14/48 Returns to ACT Theatre

The January 6-14, 2012 installment of 14/48 marks the 15th year for this semi-annual theatre festival that was supposed to just be a one-time only fundraiser. Founded in November of 1997, 14/48: The World's Quickest Theater Festival now happens twice a year in Seattle to sell-out crowds. Over the years 14/48 has produced more than 750 plays with more than 3,000 artists. 14/48 is 14 plays conceived, written, designed, scored, rehearsed and performed in 48 hours. That's 7 brand new plays on Friday then 7 brand new plays on Saturday with more than 50 invited theatre artists each weekend. The festival will be at ACT Theatre for the fourth consecutive year as part of ACT's Central Heating Lab.

Where: ACT Theatre's Gregory Falls Theatre, 700 Union St, Seattle WA
When: January 6 & 7, 13 & 14, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 & 10:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20 online / $25 day of show / $40 All-Fest Pass* New Low Price
(206) 292 – 7676 or www.acttheatre.org

Press photos, confirmed Artist Roster and more info: www.1448fest.com

Seattle's adventurous theatre-goers who have made it to 14/48 in the last year have been lucky enough to see four hardened lifers sing their hopes and dreams with a little help from some confetti and the experimental program "Broadway Behind Bars", two reclusive sisters drawn to a new home by a life-sized mothering bird, and a group of soldiers fulfill their fallen comrade's last wish and tell his widow one last fairy tale.

The plays you will see each Friday and Saturday at 8pm won't be written until early that morning so you won't find out the titles unless you come to 14/48 or check out the up-to-the-minute blog at 1448fest.blogspot.com. We guarantee the work you see on stage will come from Seattle's most adventurous theatre artists who have been on stages around Puget Sound from Seattle Repertory Theatre to Strawberry Theatre Workshop; from New Century Theatre Company to 12 Minutes Max at On the Boards.

About 14/48
Early Thursday Night, Before the Festival Begins: After tapping the ceremonial 14/48 Keg, all the participants choose a theme by completing this sentence: "Theatre would be a lot more interesting if there were seven ten-minute plays about _____." One answer is chosen at random to become the theme for the following evening.

Thursday Night: Seven caffeine-filled writers have one night to write a 10-minute play based on the theme.

Friday Morning: Seven directors gather and each randomly draw one play. Thirty minutes later, the directors blindly choose actors and actresses to cast the show.

That Day: The band and design team arrive to provide music, sound and all technical elements of each play as the directors and their casts rehearse (including a 20 minute tech rehearsal) to premiere the shows at 8:00 p.m.

After the Seven World Premiere Plays Wrap: The audience chooses a new theme and the adrenaline-charged theater-a-thon kicks in again for seven brand new plays on Saturday.
Founded in 1997 by Michael Neff and Jodi-Paul Wooster, the festival has evolved from a one-night one-time only event to a twice-yearly, two-weekend-long theatrical bonanza that features Seattle's most fearless theatre artists. Participation is by invitation only and ranges from experienced fringe theater artists to Seattle's performance elite. Each festival, 14/48's Steering Committee strives to comprise the artist pool of at least 25% new participants (a.k.a. "14/48 virgins"). 14/48 is 14 plays conceived, written, designed, scored, rehearsed and performed in 48 hours. The brutal combination of short deadlines, extreme talent, incredible speed, frayed nerves and an overflowing fountain of inspiration serve to strip away creative inhibitions occasionally found in more traditional theater, proving that, contrary to popular opinion –sometimes the first idea is the best.

About ACT: A Theatre of New Ideas - Raising Consciousness Through Theatre
Located in the heart of downtown Seattle and serving a population of curious, open-minded, and brave audiences, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre is the only theatre in Seattle dedicated to producing contemporary work with promising playwrights and local performing artists since 1965. A theatre of new ideas, ACT serves as a cultural engine that makes plays, dance, music, and film that touch us through its annual Mainstage play series and new works generated from the Young Playwrights Program, The Hansberry Project, the Central Heating Lab, and New Works for the American Stage commissioning program. Because contemporary life demands examination, ACT is driven to inspire and strengthen our diverse community through works that advance our understanding of human life. With more than 100,000 people who attend shows annually, ACT is an interactive community where artists and the public witness, contemplate, and engage in dialogue on today's thought-provoking issues, ideas and art, presented with intelligence, insight, and humor.

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