There aren’t many shows where an audition can consist of walking on stage and casually eating a sandwich, with no words or recollection of the play directors that are watching and taking note. This kind of creativity is one of the many things the casters of the 24-Hour Theater Festival encourage.
“The people auditioning don’t know what parts they are going to fill,” said Maggie Miller, a bachelor of fine arts candidate, “because the play doesn’t even exist yet.”
The 24-Hour Theater Festival is an annual show for the University of Idaho that consists of 10 short plays, each 10 minutes long.
The most interesting thing about it is that it really is only a 24 hour production — meaning the casting of the show, writing the plays, show rehearsals and the actual performance all happen within 24 hours.
After auditions, directors and playwrights get together and write shows for the unique cast they saw audition. These teams have until 8 a.m. to write their short plays before the chosen casts show up to the rehearsal space.
After being cast, the actors and directors rehearse all day, aside from a few breaks to eat and get ready, then the show is performed at 7:30 p.m. that same day.
Auditions:
Friday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Silo
Show:
Saturday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Silo
$2 General Admission
Miller, a senior this year, has been involved with the festival in various ways the past three years and will audition for an acting part in the festival this year. She has been an actor, a director and a playwright in the past shows.
“A lot of the plays are really nonsensical,” Miller said. “They are silly and weird and a total mess, in the best way.”
The festival is put together by the Cornerstone Theater Troupe, UI’s student theater club. Miller is a Co-chair for the club, along with Betsy Ellsworth, a senior BFA candidate. Ellsworth will write two plays and one musical for the festival this year.
“It’s really neat to think we can actually create theater with no budget and in no time,” she said.
The directors and playwrights are given a piece of information to use as “inspiration” for their play. The inspiration can be anything from a stock image, craigslist or an ad from a newspaper. Inspirational props and sentences sometimes have to be used in the actual play, so directors and playwrights have to find a way to incorporate them.
Miller said two years ago, people in a play had to be used as furniture. A red balloon also had to be incorporated, and last year someone even had to shave their leg on stage.
Miller said anyone can audition for the show, not just theater majors. Nothing is needed to be prepared to audition. In fact, Miller said the funniest are the random ones, like a dramatic reading of a Facebook status.
“I am incredibly passionate about the 24 Hour, because it is just so much fun,” Miller said.
Alexia Neal can be reached at [email protected]