In 2018, Concordia hosted our first 24 Hour Theater Festival. This year marks our 8th festival. This year’s festival will take place on February 13-14. BUT…what IS a 24 Hour Theater Festival?
The challenge: Students have just 24 hours to write, direct, and stage the premiere of four short plays and one dance. The result: An inspiring exhibition of student voices, full of student voice and heart.
Here is a timeline of our work on this event!
December: Students are given the opportunity to sign up for this annual event. For this year, we have over 130 students who have signed up to be a writer, director, actor, coordinator, set designer, stage crew member, techie or dancer. Our three coordinators then gather and organize all the names, decide who will be in what category, and email students to confirm their participation and obtain their cell number..
January: Adults and volunteers are organized. Between 30-35 adults will be part of this day, serving as food organizers, ticket sellers, assistant directors, script editors, set workers, light technicians, prop gatherers, program printers, costume finders….the list goes on. They are all there with one purpose - help the students have an amazing day, guide them in their leadership roles and create something that did not exist prior to Friday night!
February: SignUp Genius forms are sent out, thank you notes are prepared, spaces are prepared, copies are run…everything needed for Friday and Saturday are ready to go!
And now - a breakdown of our shared 24 hours!
Hour 1: 7:00 p.m., Friday - Playwrights gather and, with the limited guidance of English and Theater teachers, begin to write their shows. They will brainstorm, write and rewrite.
Hour 5: Midnight, Friday - Playwrights gather together and read their plays to each other. They receive constructive suggestions from both students and adults. They then return to the drawing table and complete their final drafts by 7:00 a.m. Once finished, they can nap until the next group arrives.
Hour 12: 7:00 a.m., Saturday - Scripts are copied and directors arrive. There is a final read-through and then the playwrights pass off their plays to the directors, and go home to get some sleep. Directors now cast their shows. No auditions are held; decisions are made based on the students who were “cast” as actors. Dancers and actors arrive at 9:00 a.m. to begin their work.
Hour 18: 1:00 p.m., Saturday - Rehearsals are in full blast, actors are memorizing lines, sets are being designed, props being found and scrounged, lights/sound are being adjusted.
Hour 20: 4:00 p.m., Saturday - Each show gets 30 minutes of tech time on the stage. Lots happens between now and show time!
Hour 24: 7:00 p.m., Saturday - The house lights dim and the audience arrives to enjoy the wonderful productions which, a mere 24 hours ago, didn’t exist.
And then we all breathe - and sleep! Everyone has an amazing time, sharing the talents with which they have been greatly blessed! Please join us this year on February 14 at 7:00 p.m. Cost is $2.00 or a canned good, which is then donated to our CanStruction team!
God is indeed good and deserves ALL the glory!