Experiments in theater

The twice-a-year madhouse of 24-hour intensive creation once again gave actors a chance to test their mettle, writers a chance to craft something from scratch in the wee hours of the morning and directors to try to put all of the parts together in about twelve hours.

​Five short original plays were presented to a live audience Saturday at the Barrow-Civic Theatre.

​Barrow mainstay Brooke Lawrie was the circus master in the absence of Red-Eye founder Nick Hess, who was away at a wedding.

The experience starts the night before when actors audition for a group of writers who then pick their cast of characters. Then they likely brew a fresh pot of coffee and plug in their laptops for a long evening of hunting and pecking away at the keyboard. 

The next morning, the bleary-eyed writer's deliver their scripts, copies are made and doled out to the actors, many who are new to the stage and still shaking the cobwebs from their sleepy brains.

​The directors begin figuring out how to make those printed words into a moving visual as the actors start memorizing their lines.

​Notes are made for costumes, props, lights, sound effects and even a fake beard.
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​See more photos at: https://sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p481438663

By 3 p.m.,  it's all running like a clock ... a very chaotic clock that is sped up to the point where the hands fall off. Hair is ripped out and conversations that were whispered only a few hours earlier are now quite loud and at times echoing past the Mary Ann Richardson sitting room into the lobby before being heard by pedestrians out on Liberty Street who become fully aware that it's nearing showtime.

They then get a run through on stage with the props and light. Shortly after 7 p.m. the doors open and folks wander in to find a seat in order to catch a glimpse of a one-of-a-kind theater experience.

In about 24 hours it goes from start to successful finish. Cause no matter the missed light cues, fumbled lines or set piece failures, it is a success in creation