Jan. 9, 2019
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Concordia Lutheran High School will be hosting a 24-hour Theater Festival for its students on Feb. 8 and 9 where they create, produce and showcase a new show within 24 hours.
“The challenge: Students have just 24 hours to write, direct and stage the premiere of several short plays,” said Chris Murphy, director of theatrical arts. “The result: An inspiring exhibition of student voices, full of student voice and heart.”
All students throughout the school are encouraged to participate. Students will receive a survey asking them if they would like to take part in this, and if so, in what capacity. Students will participate as playwrights, directors, actors, costumers, makeup artists, sound and light technicians and stage managers. Once those roles have been decided the night proceeds as follows:
Hour 1: 7:00 p.m., Friday - Playwrights gather and, with the limited guidance of English and Theater teachers, begin to write their shows. They will brainstorm, write and rewrite.
Hour 5: Midnight, Friday - Playwrights gather together and read their plays to each other. They receive constructive suggestions from both students and adults. They then return to the drawing table and complete their final drafts by 7:00 a.m. Once finished, they can nap until the next group arrives.
Hour 12: 7:00 a.m., Saturday - Scripts are copied and directors arrive. There is a final read-through and then the playwrights pass off their plays to the directors, and go home to get some sleep. Directors now cast their shows. No auditions are held; decisions are made based on the students who were “cast” as actors. Actors arrive at 9:00 a.m. to begin their work.
Hour 18: 1:00 p.m., Saturday - Rehearsals are in full blast, actors are memorizing lines, sets are being designed, props being found and scrounged, and lights/sound are being adjusted.
Hour 20: 4:00 p.m., Saturday - Each show gets 30 minutes of tech time on the stage.
Hour 24: 7:00 p.m., Saturday - The house lights dim and the audience arrives to enjoy the wonderful productions, which, a mere 24 hours ago, didn’t exist.
“This is something new for us, and I am praying that we have a successful enough go with this to make it worth pursuing again and again,” Murphy said. “I am praying this will be a great opportunity and learning experience for all involved.”
Concordia Lutheran High School, located at 1601 St. Joe River Drive in Fort Wayne, Ind., was founded in 1935 as a private, co-educational Lutheran high school open to students of all faiths and backgrounds. With Christ at the center, Concordia continues to pursue educational excellence that equips individuals for lifelong learning and service as disciples of Jesus Christ. Learn more at www.clhscadets.com.