24-Hour Play Festival 

Without restrictions, what would you choose to do if you only had 24 hours? The Theatre Department knows.  

Starting the season with momentum, their unusual Fall Festival takes place; 24 full hours to write, direct, and act a ten-minute piece. In other words, The 24-Hour Play Festival. The objective of the event begins when teams are split, given a relationship, a situation, and a wild card object to include in their story, and then sent off to make the bits a complete work. As one of the Theatre Department’s first showcases of the year, the festival stirs up allure for creative contestants. One senior explains the event in simple terms: “hectic, but so much fun.” 

As Kate Myers’ ‘28 first experience with Gordon’s Theatre Department, she admired the connection of her group. She explained, “There was a writer, a director, and three actors [in the group], but we ended up all working together to write it.” Togetherness was an essential theme for the groups, for without it, creativity could be divided. Kate jokes that in her group, “Nobody really ever got mad, but if there were bad ideas, [they’d] just say, ‘Thanks for the contribution!’” Reflecting on the peculiar time pressures and constraints of the event, she recognizes the inevitable: “The first night was exhausting because we were up late.” Kate goes on to say that “For the most part, everyone just built off of each other really well. It was super constructive, and I loved it.” 

On the other hand, Senior Chloe Agyare ‘24 describes how Producer Jessica Algard, a 2016 Gordon Alum, threw her into the whole thing. Chloe is not only the Theatre Department’s Costume Resident but also wrote/ directed with one of the groups as well. Unique to the 24-Hour Play Festival, Costume Resident Chloe says, “I feel like every single group comes in with a different concept, so you’re helping them pull different pieces.”  

Continuing through a laugh, she says, “Sometimes you are going to be pulling things from sweater vests to hoop skirts…you don’t know what they’re going to take.” On the other end of her participation, Chloe says, “In terms of going through the process of being a writer/director, it’s crazy to watch your show just come to life.” Speaking aloud for all the actors’ feelings, she says, “I’m not going to lie, there are so many moments of doubts where you’re like ‘Do we got this?’”  She laughs and says chocolate was her only way of mentally preparing for the 24-hour festival.  

As the impressed audience gave a roar of applause, each group of actors sighed in relief, all agreeing the first thing on their to-do-list was probably a nap.