Redmond high schools plan 24/7 Theater Challenge

Theater students in Redmond will roll out seven original plays from blank page to theatrical stage in 24 hours, beginning Saturday, Sept. 29, announced Pat Tellinghusen, Redmond High School drama coach.

The 24/7 Invitational, formerly only an RHS event, now includes all three Redmond high schools this year, with Redmond Proficiency Academy (RPA) and Ridgeview High School participating in the challenge.

“This is like theater boot camp,” Tellinghusen explained. “We’ve had so much fun with this format at RHS the past two years, we wanted to get the other schools in on the game.”

The evening before the performance, seven student playwrights will receive their prompts and have eight hours to write a seven-minute play. The next morning at 6:00 a.m., the playwrights deliver their plays to seven directors who have two hours to plan before the cast and crew arrive. While the casts rehearse, the crew engages in a high stakes scavenger hunt to find the props, set and costumes for seven plays.

“This is instant and pure collaboration,” said RPA Theatre Director, Kate Torcom. “It is refreshing to gather together without competition between schools. I’m excited for this experience as it is bound to build an even stronger relationship amongst our Redmond schools.”

A panel of six judges will award for Best Writing and Judges’ Choice for performance. The audience votes for the Audience Choice Award.

“We are so excited to be part of this first ever intradistrict theatrical event,” said Jerry Capson, drama teacher at Ridgeview High. “Teams will be made up of a mixture of student from each school providing an opportunity for kids to build relationships and have experiences across the district and outside of their own school.”

The curtain goes up at 7:00 p.m. in the Clyde Moore Auditorium at RHS. Admission is $1 for students, $2 for seniors and $3 for adults.