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Collaborative Art

I saw a 24 hour play performance recently.

The idea was: Go from concept to audience presentation in 24 "working" hours.
They started Friday afternoon with the "playwrights" who were given a concept.
Saturday morning, they collaborated to develop the script. The "directors" then cast the script with the "actors" and staged and rehearsed the rest of the day.

On Sunday, noon, they brought in the "designers" for a run thru, with the tech deadline being 7 pm house open.

All in all a noble effort, but it looked like the process got derailed somewhere around final run thru for tech. Again, the belief that one more directorial pearl of wisdom is going to make a line reading more powerful prevailed when, in reality, no one could hear it because the sound op never got to set a level.

The production team sparkled with wonderfully imaginative costumes, props, elaborate lighting and sound effects throughout. Too bad they, the production team, weren't given the simple courtesy of an uninterrupted run thru, with notes.
It would have given them and the performers time to play together once before the big game.

And everyone would have benefited from that pearl.
Timing is everything.

What's tech week like for you?

I'd love to hear you comments, your war stories and your best practices.

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