Wednesday
Feb102010
24 ('cept with playwrights, not Jack Bauer)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 10:08AM
By Col
In a nutshell, APN corrals a couple dozen Albertan playwrights, gives them an office full of computers and junk food, keeps a couple dramaturges on hand to help writers get through that 3:00 am wall, and presto; 24 hours later everyone has a first draft of a brand spanking new play.
This is one of my favorite events all year, it was actually the very first theatre thing I did when I moved to Calgary. It was a great night, I met a lot of friends there I'm still close with, had some hilarious 4 am conversations with Eugene Stickland about speech impediments, and wrote a terrible play that involved two men stranded on an island with a make shift blow up doll made of fruit named Banana Anna.
Writers out there, really consider taking part this year. At its best, APN builds camaraderie between playwrights. It's a lonely job. If you're lucky you have a nice office to write in, if you're me you have a basement; either way you have to be alone to write. But for 24 hours not only are you not alone but, even better, you get to watch other people write. You get to see them frustrated when the plot points just won't come and you get to see that bit of adrenalin surge when characters finally start talking to each other. It's a great glimpse of all that goes into getting that first draft out there, all condensed into less than a day; charged by sleep deprivation and caffeine.
If you need more info contact Trevor Rueger (acting Executive Director of APN and forthcoming Verbatim Series interviewee) at trevor@albertaplaywrights.com or check out http://www.albertaplaywrights.com/
The 2010 APN 24 Hour Playwrighting Competition is nigh!
In a nutshell, APN corrals a couple dozen Albertan playwrights, gives them an office full of computers and junk food, keeps a couple dramaturges on hand to help writers get through that 3:00 am wall, and presto; 24 hours later everyone has a first draft of a brand spanking new play.
This is one of my favorite events all year, it was actually the very first theatre thing I did when I moved to Calgary. It was a great night, I met a lot of friends there I'm still close with, had some hilarious 4 am conversations with Eugene Stickland about speech impediments, and wrote a terrible play that involved two men stranded on an island with a make shift blow up doll made of fruit named Banana Anna.
Writers out there, really consider taking part this year. At its best, APN builds camaraderie between playwrights. It's a lonely job. If you're lucky you have a nice office to write in, if you're me you have a basement; either way you have to be alone to write. But for 24 hours not only are you not alone but, even better, you get to watch other people write. You get to see them frustrated when the plot points just won't come and you get to see that bit of adrenalin surge when characters finally start talking to each other. It's a great glimpse of all that goes into getting that first draft out there, all condensed into less than a day; charged by sleep deprivation and caffeine.
If you need more info contact Trevor Rueger (acting Executive Director of APN and forthcoming Verbatim Series interviewee) at trevor@albertaplaywrights.com or check out http://www.albertaplaywrights.com/
Reader Comments (4)
A blow-up doll made of fruit?
Hey, you can't judge what someone comes up with in 24 hours. Well, actually I suppose they do, it is a competition... I definitely did not win...
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