Memonica

Not Monica wants to learn how to feel good. Not Monica is obsessed with babies and sometimes likes to pretend she is Monica Lewinsky. Not Monica’s friends don’t seem to like her, or maybe they’re just living in a slightly different world. Not Monica loves William, a nice boy who only ever asked for a quick blowjob, and she hates Lindee, who might be the angel of history even though she behaves like a bored suburban mother. And then there’s Male History Teacher, to whom Not Monica can’t stop spilling secrets. Not Monica begins to pick at scabs — her own, the country’s — and everything seems bad-getting-worse. Time keeps shifting weirdly, actors won’t cooperate, and place doesn’t exist at all. She wants it all to stop and is terrified it might; she’s trying to become a fixer, but fears that the ability to influence the world means she can and will put evil into it. 

Memonica pulls, among other things, from Barbara Walters’ iconic 1999 interview with Lewinsky, The Music Man, personal angst, historical fact, and misunderstood memory, to tell a story about power, sex, history, need; predation and being adored and aging and death. Mostly, Memonica is about consumption. It is about eating, eating so much so fast until you win, hurt your jaw, hurt someone else. It is about eating until you can never be full. It is about loving attention, telling secrets, losing and also being a loser. This is a play about that. It is a play about Monica. About not being Monica. Right. A play about that.

Written by Eliya Smith

Directed by Mitchell Polonsky

Featuring: Juliana Sass, Eliya Smith, Sturgis Warner, Julius Wade, Sabrina Wu.

Stage Manager: Abigail Sage

Lighting Designer: Finn Bamber

Sound and Video Designer: Mitchell Polonsky

Dramaturg: Anisa Ahmed

Producers: Emily Bergquist and Victoria Ungvarsky

Until further notice, all patrons attending HERE performances and events will be required to wear masks (KN95 or KF94 masks are strongly recommended). 

Proof of vaccination is no longer required.

We ask all audience members to please stay home if they have a sore throat, are feeling sick in any other way, or have been recently exposed to COVID-19, and to please contact the box office for refunds or exchanges.

All of our performers, technicians, and staff members are required to be fully vaccinated and masked unless they are onstage performing. Additionally, they are participating in an active testing regimen to keep everyone as safe as possible.

HERE reserves the right to revise protocols as the rate of transmission changes and in light of new scientific data that may present itself.