In
our culture of reality TV shows and instant gratification, we’ve grown
accustomed to the novelty of becoming a fly on the wall in someone’s life
anytime we flip to the right channel. Though we know by now reality TV isn’t
raw and unrehearsed, it still feels that way — and humans can’t resist the
chance to watch one another in a vulnerable state.
That
might be part of the theory behind why The 24 Hours Plays production at
Writers & Books is such a huge hit every Fringe. The two performances that
culminate from a full 24-hour cycle of writing, casting, and rehearsing are a
product of risk — and the audience is curious to see what’s been created in
such a short time. Will it fail?
This
year, it was six shows by six playwrights — each with one director and three
cast members. Local theatregoers likely recognized many of the names in the
program (yes, they impressively managed to print programs, too) but the scripts
were brand new, written while the rest of Rochester slept. They ranged from a
lighthearted mystery set in the Blue Ridge Mountains to a tongue-in-cheek take
on the character of a “Typical Man,” and all had light tech provided by the
crew at Writers & Books (who also stayed awake most of the 24 hours).
In
particular, the scripts of Spencer Christiano
(artist-in-residence at MuCCC) and Megan Mack (who
also performs with the improv group Thank You Kiss at
9 p.m. Tuesday at Blackfriars Theatre) contained
standout dialogue and concepts.
I
wish there was some way to channel the adrenaline the 24-hour crew was feeling.
As they took their bows — with huge, tired grins — it was immensely clear that
this process means more to those involved than it ever could to the audience.
While it’s surely worth filling a seat and taking on that fly on the wall
status, perhaps getting involved is the ticket next year.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2015.
