Interview: Hannah Logan talks about her online, live, collaborative theatrical event THEATRE IS THE CURE

Are you missing the theatre while you're in quarantine? That feeling of collaboration and community that comes with being at a show? Well, THEATRE IS THE CURE is the fundraising event that may help you get your theatre fix while you're staying at home and flattening the curve.

THEATRE IS THE CURE is a global theatrical weekly event, starting this Friday, March 27th at 6:30 pm Pacific time. Featuring artists from around the world this event brings a collaborative and fun way for audiences and performers alike to flex their creative muscles.

The performances will be accessible for free via a social media link. Though free to watch this is a fundraiser as well as an entertaining night of worldwide curated performances and you can go to Paypal donate money to theatreisthecure@gmail.com. All proceeds will be distributed to participating artists that have been financially impacted by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

I spoke with Hannah Logan, who is producing this with her company the award-winning and critically-acclaimed Logan Squared Productions explains how the show is utilizing creative artists from around the globe to create this weekly event.

"It consists of 30 all original monologues, written during the week by playwrights around the world, performed by actors around the world, and directed via internet from directors all over the world.

This event is not only global in scope, but has a variety of participants on the creative side ranging from a multiple Emmy award-winning writer, performers from national tours, Broadway and off-Broadway a tv and film director, and many more that will be participating in this event."

They need audience participation now in order to create the show for this and the next coming weeks shows! The creatives all receive the prompts for their work for each week from the audience.

For this week's debut event, they already need the audience to help give them prompts to work on. This is the best kind of audience participation, you can contribute but without having to be in the spotlight yourself.

"The playwrights are receiving prompts; like a location, a prop, or a line of dialogue from the audience members. When you send a donation to the PayPal you put in the prompt you want them to use. We are hoping people can give generously, but we are aware that it's hard for everyone right now, so as long as people give something they can submit their prompt idea."

Keeping it simple is best, and leaves it open to interpretation and for the artists to build upon. See examples below:

Location: Cave

or

Prop: Shovel

Or

Dialogue: "Well, I never thought of that..."

The prompt suggestions will be put in a randomizer, so no one knows whose prompts they will be getting or what the prompt may be.

Hannah says this event was inspired by the desire to both support the arts, the performers, and audiences while everyone does their part to avoid infection and infecting others by staying home.

"It is utterly heartbreaking that the first things that shut down were theaters and places where people go to commune and be moved and challenged, and inspired. It's why we come together, to tell stories."

Theatre is the Cure will be repeated once a week, every Friday night at the same time until we can sit together in a darkened room and enjoy theatre magic again.

Playwrights, Directors, and Actors will be seasoned veterans as well as those new-to-the-craft, but all work will be curated for a guaranteed fantastic show.

Interested playwrights, directors, and actors, please send an email to theatreisthecure@gmail.com In the SUBJECT LINE of your email, indicate whether you are a PLAYWRIGHT, DIRECTOR, or ACTOR.

Follow them on Instagram @theatreisthecure and like their Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/events/1417131878461230/?active_tab=discussion for updates.

Photo credit: Ron Logan