Playcrafters Barn Theatre, 4950 35th Ave., Moline, will have its first 24-hour play festival benefit this weekend, to raise money for its 2024 season.
They will have 10 writers and directors and as many actors as possible, take part in the special “Write All Night” event (similar to what New Ground Theatre did several years ago with its Sudden Theatre). All participants will meet at Playcrafters on Friday, Sept. 15th at 7 p.m., and they will draw names from a hat for what actors will be with which directors.
They will also draw a genre that they have to write in (e.g., romantic comedy, sci-fi, etc.), draw a prop that has to be included, a setting, and a famous line or phrase that has to be included, said event organizer Eric Teeter. He participated as a writer, director and actor of three of these similar events in Cedar Rapids, the last one was four years ago.
At 8 p.m. Friday, the “Write All Night” participants will be released and writers will have until 7 a.m. on Saturday to turn in a 10-minute play. At 8 a.m., the director and actors receive copies of the script and will have until 5 p.m. to rehearse.
The ten 10-minute plays will then be performed for the first time in front of an audience at 7 p.m. on Sept. 16th, and it’s up to them whether actors will have lines memorized or performed while holding the script.
“We’re not trying to put undue pressure on people,” Teeter said Thursday. “If they don’t have it memorized, if they mess up, nobody’s gonna know because only the writer knows how it’s supposed to go. “The ones that I’ve participated in, we’ve had it both ways — where it’s just one long scene and then one had three or four different scenes that integrated to make a story.”
He’s written two 10-minute plays, and while the first one took about five hours to complete, the second one took just three hours to finish.
For audience members:
• The show will take place on Saturday, Sept. 16 with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the show will begin at 7, with a 15-minute intermission after the first five plays.
• Tickets are $15 and are available HERE or by calling 309-762-0330 to make a reservation.
• Playcrafters will have an assortment of raffle baskets available and will draw winners at the end of the night.
The Moline theater needs more actors to participate (they have about 30 so far), and people can sign up online HERE or just show up, Teeter said.
“There will be a social hour before the show starts starting at six o’clock. And that’s when you can decide which raffle baskets you wanna try and go for,” he said. “Then the shows start at 7, and there will also be a sneak preview of the shows for next season before they are announced Sunday at the annual meeting.”
Playcrafters also needs more volunteers, to help with backstage, box office, ushers, and concessions. People who volunteer get to see the show for free. To volunteer, email office@playcrafters.com or call 309-762-0330.
