WaterTower Theatre
presents
THE MANIC MONOLOGUES
by Zack Burton & Elisa Hofmeister
When creator Zack had his first psychotic break and was diagnosed with bipolar in May 2017, he was just finishing his PhD at Stanford University — and his world imploded. Would mental illness dictate his whole life? Would everything change? Zack was underwater, and his then-girlfriend Elisa (and future co-creator) had no way of knowing whether her happy, gregarious partner-in-crime would ever resurface. One of the hardest parts about those early days was the absence of relatable, lived experiences. Zack and Elisa decided to create a play based on true stories to disrupt the stigma around mental illness. It resulted in a series of vignettes they called THE MANIC MONOLOGUES.
THE MANIC MONOLOGUES is a play showcasing true stories of mental illness to disrupt stigma. It has shown in-person to thousands of people across four continents, and has been featured by the Washington Post, NPR, Psychology Today, NYT, Broadway World, and many more. The play will have its regional premiere at WTT enhanced by movement & live music for the first time, to bring an immersive experience of this important piece to our theater community playing at the Addison Theatre Centre on the Terry Martin Main Stage for 2 weeks of April.
THE MANIC MONOLOGUES brings to life incredible stories — stories that will challenge and inform your ideas about what it means to be touched by a mental health condition. These true, lived experiences come from diverse and resilient people living across the world. These brave individuals have things to say about struggle and pain, but also triumph and joy. They are moving. They are human. And they are not ashamed.
Director ASHLEY PUCKETT GONZALES returns to WaterTower (having directed WTT’s productions of I AM MY OWN WIFE & THE ODD COUPLE) to reimagine this unique piece and is eager to begin rehearsals. This piece resonates with her as an artist in a very personal way, and she shared the following thoughts:
“Manic Monologues strives to acknowledge that struggle is universally human and not a shameful secret. As an artist, the opportunity to work on something so inventive, collaborative, and creative is rare and precious. As a human with GAD [generalized anxiety disorder] and a mom to a neurodivergent kiddo, I am humbled to be trusted with such an important piece. Now, I don’t like to throw around the word ‘important’. ‘Important’ can get us into trouble if we elevate our importance over our message, or our work, but this is important. We must change how we, as a society, deal with mental illness and divergence. We must make the next generation feel safe being raw and honest. There is so much beauty in raw humanity and our production of THE MANIC MONOLOGUES will be beautiful.”
THE MANIC MONOLOGUES brings to life incredible stories — stories that will challenge and inform your ideas about what it means to be touched by a mental health condition. These true, lived experiences come from diverse and resilient people living across the world. These brave individuals have things to say about struggle and pain, but also triumph and joy. They are moving. They are human. And they are not ashamed. The multi-talented cast of ensemble actors inhabiting these stories are Ellen Eberhardt, Elliot Esquivel, Marianne Galloway, Brian Gonzales, Blake Henri, Ania Lyons, Johanna Nchekwube, and Daniel Vanegas. Set design is by Kae Styron, with lighting design by Ryan Burkle, costume design by Hope Cox, sound design by Emilee Biles, and projections designed by Tristan Decker. The production team also includes Production Stage Manager Lexi Salmon, Assistant Stage Manager Devon Patch and Ruby Pullum as Run Crew/Covid Safety Officer. In addition to Ashley Puckett Gonzales as Director/Co-Choreographer, the creative team includes Associate Director/Co-Choreographer Alli Franken, Music Coordinator Pam McClain, Band Leader/Pianist Rebekah Prim, and musicians Michael Dill & Randy Linberg.
The production has been approved by Actors Equity Association under their fully vaccinated safety protocols for indoor productions, ensuring the safety of both artists and patrons alike.
