24 Hour Plays

Day 3 :: February 4th

Its the final day of rehearsal before the big show at 2pm.  That means there are only 4 hours of rehearsal till our tech run through at 2pm!  Avi and I have spent the last 2 days converting room 416 into a black box theater, complete with lights donated from ABT to a school downstairs.  Seems like everything is working in our favor to make this culminating event a success!  Check out the photos to watch the casts prepare for show time.
 

Its rehearsal time for Michael Kenneth Williams and the cast of "She Can't Eat Cheese if She is Lactose Intolerant," written by Maynor Alas. 


Gabby Hoffman shows the cast of Sydney White's "Flight to the Future" how its done.  
 

Rosie Perez and the cast of Maxine Batchler's "The Interview" take advantage of their last hour of rehearsal in Black Box 416, our brand new black box theater!

Taylor Morrison, our wonderful tech student, prepares the lights before the big show.

 

Day 2 :: Feb 3
 
In the morning the ensemble gathered for bonding and theater games. Focusing on techniques to prepare them for the 24 Hour Plays, the group played games, which build character skills, focus, listening and responding, and creating physical environments.  
 
 
Writers hand in their scripts; do a critique and revision session with New Design English Teacher Avi Kline; rewrite and print.  
 
 
Urban Arts Teaching Artist Julia Grob leads actors through character building exercises designed to prepare them for the daunting task ahead. Students create character profiles. 
 
 
Guest Directors Rosie Perez, Michael Kenneth Williams and Gaby Hoffman work on scripts with their casts focusing on character breakdowns, conflicts, and exploration & memorization techniques with actors. 
 
 
Students go home to memorize scripts and come in for DAY 3: blocking and rehearsal. 
 
GOOD LUCK TEAM

 

 

Day 1 :: February 2 
 
3 writers, 10 actors and the production staff gather for orientation. 
 

Each participant writes a descriptive bio, selects a prop & then shares these and their hidden talents with the group.  

 

 
 
 Writers and actors split up for day long workshops in their respective discipline.
 
Guest Playwright Harrison Rivers leads a short-form writing workshop and then each writer (using material from Orientation) is tasked with composing a 10 minute play by the end of the day.
 
 
Harrison Rivers leads playwrights in a workshop. 
 

Actors observe a scene study class with Acting Coach James Tripp at Stella Adler. (Check out our actors bonded and ready to read their scripts after our master class at Stella Adler!)

 

 

The 24 Hour Plays at New Design High School in a Nutshell

 

13 dedicated students hone acting and writing skills through a series of rigorous workshops where they conceive of, write, rehearse and perform 3 original works in the span of 24 hours. 

 

This is our second year working during Intersession at NDHS and this year our program runs over the course of three days.  Part-master class, part-production workshop, part-zanny ass-kicking adrenaline high, the 24 Hour Plays in the Schools is an experience not to be forgotten. 

 

Joining forces for the 2nd year in a row, New Design English teacher Avi Kline and I are working with Sydney White and Maxine Batchler, 2 sophomore Life Stories writers, Maynor Alas, Life Stories alumni 2009, and nine New Design seniors with very little acting experience.  Playwright Harrison Rivers, who received his Broadway debut at the 2009 24 Hour plays on Broadway, joins us as playwright in residence.  Our guest directors and master artists are Rosie Perez, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Gabby Hoffman, all of whom have acted in the 24 Hour Plays on Broadway!

 

No one really knows what they are getting into.  But over the course of the next 3 days, they will be transformed from ordinary HS students,  into seasoned actors and writers, and complete their first 24 Hour Plays...all in the span of 24 hours!  Lets go!!

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