The Box performing arts space at The Gateway presents the first-ever 24-Hour Youth Theatre Festival for young people ages 14-17(ish) to be performed Saturday, January 9th at 7:30 pm over Zoom.  Tickets are $10.00 for this one-night only performance.

The youth festival will feature plays written by adults in a 24-hour format, targeted to youth performers.  There may also be a talented youth playwright or two in the mix.  Auditions are currently in process until January 2nd.  From there, a youth cast will be selected and the process will officially kick-off Friday, January 8th.

The festival is a crazy process involving six playwrights who will not know their play titles until the night of January 8th.  In addition to a title, they will receive a play prompt and a prop, both of which need to be incorporated into their original 10-minute play.  The assignments will be made over Zoom.

Once the playwrights receive their assignments, they will be dismissed (from Zoom) to begin their writing processes.  Their scripts will need to be finished by the next morning, when they will be delivered to the eager hands of directors and actors.  Directors will include experienced adult members of the theatre community.  All actors will be young people ages 14-17 (there is some flexibility over the maximum age—individuals who are a few years older than 17 should not be discouraged from auditioning).

The plays will be rehearsed entirely online and performed January 9th at 7:30 pm, for an online audience.

The Box has been producing 24-Hour Theatre festivals for the last two years with a great community response.  The Box Creative Team is hoping for a similar response for the youth version.  In addition, we are hoping to tap into some of the tremendous youth talent that exists in the state and hopefully continue developing that into the future.

The Box Facilities Director Jim Martin is a life-long educator and current principal who knows the importance not the arts for young people.  “I have seen the potential of theatre and other art forms to greatly impact the lives and trajectories of our youth population.  They need more theatre and arts, and as a community organization, we can play a role in that.”