"The 24 Hour Plays"

I never know how people get the news.

Some of you go online to our Web site. Some read our blogs. Others actually read our newspaper!

I guess if I want to cover these three areas, I have to put stories online, in the newspaper and here.

This information is in my column that comes out tomorrow.

Troy Heard is someone I've known since he was about 15 and a student at Pacelli High School. Even back then, he was a theater geek. And I mean that in a good way.

He's a very talented young man with lots of great ideas.

After graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a master's degree in directing, he went to Las Vegas where his mother and sister moved. There, he worked for a Cirque du Soleil production for almost two years.

Troy came back to Columbus last summer with the idea of starting the Chattahoochee Shakespeare Co. He did, and he's been trying to raise money to keep the fledgling theater going.

Unfortunately, it's not a great time to start a brand-new theater. He's been trying to get corporate money and grant money.

Fortunately, he's not giving up.

One plan to make some money is going to be great fun.

It's "The 24-Hour Plays."

If you've never heard of this, it's a fast-paced weekend for writers, directors, actors and theater technicians.

You take 10 writers. You pair them randomly into five teams.

You find five directors and 20 actors. You need five stage managers, one production stage manager to oversee the theater operations and light board and sound board operators.

You have to get four "go-fers." These people assist the writers and directors and on the day of the performance, they become the house manager, box office workers and ushers.

Say "The 24 Hour Plays" is this weekend.

From 7-10 p.m. Friday, actors bring their resumes and headshots to the theater.

At 10 p.m. the writers arrive and are paired up. After orientation, they start writing a one-act play.

At 7 a.m. Saturday, the directors arrive. Scripts are randomly selected, actors are cast and called. The actors (five per show) bring all props and costumes from home.

At 9 a.m., the actors arrive and rehearsals begin.

There's a lunch break at noon, followed by technical rehearsals at 1 p.m. Each play gets 45 minutes on stage with 15 minutes to program the sound and light boards.

Dinner is at 6 p.m.

At 8 p.m., the curtain rises for the first play.

At 10 p.m. "The 24 Hour Plays" is done.

Of course, Troy wants me to write a play. I've never written a play before, but it might be fun. I mean, it's just a one-act. But come on! Me stay up all night? I think those days are over. We'll see when the time comes.

I'll let you know when and where this will happen. And if I know Troy, this will happen. It will be outrageous and it will be something people will talk about for a long time.