Edmonton's 10 Days of Madness Festival
Writers Young and Old Create New Works in Just 10 Days
Jan 1, 2009
For the past few years, the University of Alberta Bookstore, in conjunction with the Alberta Playwrights Network, has been hosting the 10 Days of Madness Playwriting Festival. The entire festival is spearheaded by actress and director Melissa Hande, who truly embraces the sleeplessness and chaos involved in running a 10-day event. Every January, she gathers playwrights from ages 9 and up and throws them into rooms together to be creative and write new works. This year the fun will run from January 8-17.
The Events
Everything kicks off with a playwriting workshop, followed by numerous play readings from new works, including some that were written in the previous year’s competition. APN hosts a number of these readings, allowing emerging playwrights to have their work read and heard by audiences and other members of the theatre community – an excellent starting point for anyone who is looking to have their work produced.
The 24-Hour Playwriting Competition
The festival’s main event is the 24-Hour Playwriting Competition, which becomes the focus of the 10 days after its first weekend. 10 playwrights from two categories (beginner and veteran – meaning any writer who has had more than three of their own works produced) spend 24 hours in the student’s union building of the University of Alberta. They are allowed one page of notes, snacks, and music, and from 12:00pm Saturday to 12:00pm Sunday, they will write a brand new play.
Once the 24-hour competition has been completed, a series of judges do a blind reading (meaning no names are attached to any of the plays) of the works and select three winners from each category. The first place winners are then given a few days of rehearsal time with a director, dramaturge, and a cast of actors, and on the closing weekend of the festival, they are featured in full-length play readings of their new work.
And don’t fret – even if you don’t win, you get to choose your favourite 5 minutes for the 5-Minute Cabaret, which gives all playwrights a taste of what it’s like to have their plays read by professional actors. Similar competitions are held for grades 4, 5, and 6 students, and also for senior high students.
The Outcome
Whether you are a freshly emerging playwright, or one who has been writing for years, the 10-Days of Madness Festival is a great opportunity for exposure. The theatre community comes out in support and is often on the look out for plays that they are interested in producing. (Last year’s first prize winner, Nicole Moeller, had her new play, Without You, produced at the University of Alberta’s Timms Centre for the Arts to great reviews and packed houses.)
Above everything, the festival is guaranteed to get you writing, because in order to participate, you must be willing to sit down and write – just write – for 24 hours. And while it may seem strenuous at first, you will be pleased to be able to say that you have written an entire draft at the end of it.
Entries for 10 Days of Madness are typically due at the end of November – keep an eye on the University of Alberta Bookstore website for more information on this year and next year’s festivals. If you are interested in receiving more information on playwriting, you may also contact the Alberta Playwright’s Network.
 |
