24-Hour Play Festival Announced At Contemporary Theater Company

The Contemporary Theater Company is back with its annual theatrical feat, The 24-Hour Play Festival on February 5 at 8 pm. This celebration of creativity and collaboration is a collection of five short plays written, rehearsed and performed in a single day.

"The 24-Hour Play Fest is one of my favorite days of the year," says CTC Artistic Director Tammy Brown. "We get to remind ourselves that what seems impossible is within reach!"

The playwrights begin the process at midnight, writing through the night until the actors and directors arrive in the morning to begin casting and rehearsing the plays. This year there will be 5 short plays produced for the festival.

"In the morning, the writers are either frantically trying to finish, or they've fallen asleep," says Maggie Cady, one of the directors for this year's festival. "It's exciting to get the first peek at these plays that didn't exist 6 hours ago and then at the show that night see how the production teams have taken them in directions I never could have imagined!"

The Festival requires a lot of quick decisions from everyone involved in order to get the shows across the finish line by the end of the day.

"Because there's not a ton of time to think or plan, it means we get to have fun making the wildest choices possible," says Brown. "It's a fantastic opportunity to tap into our creativity in all kinds of new and surprising ways."

The play festival has been a staple of the company's schedule since the early days with many veteran actors, writers and directors returning for the fun year after year.

"I love the controlled chaos of The 24-Hour Play Festival," says actor Nancy Winokoor who will be in her 4th Festival this year. "It gives me a new appreciation for all aspects of putting on a show from the costumes to the lighting, sound, acting, directing and writing."

Photos, videos and stories are uploaded to the company's Facebook and Instagram throughout the day, allowing the audience to keep up with the process as it unfolds before watching the performance at the theater in the evening.

"In it the end, it feels like an exercise in staying present," says Ashley Macamaux who will write this year in their 13th Festival. "There's not enough time to worry about past festivals or what you'll eat for dinner tomorrow. It's all about that one day, the people around you and making a fun play to share with friends."

The performance is February 5 at 8 pm at the theater in Downtown Wakefield. Proof of vaccination and masks will be required for all audience members. All staff, performers, and volunteers will be fully vaccinated and boosted.

"At the end of the day, the audience gets to see the one and only performance of these plays," says Cady. "All theater is ephemeral, but this is truly a night that you can't miss. This kind of magic only comes once a year."

A complete schedule of shows and more information is available at www.contemporarytheatercompany.com or by calling 401-218-0282.

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