We had warnings that a global outbreak might happen. Yet the COVID-19 pandemic burst in upon us -- sickening our families and friends and fellow citizens and stealing their lives. The catastrophe fomented anxiety and suspicion -- and demolished our tranquility.  

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Those of us who work in theatre felt the smashed hopes and stolen community deeply. Yet pandemic also demanded a response.

 

These six monologues, filmed at various moments across 2020, are my reflections on how COVID-19 rippled through our lives. I wanted to survey our grief, and examine the exigent compromises required of us. I also wanted to lay bare how the willful and sustained mismanagement of this pandemic was an attack on our society -- and how this assault on citizens bred mistrust in science and fatally undermined the civic responsibility that might have spared us much of the anguish.

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I was fortunate to have partners in this work. Four of these monologues were produced by Laura Schlachtmeyer and directed by Andrew Bellware. Day 21 was the first to be written and filmed as part of Mind the Gap Theatre's Housebound series. The Garden of Earthly Delights is the final play, which also appeared in MTG;s Housebound. My gratitude to MTG's artistic director, Paula D'Alessandris, is immense.

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Featured in the Vancouver and Prague Fringe Festivals.

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 "[A] series of short monologues for YouTube that have captured a world wide following." -- DC Theatre Scene 

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Read the interview with Richard Byrne about Plays Pandemical at DC Theatre Scene.

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Read an essay on the making of Plays Pandemical.