What we do:

1440 Performances are 24 hour projects.  A group of local writers are given a prompt at 7:00 p.m. on a Friday night. Writers must finish the scripts for their 10-minute plays by 9:00 a.m. the following morning, and then the scripts are given to our directors who will cast the plays from a pool of local actors. Plays rehearse all day long, culminating in a performance for the public at 7:00 p.m. that night. Often the writers are joined by musical artists and poets who will also create original works based on the given prompt. Prompts are submitted from our community members through our group’s social media. We have found that in addition to being an accessible and affordable night of entertainment for our community, these performances are an excellent gateway for people to get involved with the theatre. Because of the condensed nature of the time commitment, we find that we are able to get participants who may not be able to spend multiple nights a week rehearsing for a larger show, such as parents and late-shift workers. We pride ourselves on being the affordable option for local theatre, with our ticket prices being an average of 40% lower than other theatres in the area. These prices attract a diverse audience who are then welcomed into our community and encouraged to participate in future events. 

Our Original Series was born out of the desire to expand upon the work done in our 1440 shows. We wanted to give the writers opportunities to explore the medium more thoroughly by writing shows with deeper themes and more complex character development. These shows also give writers and directors a chance to produce plays with more fully realized sets, costumes, and props. These plays also get the chance to more deeply integrate technical aspects of the scripts; with more time we are able to more thoughtfully develop lighting and sound designs. One unique aspect of the series is that writers are given the opportunity to “live-workshop” their plays by being a part of the rehearsal process for the first month. Actors and directors are able to work in tandem to create natural-sounding dialogue and gain deeper understanding of the character’s motivations.