2002-11-21 10:21 a.m.
24-hour madness

Self-promotion time (and if G-d forbid anyone does come to this, please say hi):

I'm writing in the next 24-Hour Plays here in NYC. Most folks will give me the blank stare of a dog that's just been shown a card trick, so I'll explain.

The 24-Hour Plays, inspired by Scott McCloud's 24-Hour Comics, are a fun and funky theatrical event in which a set of short plays are written, rehearsed and staged within 24 hours. When I took part in Atlanta's 24-Hour Plays, there were 16 writers who were paired up randomly; this time, there's only six of us, and we work alone (or in preestablished teams). I'm sure, by the end, there'll be some photo of me nuzzling a Red Bull can ("you're my best friend in the whollllllle world!").

It's hella fun, by the way. I always end up punchy as shit and hallucinating from sleep deprivation by the end, but this time, I'm not acting, so I'll get to sleep before the show goes up. (In Atlanta, two out of three times, I didn't sleep at all between writing one play and starting rehearsals on another one, which works out to a 40-hour jag if you got up at a reasonable hour on the day you started writing.)

Ah, hell...here's the pitch from the producers:

"It's that time again. Another edition of The 24 Hour Plays is just around the corner.

This one is on Monday, December 2nd at 8PM at the beautiful Atlantic Theater in lovely New York City.

Come watch the fruits of the labor of 6 writers, 6 directors and a couple dozen actors as they work the post-Thanksgiving tryptophan out of their systems to bring you 6 brand-new adrenalin-filled 10-minute plays. This time around the Plays will feature plenty of new faces, a generous helping of old favorites, and cranberry sauce.

Silly emails notwithstanding, there will be no mandated Thanksgiving or holiday themes. But since many of the writers may have just spent a few days with their families, expect some cursing and a few snide remarks.

For those of you who want to know more about the 24 Hour Plays, visit http://www.24hourplays.com/

The details:

The 24 Hour Plays
Mon, December 2nd, 8pm
The Atlantic Theater
336 W. 20th Street.
New York, New York
between 8th & 9th Avenues

Subways: A, C, E to 23rd or 14th,
L to 14th, 1, 9 to 23rd
Tickets $15

Call SmartTix 212-206-1515 or
www.smarttix.com."