THE 24 HOUR PLAYS: VIRAL MONOLOGUES Will Return With Daveed Diggs, Michael Shannon and More

On the heels of the success of the first-ever edition, The 24 Hour Plays will release a new set of Viral Monologues tonight on IGTV @24hourplays and at https://24hourplays.com/viral-monologues/. 24 actors have been paired with theatre's top writers, who have crafted unique pieces especially for their actors. From 6 PM until midnight, the new monologues will be published, one every 15 minutes.

Performers joining the fold this week include Kelly AuCoin, Dylan Baker, Becky Ann Baker, Anna Baryshnikov, Nicholas Braun, Marylouise Burke, Juliana Canfield, Ty Defoe, Daveed Diggs, Ashley Fink, Noah Galvin, Clark Gregg, Damon Gupton, Ryan Haddad, Josh Hamilton, William Jackson Harper, Daniel K. Isaac, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, muMs, Coral Peña, Danny Pudi, Michael Shannon, Jessica St. Clair and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. Will Arbery, Clare Barron, Eric Bogosian, Bekah Brunstetter, Joseph Dougherty, Kristoffer Diaz, Sarah Gancher, Gracie Gardner, Stephen Adly Guirgis, J. Holtham, Lily Houghton, Elizabeth Irwin, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Aaron Wigdor Levy, David Lindsay-Abaire, Tim J. Lord, Gabe McKinley, Dan O'Brien, Anya Richkind, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Charly Evon Simpson, Alena Smith and Tracey Scott Wilson will write the monologues.

"The world changed this week and The 24 Hour Plays did too. We've always made work about the most challenging moments in our lives, from 9/11 to Hurricane Sandy to the 2016 election, but writing and performing new plays in 24 hours without gathering was a singular challenge," said artistic director Mark Armstrong. "We hope that this moment offers even more people the chance to learn about our small non-profit theater organization, so that we'll be able to continue our unique artistic work for years to come."

Last night at 6 PM, 24 actors shared brief orientation-style videos to allow the writers to get to know them better. By 7 PM, 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 10 AM, are filming their performances throughout the day, and at 6 PM their videos begin to be released to the world, completing the 24-hour cycle.

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.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos