Campus and local community assistance sought for 24-Hour Play Festival

Posted Jan. 26, 2015 at 11:11 a.m.

BOONE—Are you interested in helping Appalachian State University students write, rehearse and perform a play in 24 hours? Five campus clubs are collaborating for this exciting feat and need volunteers.

Anyone wishing to participate must attend a 45-minute informational meeting on Saturday, Jan. 31, in Chapell Wilson Hall Room 105 at 2:15 p.m. At 3 p.m., the clock will start and playwrights will begin to write. Actors and directors will be dismissed after the meeting, and come back later on Saturday night to audition and begin rehearsals. A full schedule will be outlined at the informational meeting.

Food and caffeinated beverages will be provided for all participants. Breaks for food will take place throughout the 24-hour period.

The final performance will take place on Sunday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m. in I.G. Greer Studio Theatre. Admission will be by suggested donation for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.

The sponsoring campus clubs are Alpha Psi Omega, ASU Technical Theatre Club, Appalachian Musical Theatre Club, Playcrafters and Women’s Theatre Troupe.

“This past fall the Appalachian Musical Theater Club and the Women’s Theater Troupe collaborated to produce a weekend of shows, and it was one of the best theatrical weekends I’ve participated in since joining the Department of Theatre and Dance,” said senior performance major Carmen Lawrence. “Now we are collaborating on an even larger scale, joining hands to showcase our talents.” President of the Women’s Theatre Troupe, Lawrence noted that students have a chance to leave their comfort zone and branch out into other areas of their craft. “Some actors will be writing for the first time, and some technicians will be making their directing debuts for the first time,” she said.

“The proliferation of clubs within the Department of Theatre and Dance has put a premium on rehearsal space, performance venue and calendar availability,” said Keith Martin, faculty adviser for the Musical Theatre Club. “The fact that five different organizations are pooling their time, talent and resources on a single event is unprecedented. We as a faculty and staff are very proud of our students for demonstrating yet again that theatre is the definitive collaborative art form.”

If you have questions, or wish to participate but cannot attend the meeting due to Horn in the West auditions, contact Carmen Lawrence at lawrencecr@appstate.edu or Katie Kahut at kahutks@appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.