By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – In just 24 hours, anything can happen.
That is the premise behind the annual 24/7 Play Fest, a fast-paced theatrical experiment hosted by Blackout Theatre Company that challenges artists to create something entirely new in a single day. With seven teams, seven plays and a strict 24-hour deadline, the event offers audiences a rare glimpse into creativity under pressure and the collaborative spirit of New Mexico’s theatre community.
The festival brings together theatre companies, students and performance groups from across the state. Participants gather on a Friday night, receive a set of rules and a mystery prop, and then race against the clock to write, rehearse and perform original 10-minute plays by the following evening.
“It’s a very beautiful, chaotic kind of gathering of theater companies, improv and performance groups and some schools,” says Caroline Graham, artistic director of Blackout Theatre. “It’s very much a real whirlwind of theater.”
The structure is simple but demanding. Each team contributes one rule and one prop, which are then redistributed. By the end of the kickoff, every group must incorporate all seven rules and one randomly selected prop into their play.
From there, the clock starts ticking.
“They have overnight to write a play that utilizes all seven rules and the prop,” says Leonard Madrid, the originator of the 24/7 Play Fest. “Then they hand the script off to the director, and then the director and the actors rehearse that play all day.”
By 7 p.m. the next day, those plays are performed live in front of an audience.
The concept itself grew out of a desire to bring artists together in a new way. Madrid explains that the idea came during the early days of Blackout Theatre Company, inspired by a one-minute play festival he experienced in Chicago.
“We wanted to do something that sort of built the theater community, because sometimes we don’t get to work with some of our favorite theater people, because everybody’s always in different shows,” says Madrid. “It would mean that all these theater people that never get to play together get to do a show together.”
That sense of community remains central to the event today. The festival includes participants from colleges, high schools and theatre companies across New Mexico, creating opportunities for collaboration that might not otherwise happen.
“It’s a gathering, essentially, of seven teams, usually primarily from Albuquerque, but we’ve been getting some folks from other towns around New Mexico as well,” says Graham. “It’s a really fun time to sort of exercise creative muscles, get to know other theater companies from around the state.”
Despite the intensity of the timeline, organizers emphasize that the environment is meant to be supportive and experimental. “We like to call it high energy, low stakes,” says Graham.
That mindset encourages artists to take risks and try new ideas without the pressure of perfection. According to Madrid, the results can be both unpredictable and entertaining.
“One time we had a team of two actors, but one of the rules is one character can’t talk through the whole play, and so then one actor had to carry all the dialogue by himself,” says Madrid. “It was pretty funny.”
Moments like these are part of what makes the festival so compelling for audiences. Each performance is completely original, and even the organizers do not know what will unfold until the curtain rises.
This unpredictability also highlights the depth of talent within the state’s theatre community. Both Graham and Madrid emphasize that one of the festival’s goals is to showcase local artists and inspire audiences to engage more deeply with regional theatre.
“I hope that audiences come away with a fuller understanding of just how much talent New Mexico has to offer,” says Graham.
Madrid echoes that sentiment, adding that the event often serves as a springboard for future work.
“Theatre 3 uses the 24/7, to sort of create core ideas for plays that they’re going to create in the future,” says Madrid. “And to me, I think that’s one of the most brilliant uses.”
This year’s festival also marks a new collaboration with Theatre 3, a longtime participant that has gradually taken on a larger role behind the scenes.
“They’re kind of our unofficial sister company,” says Graham. “So, this year they’re not only co-hosting as producers, they will also be co-hosting as emcees.”
Beyond the performances themselves, accessibility remains a key priority for Blackout Theatre. The 24/7 Play Fest operates on a pay-what-you-will model, with a suggested ticket price of seven dollars.
“Accessibility is one of our core values as a company, and that also includes financial accessibility,” says Graham. “We believe that everybody should be able to have access to high quality performing arts experiences that are generated in and by and for their own community.”
For audiences, the experience is as much about discovery as it is about entertainment. Madrid compared watching the plays to a kind of game. “I treat it like bingo, like you just watched the play to see which of the rules got met and which didn’t,” says Madrid.
At its core, the festival is designed to be fun and energizing, offering something different from a traditional night at the theatre.
At the same time, the event highlights what can happen when artists are given the freedom to experiment. Graham notes that the fast-paced, collaborative environment often leads to unexpected and imaginative results, calling it “a magical experience” when artists come together to create something entirely new in just 24 hours.
The 24/7 Play Fest will take place Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. at CNM’s Coal Avenue Theatre. Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with a suggested price of $7. More information and reservations are available at the Blackout Theatre website (blackouttheatre.com).