Citation:
Abstract:
A contraction of two words: monologue and vlog, the monoVlog is a hybrid performance genre developed during the Covid-19 pandemic. While the monoVlog is similar to vlogging and to the performance of a monologue, the monoVlog differs from vlogging because a vlog has not always been live. Several vloggers produce content by recording themselves prior to its online premiere. On the other hand, the monoVlog has a shorter duration compared to most monologues performed on stage. This article is an interview-essay regarding the monoVlog. The aim of the paper is to document the form and to produce a preliminary speculation regarding the future direction of the form. At the same time, it is intended to transfer the ideas of Layeta Bucoy, the figure behind the performance form, to academic writing. Finally, the paper aims to include the monoVlog in the archive of performance practices of the Philippines. The archiving of the form is intended for the future generation of performance artists and scholars and for them to understand that despite crisis such as the Covid-19, the resiliency and creativity of the Filipino artists continue to persist. The final section of the article is the play JonaLive, two short monoVlogs combined as a one-act play by Bucoy. An example is provided to understand the dramatic aspect of the form and at the same time, its vlog aspect.