Eight Plays in 24 Hours

For thespians in South Florida, the 24 Hour Theater Project is an Olympic event equal in difficulty to the decathlon. This Sunday at sundown, a bunch of playwrights will gather at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables. They’ll be tasked with writing a play based on a random title (at last year’s project, one of the titles was How My Sister, Sally, Collected Her Winnings Despite the Dead Mime in Her Car). Each of the eight plays must be written by sunrise the following morning. Then, coming off their cocaine highs, the twitching writers will hand over the scripts like batons to the region’s best actors and directors — names such as Todd Allen Durkin, Ken Clement, Paul Tei, Avi Hoffman, and many others. It’ll be their job to turn the scripts into decent short plays by showtime that evening. This is what Adderall is for.

At last year’s event, only one play was pulled off without a stumble. But the screwups add to the fun. The emotional meltdowns, impossible deadlines, chemical inducements, and suicidal artistic energies culminate orgiastically this Monday at 8 p.m. at the Miracle Theatre. Tickets cost $58, and part of the proceeds will go to the region’s youngest, most daring theater troupes, including Mad Cat and Promethean. Call 305-444-9293, or visit www.actorsplayhouse.org.
Mon., Aug. 25, 2008