The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues Returns with Raúl Esparza, J. Smith-Cameron & More

A new roster has been announced to take part in the latest edition of Viral Monologues, which features performances released digitally on IGTV. The series is an initiative of The 24 Hour Plays. This edition will benefit Juxtaposition Arts, a teen-staffed, nonprofit visual art center in Minneapolis, Minnesota known for community collaborations, studio classes and workshops, public mural programs and art exhibitions.

Performers taking part this week include Raúl Esparza, Frankie J. Alvarez, Raúl Castillo, April Matthis, Jaime Ray Newman & Patch Darragh, Bojana Novakovic, Maria-Christina Oliveras, J. Smith-Cameron and Mariama Whyte.

Original monologues will be written by Matt Barbot, Clay McLeod Chapman, David Cote, Chisa Hutchinson, Garlia Cornelia Jones, David Lindsay-Abaire, Tony Meneses, Audley Puglisi and Steve Yockey.

Last night at 6PM, actors shared brief orientation-style videos to allow the writers to get to know them better. An hour later, writers and actors were paired, and writers got to work on crafting new monologues especially for their assigned actors. Actors received their monologues this morning at 10AM, are filming their performances throughout the day and at 6PM their videos begin to be released to the world, completing the 24-hour cycle.

The 24 Hour Plays program is known for its work on Broadway, off-Broadway and around the world. Since 1995, their events have brought together extraordinary artists to create time-limited theater.