This past weekend, Dickinson College’s Mermaid Players presented their 24 Hour Plays festival. Many students participated, and when the show began, even more students filled the Cubiculo black box theatre. It was a truly memorable, whimsical and wonderful experience for all involved.

For anyone wondering what 24 Hour Plays are – A 24 Hour Play festival takes place over a single day, in the span of which every single aspect of producing a play must take place. These include playwriting, blocking scenes, figuring out technical details, and performing. The Mermaid Players’ festival provides a good model upon which to elaborate.

8 p.m. – Writing

The playwrights met at Montgomery House to hear the rules for this play festival. Usually, 24 Hour Plays festivals will revolve around a particular theme, require a certain prop be used, and mandate a specific line that needs to be included at some point in the show. At this specific festival, the theme was exploration and the prop was a straw arm-like object. Furthermore, two lines, as opposed to one were required: “But the prom is tomorrow” and “but it feels the same.”

9 a.m. – Choosing

Playwrights had to have their shows finished and submitted. At this time, directors would show up to pick which plays they wanted to direct. Plays varied in length, and in their relation to the exploration theme. This year’s plays ranged from bread shortages in olden-day England to a purgatory waiting room.

10 a.m. – Casting

Actors arrived to audition. They did not need to have anything prepared – simply be prepared to answer questions and respond to prompts. As students auditioned one by one, Mermaid Player executive board members ran a series of acting games. After everyone auditioned, the directors made their casting decisions. Often times, certain actors and actresses got cast in more than one play. As students were given their roles, they met up with their respective directors. Directors then announced rehearsal times.

1 p.m. – Costuming

Actors and directors met up at Montgomery House to pick out costumes in the Costume Shop. Due to the wide variety of play topics, costume selections included a massive mix of time periods and styles. With costumes selected, actors continued to practice their lines and blocking.

4 p.m. – Staging

The festival participants went through a tech run of the show. Essentially, this meant that each play would be able to have a run on the stage with their chosen set. Since 24 Hour Plays is a form of black box theatre, sets were rather simple. They utilized benches, chairs, and door frames, almost all of which were painted black, as their set pieces. Following the tech run, participants started to put more of their finishing touches on their plays.

7 p.m. – Rehearsing

Everyone gathered to do a set change run. Essentially, while everyone sat in the audience’s chairs, they were able to observe the logistics of the show: the order of the plays, where set pieces will go, who will bring on what and take off what, and the like.

8 p.m. – Performing

With lines memorized, sets designed, and participants ready (or not), the play festival began. Judging from the cheers and laughter of the audience, the festival was a great success.

24 Hour Plays festivals are a great experience for a few reasons. Firstly, they are a very short time commitment – just a single day. For those rather busy, it is the perfect theatrical engagement opportunity. Plus, it was a chance for me to take a break from the daily grind of the school year.

Secondly, as a participant, you’ll get to meet a bunch of new people and make new connections rather quickly. I got to meet some really fascinating people from different places and class years on campus, but who were all interested in theatre.

Thirdly, you can practice your memorization skills, learning lines at a rapid pace. It’s a great way to connect theatre to academics. Lastly, you get to pretend to be someone else for a day – how much more fun can that be?

This festival gave me a chance to express myself and move outside my comfort zone. I tried out new accents, got to take on the roles characters that were not even one day old yet, and hone my abilities as an actor. 24 Hour Plays offered a unique and rewarding experience, completely different from many of my usual weekends.

24 Hour Plays are an absolutely fantastic opportunity, and many Dickinsonians here capitalized on it this past weekend. If you missed out on this opportunity to engage with the theatrical arts on campus, you can find more ways to get involved by contacting the Mermaid Players ([email protected]), or by going to Dance and Theatre Department shows.