The process for The 24 Hour Plays began the evening of Nov. 14, when the entire team of actors, playwrights, directors and production staff gathered at the American Airlines Theatre. Each cast member offered a costume, prop and "stage desires" to their respective writers. The playwrights were then given the task of creating a ten-minute play by 7 AM this morning in order to allow the directors and cast time to rehearse the piece for the 8 PM presentation.
Scheduled to participate are Julie White (The Little Dog Laughed), Kathy Najimi ("Hocus Pocus"), Tony Goldwyn (Promises, Promises), Thomsa Kail (In the Heights), Grammy winner Gloria Estefan, Elizabeth Banks ("30 Rock"), Saffron Burrows ("Law and Order"), Michael Ealy ("for colored girls," "The Good Wife"), Nia Vardalos ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding"), Claire Danes ("Temple Grandin"), Sarah Silverman ("The Sarah Silverman Show"), Elijah Wood ("The Lord of the Rings"), Anthony Mackie ("The Hurt Locker"), America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty"), Leslie Bibb ("Iron Man"), Guillermo Diaz ("Weeds"), Rachel Dratch ("Saturday Night Live"), Gaby Hoffman ("Life During Wartime"), Christopher Meloni ("Law and Order: SVU"), Diane Neal ("Law and Order: SVU"), Rosie Perez (The Ritz), Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer"), Fisher Stevens ("Lost" ), Julia Stiles (Oleanna), Tracie Thoms ("Cold Case"), Michael Kenneth Williams ("Boardwalk Empire"), Alicia Witt ("Friday Night Lights"), MTC artistic director Lynne Meadow and Bush Theatre artistic director Josie Rourke.
Playwrights scheduled to participate include Kristoffer Diaz (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity), Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), Lynn Nottage (Ruined) and Theresa Rebeck (The Understudy). Participating musicians are singer-songwriter Mike Doughty and M. Ward.
Montblanc sponsors The 24 Hour Plays, which benefits the Urban Arts Partnership, a not-for-profit organization that brings arts education programs into New York City public school classrooms.
The American Airlines Theatre is located at 227 West 42nd Street. Tickets are available by visiting Smarttix or by phoning (212) 868-4444.
