FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE 24 HOUR PLAYS TO STREAM FIRST-EVER VIRAL MUSICALS,
STARRING DAVEED DIGGS, JOHN GALLAGHER JR
IN PIECES BY AIMEE MANN, LAUREN PRITCHARD AND MORE
Available tonight at https://24hourplays.com/viral-monologues/
and on IGTV @24hourplays
NEW YORK (April 21, 2020) – Tonight, for the first time ever, The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Musicals will stream on IGTV @24hourplays and at https://24hourplays.com/viral-monologues/. Twelve game actors will perform brand new original pieces, written especially for them by a talented writer and composer team. One new musical will be released every 20 minutes from 6 PM ET until 9:30 PM ET.
Rising to this unique acting challenge are Jelani Alladin, Nick Blaemire, John Clay III, Daveed Diggs, John Gallagher Jr, Lora Lee Gayer, David Hull, Ana Nogueira, Larry Owens, Sarah Steele, Natalie Walker, and Libby Winters. They will perform works written and composed by Rachel Axler, Eli Bolin, Faye Chiao, Jonathan Coulton, Kristoffer Diaz, Tasha Gordon-Solmon, Adam Gwon, Julia Jordan, Michael Kimmel, Josh Koenigsberg, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Aimee Mann, Michael Mitnick, Kate Nash, Christopher Oscar Peña, Mike Pettry, Lauren Pritchard, Matt Schatz, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Rona Siddiqui, and Libby Winters.
“After several years of producing The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, we were up for a new challenge and we created The 24 Hour Musicals. So it was only natural that after several weeks of producing The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues, we’d be ready to have performers break into song in this new format as well,” said Mark Armstrong, artistic director of The 24 Hour Plays. “With this array of talent lined up, I have a feeling we’re about to pull off something very special, but you’ll have to tune in tonight at 6 PM and see for yourself.”
Last night at 6 PM, twelve actors shared brief orientation-style videos to allow the creative teams to get to know them better. By 7 PM, writers and composers were paired with actors and were working together to create an original musical especially for them. Actors received their scripts this morning at 10 AM, are filming their performances throughout the day, and at 6 PM their performances begin to be released to the world, completing the 24-hour cycle.
The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Musicals are produced by Coleman Ray Clark and Madelyn Paquette. Mark T Evans will serve as the music supervisor.
Methuen Drama, one of the oldest and most well known play and performing arts publishers, will publish The 24 Hour Plays Book of Viral Monologues in print and digital form. Howard Sherman, who inspired The 24 Hour Plays to develop The Viral Monologues, will serve as the editor. A release date is forthcoming.
The 24 Hour Plays are known for their work on Broadway, off-Broadway and around the world. Since 1995, their events have brought together extraordinary artists to create time-limited theater. Past participants including Jennifer Aniston, Laverne Cox, Billy Crudup, David Cross, Rosario Dawson, Daveed Diggs, Peter Dinklage, Rachel Dratch, Jesse Eisenberg, Edie Falco, America Ferrera, Greta Gerwig, Oscar Isaac, John Krasinski, Anthony Mackie, Julianne Moore, Tracy Morgan, Cynthia Nixon, Anna Paquin, Rosie Perez, Phylicia Rashad, Chris Rock, Sam Rockwell, Liev Schreiber, Amanda Seyfried, Michael Shannon, Gabourey Sidibe, Sarah Silverman, Marisa Tomei, Naomi Watts and more!
More information for those who would like to support The 24 Hour Plays or attend a live performance in the future is available at https://24hourplays.com
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ABOUT THE 24 HOUR PLAYS®
The 24 Hour Plays® bring together creative communities to produce plays and musicals that are written, rehearsed, and performed in 24 hours. In addition to The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway and The 24 Hour Musicals in New York City, events take place in London, Los Angeles, Dublin, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Germany, Athens, Finland, Mexico City, Florence and Denmark. Through collaborations with the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN), The Lillys, Dublin Youth Theatre, Urban ArtsPartnership, The Old Vic Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company, Roundabout Theatre, Bennington College, University of MN-Duluth, Hennepin Theatre Trust, Cornerstone Theater Company, PlayGround, Rakastajat-teatteri, El77 Centro Cultural Autogestivo, The Orchard Project, The Del Sole Foundation and others, The 24 Hour Plays have raised millions of dollars for charities.
Each summer, The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals partner with the New School for Drama to bring together the best young actors, directors, playwrights and producers for a free professional intensive that culminates in their own production of The 24 Hour Plays. Licensed affiliates have produced their own versions of The 24 Hour Plays in regional and professional theaters, colleges and universities, and just about everywhere you can find a curtain.
