Originally published in e.press on 9/22/2005

Theater takes a Twist

The 29 1/2 hour Playwrighting Festival keeps it short, sweet

Nicole Small
Staff Writer

To produce a play in only 29 1/2 hours or not to produce a play in 29 1/2 hours? That is the question. For the sixth year in a row, the 29 1/2 Hour Playwriting Festival took place at City College. While it normally takes weeks to perfect a regular production, playwrights, directors and actors came together over a two-day span to produce a ten-minute play.

“It’s gotten smoother every year, people get more confidence in the whole deal,” says theater instructor Luther Hanson, who heads the festival each year.

While the production side gets smoother each year, the one thing that becomes more confusing is the themes for the plays. This year’s theme was “Paper World: at the Dawn of Spectacular Nonsense.” The first year was “5 1/2 shoes and an Accordion That Can’t Come on Stage” and two years ago “Duck Tangled.”

Luther says his themes come from a compilation of things. For example, Paper World came from a play he and his wife Christine, the Music and Assistant Coordinator, saw when they were in Edinburgh, Scotland for the Fringe Festival. Christine came up with “spectacular nonsense” and somehow “at the dawn of…” popped into Luther’s mind. Hanson says, “[We’re] trying not to make playwrights comfortable in that first hour.” Hanson tries not to have a simple one word theme or refer to Shakespeare to let playwrights use their creativity to produce a play that is their own.

As to be expected, not one play is the same.

Playwrights, directors, and actors gather on Saturday and the theme is given around 12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m.

"The topice makes no sense every year so it's whatever someone can come up with, " says Jake Brooks, a theater major and actor for the second year in a row in the festival.

The plays are written in a matter of hours; writers have from about 1 p.m. to deadline at 9 p.m. when they hand the play in.

Copies are made for the director who is on hand to talk details over with playwright.

The next day directors get in around 9 a.m. and try to make sense of the play so that they can set the stage and instruct actors. For the rest of the day it is practice, practice, practice.

“It’s incredibly intense,” states anthropology major, Corine Nelson.

Hanson explains that if anyone can make it through this, every other production is a piece of cake.

Learning lines for a 10-minute production may sound simple, but getting down placement and lines is a lot to absorb.

Whoever has a resume is able to participate. Hanson says the first question he asks an actor is if they can memorize lines fast.

“It’s more about the process, than the product,” says Hanson, “and as a process it gets easier.”

“It’s an adventure. You never really know what’s going to happen,” says Brooks.