The captivating 2024 production of Our Monologues featured 24 different performances. Throughout the student-run show’s two-and-a-half-hour run time, it blended a combination of spoken word, music, and dance to explore a wide array of themes including gender, identity, race, friendship, and growing up. The talented ensemble performed with a remarkable mix of vulnerability and depth, connecting with the audience through the stories being told.
The show began accepting submissions early in the school year and opened up auditions for its performers. Over the ensuing months, dancers, musicians, and performers refined each monologue before the final performance. Several of the monologues were submitted by students who wished to stay anonymous, which can shift the process of performing the monologue. “When we don’t really know the (submitter), In these cases it’s our job to try our best to execute their ideas to the best of our abilities,” Meilin Jokela, a BHS senior and member of the Our Monologues cast said.
Cast member Ines Aboitiz Wolf, who is finishing her second year on Our Monologues, has enjoyed the independence to explore stories closer to home. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to actually create a piece of art and take autonomy and to get to tell your community’s story,” Aboitiz Wolf said. “And these (are) really important stories that need to be told.”
The first act contained 13 monologues which delved into many topics including mental health, sexual violence, and more. After a short intermission, the second half of the show expanded on and introduced different topics, such as race and sexuality.
“Lost and Found”, written and performed by Rydell Morgan-Carland, explored their coming of age, as they finally grew satisfied with their relationship with the world. Other monologues, like “Dear Diary,” which chronicled the anonymous writer’s early experiences with the internet after the death of a loved one, incorporated dance, as well.
Audience member and BHS freshman Rea Horgan found aspects of the show centered around familiar topics, while others were new. “The coolest part of watching the show was how I could resonate with a lot of different aspects and performances of it, especially as someone who identifies as a girl, but also, there were things that were kind of new to me,” Horgan said. “Like stuff that I can’t really relate to in my own life … which I think is really impactful.”
The performance provided a comfortable space where the audience, filled with family, friends, and fellow BHS students, could connect to the different experiences and stories of the writers and cast. Cast members not only contributed to these stories but gave a voice to those who didn’t want or feel comfortable sharing stories on their own.
Expanding on this, Aboitiz Wolf said, “Because it’s such a big school, it can be really easy to get lost and feel like you’re not being listened to.” Aboitiz continued. “I think this is a really important way to reconnect the community and create the change that we want to see.” The performance showcased emotional depth and spoke to the formidable writing, creative vision, and performance skills of every student involved.