Create a show in 24 hours? Sacramentan will do that for upcoming virtual theater event
During the pandemic, virtual theater arose as a medium out of necessity. A twist on that happens later this month when theater producers from across the country come together virtually to create an online theater festival from scratch.
Sponsored by Thumbprint Studios and Mentalhaus, the event will challenge artists to collaborate over 24 hours to create four new works of theater. Dubbed Collab24, it culminates in a live-streamed virtual performance at 3:30 p.m. on July 31.
One of the works will be directed by Sacramentan Rebekah Dawn, a self-described “director, choreographer, performer, and creator.” After growing up in the Auburn area, Dawn began her directing career as an undergraduate at Sacramento State. Now, she’s focused on bringing an accessible form of theater to a world still reeling from the pandemic.
Her piece, along with three others, will be a work of devised theater, a medium Dawn describes as “the way of the future.” In this instance, each team receives a prompt, then has a total of 24 hours divided over several days to create a play from scratch — and only 12 hours with their director.
The process, Dawn says, will require collaboration among a remote ensemble of artists who straddle a variety of disciplines and hail from diverse backgrounds. There is no set workflow that the team will follow, and no set plan other than the time constraints.
“Devising is kind of about living in the unknown and seeing what unfolds,” she said. “You start out with nothing and you figure out together what the spark is … It’s going to be exciting and new and unique.”
Both Mentalhaus and Thumbprint Studios were founded in Chicago in 2020, a dry spell for the theater industry due to the coronavirus. Established as 501(c)(3) nonprofits, both entities take modern and mental health-oriented approaches to theater.
Thumbprint Studios describes its mission as “empowering our artists to make brave choices, celebrate failure and success equally, defy perfectionism and embody their unique artistic superpowers.” This event is one example of their effort to connect theater artists during a period that, for many, spelled complete isolation from their communities and livelihoods.
Similarly, Mentalhaus emphasizes the importance of building relationships among creatives and prioritizing artists’ wellbeing — a sentiment that Dawn echoes.
“It can be tempting in theater to put the product over the process,” Dawn said. “And my approach to devising does value the process as heavily as the product… I want it to be sustainable.”
Although she says that her piece will not necessarily center on explicit themes of wellness, Dawn said the process of making devised theater is inherently tied to these values. “It definitely relates to mental health,” she said. “The creative process makes us healthier people — deeper, more ourselves.”
Following the performances, audience members will be able to vote on their favorite piece, engage with the artists in a Q&A, and attend a virtual awards ceremony. For those who would prefer to watch the performances on their own time, asynchronous screening tickets will be available two days after the festival’s completion. To purchase tickets, visit www.collab24.org.
