Hours One Through Four: Prologue

WE ARE LIVE FROM ICC! WELCOME TO THE 2009 College 24-Hour Plays!

The following events occur between 9:00PM and 1:00AM.

Full disclosure: I did not arrive until approximately 9:30. However, if my schedule is to be believed, the playwrights assembled for a meeting with Marcia Cebulska to discuss writing for the 24-Hour Play format. I am writing this from my comfortable air conditioned home to which I returned to prepare for the arduous journey that awaits me.

9:30 PM
Upon walking in to the building, one immediately notices an element that will challenge the writers all night. The air conditioning in the building is deactivated. To say things mildly, it is very warm in these halls. The participants fill out intrusive questionnaires and and file in to an equally uncomfortable lecture hall. The eternal loveliness of Hannah Hoven would be the single comfort one knew were it not for the negating force of Peter Ellenstein. I jest.

Facing great challenges seems to be the overarching theme of this years plays. Days ago, massive rainfall flooded the Inge Theatre, rendering it unusable for tomorrow's performances. "God is conspiring against us," Peter joked. "It's fantastic," he continues, " It's a recipe for enormous creativity." Amidst the pep talk he drops the line, "You will fail." Quoted out of context? Of course. He means that there are failures in every 24-Hour Play performance. That is part of the magic, I figure. What he said next I believe to be the defining statement for the experience. He says, "At 3PM, you'll wish that you had never signed up for this, but in the end tomorrow evening, you'll want to do it all over again."

Somewhere amongst all this, Peter introduces my glorious predecessor amongst a flurry of accolades and titles, none of which I can even begin to share. To this praise, Marcel can only reply, "All of the above." The truest modesty is honesty.

"So fresh, they're insulting!" - I wish that I had credited this quote or mentioned context in my notes.

10:24PM
Ryan, the Tech Director, takes the stage and explains a number of difficulties created by the change in performance venue. I'd go in to detail, but I'd hate to deter anyone from watching the shows. You had best come watch!

"Less is more," he says in regard to staging. A justified statement because, as he eloquently defines, "we only have one truck." All staging and props will need to be transported between ICC and Memorial Hall - twice. "All props have to be checked out."

"We do a lean on your house and a credit check," Ellenstein chimes in. The participants are visibly nervous. I lie. Of course, I hope that Peter was only joking. I know that times are rough, but come on.

11:00PM -> 1:00AM
Each and every participant introduces themselves. I can already assure you that these performances are going to be dynamite. Even your humble narrator introduced himself. Everyone laughed. I felt like a successful actor. However, my acting was done, so I returned to my pen and paper.

"I always go after the clever one," complained the person after me. I deeply apologize for not writing your name down, I was out of room on my scribble paper. Hey! I never claimed to be a journalism student. Secretly, her saying this granted a large and much needed boost to my self-esteem.

More to come!