Things seem to be moving faster every day and it’s up to modern theater keep up. Across the country and around the globe, 24-hour theater events have become all the rage. It’s in the spirit of creative expedience that Owens Community College is hosting its Fifth Annual Fall Theatre Express. The rapidfire event, which features seven original plays by college faculty, is set to kick off at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts on Sept. 21 and will conclude the following evening in the Studio Theatre with a live performance at 7:30 p.m.

The 24-hour marathon begins when each actor and actress arrives wearing a unique costume put together from his or her own wardrobe. Each performer’s photo will then be taken for playwright selection purposes.

Beginning that same evening, seven teams of writers and directors begin the process of writing and staging a play based on a yet-to-be-determined theme and topic involving the assigned three-to-five actors and actresses. Writers will then frantically craft five- to 10-minute plays.

The playwrights will see their plays staged for the first time with the audience.

“Theater departments and groups have been doing events like this for years. I first got involved in a 24-hour event as an actor in Columbus back in 2003,” said Jeremy Meier, Owens assistant professor of fine and performing arts. “When I first took my position at Owens in the fall of 2008, my main goal was to find creative ways to get more people involved in the theater. I think that events like this allow commuter students, who might not have the time to commit to a full production schedule, the opportunity to participate.”

Meier said it is a different way to experience theater.

“They offer an alternative to the way we’re used to experiencing traditional theater programs. Each production is written, cast, rehearsed and performed in the span of 24 hours, which is quite extraordinary,” Meier said. “With most productions, my role would be that of director. With the Theatre Express, I become more of a coordinator, a problem solver, which offers its own creative challenges.”

The Sept. 22 evening performance is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to arrive around 7 p.m. due to limited seating in the Studio Theatre.

“Theatergoers are in for an evening of fun and enjoyment courtesy of Owens students and faculty,” Meier said.

Owens is located on Oregon Road in Perrysburg. For more information, visit www.owens.edu or call 1-800-GO-OWENS, Ext. 2798.

Tags: Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Jeremy Meier, Owens Community College, Theatre Express

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 at 1:33 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Theater.
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