The 24-Hour Play Festival, put on by the Wayzata Theatre Department, challenges students to devise and stage original plays within 24 hours. Serving as fundraiser for the department, this year’s festival took place on Saturday February 7th and was a huge success, raising over 16,000 dollars.

Writers began writing at 7 pm on Friday and only had until the next day at 5 am to complete their scripts. The only constraints for writers were to contain a specific line and a prop (however, the prop can not be used as it is). This year’s line was “better luck next time” and an ice bucket as the prop. This year’s plays featured beauty pageants, sleuthing, and bewitched AirPods. The shows are then staged and performed with costumes, sets, lights, and sound.

Here is a more detailed account of what actually happens in those 24 hours.

Friday

Hour One  (7:00 pm): Writers begin writing their shows

Saturday

Hour Ten (5:00 am): Scripts are due

Hour Twelve (7:00 am): Writers and directors meet to assign casts and directors. Actors and technicians arrive and are then told their shows and roles.

Hour Thirteen (8:00 am): Actors and directors break into show groups and do an initial read through and then assign roles. Customers and technicians begin going to each group and ask what they need for costumes, props, as well as light and sound cues.

Hour Fourteen (9:00 am): Begin memorizing lines

Hour Fifteen (10:00 am): Begin staging

Hour Sixteen (11:00 am): Tech begins, and each cast has the chance to run their show on stage with costumes, sound, light, and props.

Hour Seventeen (12:00 pm): Lunch!

Hour Eighteen (1:00 pm): Back to work

Hour Nineteen (2:00 pm): Run off book

Hour Twenty (3:00 pm): Performed my show for others and watched other shows

Hour Twenty One (4:00 pm): Final touches

Hour Twenty Two (5:00 pm): Full show run through and block bows

Hour Twenty Three (6:00 pm): Last few runs

Hour Twenty Four! (7:00 pm): Show begins!