of a newborn baby. Roughly three minutes long, Moselein swiftly expressed the father’s vulnerabilities with witty acting.

Moselein and director, Alex Mallory, found the experience of working together very rewarding. “She was great,” he said. “Mallory had a fantastic feel for the story beats, the character and story motivation.”

“We had a really good time,” she said. “The two of us got along really well personally and artistically.”

Another hilarious script, about a neurotic man, played by Will Block, irritated with his roommate, was from April 3, 7-10 SPLIT. The script was written by San Diego actor/writer, Salomon Maya, and was staged by director Jeneffa Soldatic, who has collaborated with Logan in the past.

Soldatic is currently in Australia, and recently recovered from Covid-19, despite not having any symptoms.

While in quarantine, she staged the monologue, Is Ham Ok?, for the inaugural performance. “It was a delight to see someone on the other side (actress, Hailey Jones) and talk and be creative with her,” she said.

Since Theatre is the Cure is fairly new, there is room for different types of storytelling to be incorporated into future events. Logan mentioned that this upcoming Friday night performance is the first to feature a song from an award-winning songwriter performed by a surprise award-winning performer.

Although Theatre is the Cure is evolving, Logan hopes additional help can make the events as successful as possible. “I need some well-funded theatre lover or grant writer to step up [laughs],” she said. “It’s just a matter of getting some admin assistance too.”

Theatre is the Cure is a great opportunity for people in the theatre world to connect with each other and with audiences who love unique storytelling. There is something powerful about seeing so many artists from across the globe teaming up together during this pandemic.

Show times are Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Performances and monologues are on the Theatre is the Cure Facebook page. Updated instructions for how to watch shows live are on the page.