The Haddonfield Plays & Players are challenging local writers, directors and actors to create an original production in 24 hours to be performed on Saturday, Aug. 26 at the “24 Hour Play Festival.”
In just 24 hours, the Haddonfield Plays & Players will go from no script, no actors and no costumes to around a half dozen plays for public consumption. The first-ever 24 Hour Play Festival will be held by the Players on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m.
Amanda Frederick, chairperson of the Plays Committee for the Players, said there’s a real energy and sense of excitement that comes with the festival’s compressed timeline. Frederick said she took the inspiration for the festival from her time acting as a student at the University of Pittsburgh where they put on similar 24-hour productions.
“All of the excitement and stress kind of compile together to have almost this electric feeling that night,” Frederick said.
On Friday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m., anyone interested in acting will audition for local writers and directors. The aspiring actors can perform anything — serious, dramatic, comedic, original or prepared monologues. Frederick said the only rule is the actors perform something that showcases their talent.
Following the auditions, the writers and directors will chose the actors they want in their plays and write original scripts with roles tailored specifically to the actors based on their auditions. Frederick said having an original role written for you is quite special.
“It’s flattering,” Frederick said. “At school, when I was at the University of Pittsburgh, to have someone see something in you that maybe you didn’t even realize is really flattering. To influence a writer that way is pretty exciting.”
Some writers will stay up all night creating a script for the handful of actors they choose. At 8 a.m. the following morning, writers, directors and actors will converge to begin learning the dialogue, rehearsing the staging and figuring out costuming.
Frederick said based on the number of directors and writers she’s been coordinating with, she anticipates the Players having around a half dozen short plays spanning between 10 and 15 minutes, all of which will be performed for the public at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
The festival comes this year as a result of the Players reducing their number of mainstage productions from seven to five. Frederick said fewer productions enabled the players to take a look at incorporating some more creative special programming this year.
For those who haven’t participated in theater before, the festival is an opportunity to test the waters. While many of the mainstage productions involved months of rehearsals, the 24-hour turnaround gives aspiring directors, writers and actors to see how theater works without the months-long commitment, Frederick said.
While this first year is somewhat of a trial run, if all goes well, Frederick said she’s excited by the prospect of the 24 Hour Play Festival becoming an ongoing event.
“The cool thing about it is it’s over and done with in 24 hours, so we could always fit it into the schedule if it ends up becoming something that’s a big following,” Frederick said.
The Haddonfield Plays and Players will hold auditions Friday, Aug 25 at 7 p.m. at its theater located at 957 E. Atlantic Ave. For tickets to the festival or more information, visit www.haddonfieldplayers.com or call (856)428–9139.
