For the 11th time, I was invited to be a writer in Overnight Sensations, an annual 24-hour play festival put on by Hollins University as part of its summer MFA program.
On Friday night, the six writers, six directors and many cast members gathered at Hollins. We had a ceremonial drawing of prompts, directors and casts from a hat, then we writers went off to write. I drew Natalie Tasillo as a director, sitcom as the genre, a county fair as the setting, “even a worm turns” as the theme and Team 4 for the cast. In the photo above, from left to right, that’s Lillian Savage, Natalie Tasillo, Miriam Frazier, Michael Johnson, me, and Janemarie Laucella kneeling. Out of the frame to the right is my old friend Stephen “Stevedogg” Glassbrenner. Photo courtesy of Dan Smith. I felt I lucked out because I normally write comedy, a rural setting is a natural for me and I knew all of the actors except Lillian. In fact, Miriam directed one of my shows in a previous Overnight Sensations, so I could hear all their voices in my head as I was writing “Cock-A-Doodle-Did.”
Here are some photos from the weekend:
The drawings took place on the Hollins stage.
Director Natalie Tasillo draws from the hat. Writers and directors take turns drawing.
That’s my cast in front of me. From left: Miriam, Steve, Janemarie, Lillian, Michael.
Here’s another view of the cast, although Miriam is out of the frame.
Then we all went backstage to take a look at the props and costumes available.
Saturday morning, back at Hollins: Director Natalie Tasillo gets her first look at the script. I’d emailed it to her when I was finished about 12:30 a.m. but turns out Hollins’ email system doesn’t like gmail accounts so blocked delivery.
Saturday, 10 a.m.: The production meeting where we go over any tech needs with the tech crew (and figure out how to share props in the case of shows using the same props). One show needed swords, which Hollins has, but they’re not allowed to leave the building, and rehearsals were scattered across campus, so that show had to use umbrellas to rehearse with.
About 11 a.m., actors start to arrive and there’s one rule of theatre: Actors must be fed.
Lillian Savage gets her first look at the script and her part as Billie Joe, a teenage girl who is forced to exhibit a rooster at the county fair.
Michael Johnson reads the script and tries to figure out how he’s going to play the rooster, Big Red.
Steve reads his part as Junior, who gives the rooster some bootleg whiskey.
The first read-through. Program director Todd Ristau is strict on run times so when the first read-through came in at 8:32, I was satisfied, then went home to take a nap. From bottom left clockwise, that’s Natalie, Michael, Janemarie, Miriam, Steve and Lillian.
I don’t have any show photos but hope to get some video.
dwayneyancey 