24 Hour Play Fest
An amazing experience I had at DePaul happened this weekend. DePaul Theatre Union hosted a 24 Hour Play Fest, where participants are placed in groups and have from Friday at 5pm to Saturday at 5pm to produce a whole short play! Each group included a playwright, director, two actors, and some groups had a technical director. Although we were not allowed to stay overnight on campus like some 24 Hour Play Fests do, we left at the closing of the building and came bright and early in the morning when the building opened again.
It was so much fun! 24 Hour Play Fests are created for people who love theatre and want to produce something, but do not have the time for a whole production. This is why Play Fests are wonderful for a college setting! As much as I love theatre with all my heart, I do not have the time commitment for rehearsals due to work and class, so this was the perfect short experience for me!
Overall, we had four groups with over twenty people who participated. We had four amazing shows, each with their own merits. Most of the pieces created were comedies or some version of a sketch comedy, and, funnily enough, three out of the four short plays included a reference about DePaul.
The photo on the right is a group shot of everyone who participated in the Play Fest, outside of the administration. It is a group of actors, writers, and directors. The photo on the left is from my group’s piece which was called T.S.A. My group was the biggest group, consisting of a playwright (me!), director, tech director (who is seen in the corner), and two actors. Most of the groups did realistic stories taking place during modern times. Ours, however, was about the TSA afterlife and what happens to souls in transition to different planes of existence. Although we had jokes about packing “emotional baggage” and different Afterlives from Valhallah to Mormonism to Scientology, it is a serious piece about mortality and transitioning from what we are used to.
Overall, the experience was so much fun! If you ever find yourself with an opportunity to do a 24 Hour Play Fest, I highly recommend it.