Write, rehearse, perform in 24 hours
Write, rehearse and perform a short play in 24 hours. Does that sentence motivate you, or make you incredibly nervous? For me, it’s a little bit of both. But that’s not the case for members of undergraduate student theater organization University Players, who are definitely motivated by the challenge.
“UP is an incredibly collaborative company, and we decided to start the year with a fun, challenging competition that will give opportunities to new and old members alike,” University Players marketing director Alex Goodman said. “In past years, we’ve held scavenger hunts at the beginning of school for new members, but this year our new social director Leslie Boyden had the idea to kick off the season with something more creative. We think ‘24-Hour Play Fest’ is going to be a great way to get new members excited about having an active hand in creating theater.”
The festival begins at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, with an opening ceremony and division of teams. The teams will write and rehearse until midnight, and come back into rehearsals the next day at noon. Final performances will be at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, in the Studio Theatre, on the second floor of the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, and is free and open to the public.
“We encourage anyone interested in new, exciting student theater to attend,” Goodman said. “It should be a high-pace weekend, and the final performances will be a great celebration of all the hard work.”
Established in 1997, University Players is IU’s longest-running undergraduate theater organization. It is dedicated to creating opportunities for students that may not be provided elsewhere on campus. This year, the organization is producing four plays — including two new works by undergraduate playwrights — a musical, and a series of children’s theater productions, workshops, cabarets and play festivals.
Tags: 24-Hour Play Fest, Alex Goodman, Department of Theatre and Drama, University Players
