The 24 Hour Play, (or, Why I am Jack Bauer)
// July 10th, 2007 // Blog, Patrick's Soapbox
I didn’t stay up for the whole time, but it was close.
For some reason (lack of anything to do for the first few days of the festival since we didn’t open until Saturday night; desire for an excuse to take recreational drugs; maybe it’ll help me meet girls), I entered the 24 Hour Playwriting Contest at this year’s Toronto Fringe.
The premise was simple: at 7:00 pm on July 4th, 60 playwrights were given four “objects” (the term being used loosely, as the objects could be people, places, things – any nouns, really – or bits of dialogue, maybe a metaphysical riddle) that must be incorporated into a script. Twenty-four hours later (7:00 pm on July 5), a hard copy of a play no longer than 45 minutes long must be delivered to the Fringe.
The winner gets $500, plus a staged reading of their play on the closing night of the festival. Second place is $300, and third place – besides having a hairy chest – gets $150.
What I didn’t take into account was that I wouldn’t be able to start until about 10:00 pm (since we had flyering to do for our show, plus dinner to eat, and subways to ride back here). Also, I had completely forgotten that our tech rehearsal was from 2:30-5:30 on the Juky 5, cutting out three more hours from my time. So really it was going to be more like the 18 Hour Playwriting contest. Unless, of course, I decided to take a nap.
So I thought blogging about my progress would be a good way to procrastinate (as well as stay awake). That way, any one that was bored at 3:00 am could see how poorly my play was coming along.
The following takes place between 7:00 pm on July 4, and 7:00 pm on July 5, 2007:
7:01 pm
Just got the 4 items: the discovery of a long-lost relative; Route 66; a reflection (physical or metaphorical); and, “ambitious to the point of delusion.”
9:40 pm
I just got home from flyering, etc., and am about to begin. I doubt I’ll be up all night (we have to tech tomorrow at 2:30. This, I forgot about when I signed up), but likely until 6 or 7 in the morning I’d say. And in order to procrastinate, I will likely be posting updates throughout the night….
10:53 pm
Finished my first page! Granted, it’s mostly scene setting and stage directions, but a page is a page. It’s a psychological hurdle, I guess.
FATHER
It sticks.MOTHER
What?FATHER
The front door key. It sticks. The front door key sticks. I have to change the lock.MOTHER
Right now?FATHER
Of course.MOTHER
Right now. You have to change the lock right now. You have to change the lock
right now?FATHER
If I leave it, it’s only going to get worse. You don’t want someone breaking in here tonight, do you?
This probably means nothing without a) the stage directions; and b) the 4 objects. But, I have to save something for 4:00 am, don’t I?
12:38 am
Just back from a short break which included Kraft Dinner and a trip to the washroom. I have just begun work on page 4.
2:01 am
I just smoked my first joint of the night. Held out pretty long, I think.
2:07 am
I am way too high to be writing right now. Fuck.
4:08 am
I am so tired.
7:41 am
Just woke up from my two-and-a-half-hour “nap.” I want to go back to bed.
On to page 8.
9:24 am
Two scenes done. Three-quarters of the way down page 11. Nine and a half hours to go.
Time for breakfast.
10:54 am
I want to go back to bed.
12:06 pm
Just finished the third of what is looking like a four-scene play. About 1/3 of the way down page 18, which, at this point, likely put the play in the 30 minute range. I’m hoping to hit 25-30 pages, but we’ll see.
If I could, I’d like to get the final scene written before 1:00, so I have time to shower and maybe eat a bit of lunch before our tech (which is at 2:30). Since I lose 3 hours for the rehearsal, plus the transit time, the 24 Hour Playwriting Contest is more like the 19 Hour Playwriting Contest. We’ll be done our rehearsal at 5:30 (it’s not likely we’ll finish any earlier), which gives me just enough time afterwards to make some quick edits and get the thing printed.
12:26 pm
I need a title.
1:22 pm
Just out of the shower. Not quite finished the final scene, but I’m at the bottom of the 22nd page.
A taxi is on its way to bring us and our inordinately heavy set to Tarragon for our 2:30 tech (Kris likes to be there 45 minutes early). Hopefully, I can find a power outlet somewhere in the neighbourhood and finish up before then (my laptop has the World’s Worst Battery).
It’s going to be a race to finish by 7:00…
2:09 pm
I am stealing internet (and writing the play) in front of Tarragon theatre (thank you, Richard Rose, for not encrypting your wireless connection!).
Hopefully my battery lasts long enough to get some work done.
5:39 pm
Just got back to the Tranzac Club from tech. Got through everything (set-up, levels, and a run) in 2.5 hours exactly.
Now, I have an hour and twenty minutes to finish the play, proof read it, print it, and hand it in at the Advance Box Office.
Why the fuck am I blogging?
6:55 pm
Done.
Written, proof-read, printed (although that was more difficult than expected), and submitted. With 5 minutes to spare, even.
Now, since I haven’t eaten since somewhere in the neighbourhood of 9:30 this morning, it is time for dinner. And a beer.
