Linfield is a place where anyone can explore their creative side. Whether it be music, art or writing, there is space for everyone to showcase their talents. An opportunity to showcase creativity occurred Sept. 7 at Ford Hall with the “24 Hour Plays.” The concept of these plays is that they were written, cast, directed and performed all within 24 hours, not an easy feat.

The first play was titled “Heroes Anonymous” written by Bella Rigutto, directed by Tony Pascalar and included Jemma Casem, Roe Hale and Milo Knoke as the cast. This story featured Batman, Superman and Lois Lane getting together and talking about the “Bigfoot Virus.” When Batman had to leave, Superman and Lois Lane went to bed and when they woke up, Superman’s hand had gotten enormous due to the Bigfoot Virus. It was unclear how Superman contracted the Bigfoot Virus, but it was entertaining nonetheless. My favorite aspect of this story was using a big prop hand for comedic effect because it gave the play a cartoonish feel.

Then followed a piece titled “Fungi” written by TJ Lake, directed by DeAndre Williams and included Amanthis Allen, Eleanor Black and Lexa Potter as the cast. This story had the clearest storyline of the three plays. The contents were that two young women missionaries visit a man’s residence where he convinces them to try cannabis. In the end, the women forget their original faith and choose the guy to be their new God called “Fungi.” While this storyline may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it was the best written story of the night.
The last play of the night was titled “Dumpster Fire” written by David Monfort, directed by Julia Hutchison and included Hannah Day, Cristina Purkey and Rain Santiago as the cast. This story was focused on the concept of the purge when all crime is legal. During this time, three characters hide from the disarray of society in a dumpster, where they talk about their trauma. Unfortunately, there was not a clear storyline, a lot of pointless dialogue and an ending that left more to be desired. After the characters talk a lot and sing a song, a character dies and the two others run away, making the story feel a bit unfinished. However, “Dumpster Fire” had my favorite props of the night. They had a can of kerosene and a bunch of trash that made it feel like the characters were actually in a dumpster.

Each play ran 5-10 minutes long and were more comedically focused. All three had the audience laughing multiple times over even though they were so short. Since 24 hours does not lend a lot of rehearsal time, there were a few mistakes here and there. For example, someone forgot their line for a moment and another was caught laughing. However, the actors were quick on their feet and used their mistakes to add to the comedic nature of the story. A surprising aspect of the plays were the props. For such little preparation time, the props were well thought out and extremely detailed. The big hand, Bob Marley poster and garbage were the most notable. It was evident that everyone involved was very passionate about their respective projects.

Although these plays were not family-friendly in content considering college students wrote them, there was something quite heartwarming about the experience. The passion displayed by everyone involved in making the plays was shared with the people watching the show. The audience was completely captivated by the hard work that went into each piece of dialogue, each prop and each movement. The love and support in that room was palpable. There was so much support that an extra two rows of seating had to be placed in order for every audience member to comfortably enjoy the show. While this event was something I wouldn’t normally find myself at, the turnout shows just how much people love the “24 Hour Plays.”