24-7 PLAY Festival FAQ

General

What is the 24-7 Play Festival?

The 24-7 Play Festival at the Scoundrel and Scamp is a celebration of the theatrical creative process. From August 11-12th, in just 24 hours, 7 new 10-minute plays will be written and performed before an audience, with artists from theaters throughout the Tucson community invited to write, direct, and act.

Where does the 24-7 take place? 

The 24-7 Play Festival will take place at the Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre, at the Studio Y, and at locations across the Historic Y. 

Who can participate in 24-7?

The 24-7 festival is open to all artists, but has limited slots that are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Audiences will be able to purchase tickets at scoundrelandscamp.org and tickets will go on sale in August. 

Are there any fees to participate, or any honorariums proivided for my participation?

No. The festival is free for all who participate and participation is voluntary. Ticket sales and donations go to cover the expenses of producing the festival.

What is the schedule for 24-7?

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11TH
At 9pm on August 11th playwrights will report to the writing location (TBD).  They will be ‘locked in’ until they have completed their script and submitted to the proctor.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12TH
6am on August 12th S&S Staff review the plays and print the scripts. 
8am Directors show up for orientation for the day. Scripts will be assigned and distributed.
8:30am Actors show up for orientation for the day. Rehearsals begin.
10am Directors submit any tech needs.
11:30am Lunch break (with Lunch provided)
12:15pm Afternoon Rehearsals and 45 minute tech slots begin
5:30pm Dinner break (Dinner on your own)
6:30pm Actor Call and House Open
7pm Curtain (1st Performance)
9:00pm Curtain (2nd Performance) followed by Awards Ceremony

What materials, if any, should be brought? 

Bring a water bottle, pencil and highlighter. The S&S will provide drinks and refreshment for the playwrights during the writing session. The S&S will provide actors and directors with lunch (but dinner will be on-your-own.

Can my friends and family watch the festival performances? 

Yes. Tickets will go on sale in early August for the 7pm and 9pm shows. Seating is limited, so please have your friends and family purchase ahead of time to make sure they don’t miss the show.

Writers

When do the writers need to show up?

Writers will need to report to (location TBD) at 9pm on Friday, August 11th.

What should I bring?

Please bring a laptop or device to the writing session. You can write on whatever media you like, but you will need to submit the play in .doc format by the end of the writing session.

How do I submit my script?

Your host for the evening, the proctor, will provide you with submission instructions when you arrive.

How long will we have to write?

You will need to submit your script by 6am on Saturday, August 12th. This will give you up to 8 hours to write, but most playwrights in our experience have wrapped up by 2 - 3am.

How long can the play be?

10 minutes maximum. If the play goes over ten minutes the play will be stopped for time.

Will I be participating in rehearsals?

No. We will have a seat reserved for you at the 9pm performance. The awards ceremony will follow the 9pm performance.

Are there any limitations to what we can write about or will there be prompts?

We are advertising the festival as ages 18+. You will receive a surprise prompt (or prompts) when you arrive for the writing session, as well as the gender and age breakdown of your cast. For your planning purposes while writing. you will have access to basic lighting shifts. You can have up to two different sound effects (but used as often as you like)..

Will the production have access to props or costume elements?

We are recommending the casts come in actor blacks. If the script requires special elements, depending on what it is, the S&S may be able to provide from our properties and costume collections, but we cannot guarantee we have the items in stock. Simpler is better.

Who owns the script after I write it?
You do. In exchange for participation in the festival, the S&S requests rights to perform your new play “as a reading” royalty-free at this year’s festival. If you publish the script or submit it to other contests, the S&S requests acknowledgement in any future printed materials as “Written for the 2023 24-7 Play Festival at the Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre, Tucson, Arizona.”

Directors

How do I get assigned to a play. Do I get to ‘cast’ my show?

When you arrive at 8am on Saturday you will draw a show and cast out of a hat.

Where will we rehearse?

You will have a rehearsal space reserved for you at the Historic Y or the Studio Y (one block away from the Historic Y).  In addition, tech rehearsal will be a 40 minute block on the S&S Mainstage on Saturday afternooon.

Will I have access to props or costume elements?

We recommend actor blacks. If the script requires special elements, you will need to submit requests by 10am on Saturday. Depending on what it is, the S&S may be able to provide your request from our properties and costume collections, but we cannot guarantee.  

Will there be access to technical elements? 

You will have access to basic lighting shifts. You can have up to two sound effects. You can have up to two different sound effects (but used as often as you like). Directors will need to submit their tech needs list by 10am so that the 24-7 technician can locate sound effects and plan for the tech rehearsal. 

How will tech rehearsal work?

Each show will have a 40 minute block for their on-stage time (with 5 minutes for transitioning). The S&S will provide a technician and a stage manager to run the show. 

Will I be able to watch the show?

You will have a seat reserved for you for both the 7pm and the 9pm shows. An awards ceremony will follow the 9pm show to close out the festival.

Other questions about the 24-7 Festival? Please email director@scoundrelandscamp.org.