Mariah Chase is a big fan of “Project Runway.” As a local theater lover, actor, and director for more than five years, she has always been inspired by competition shows that require participants to create and perform quickly. 

“I love that kind of stuff. I’ve watched all of ‘Project Runway’ and a lot of RuPaul’s ‘Drag Race,’ shows where you just have one hour and then you have to be on stage,” Chase said. 

That love of quick performance drew her to Playhouse on the Square’s Play Slam! event in May, where she directed 10-minute plays written by local middle and high schoolers. It’s also where she met writer Domenic-Michael Andolina, actor Amy Rush and producer Julia Hinson, all of whom were also volunteering at the event. 

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Inspired by their conversations at Play Slam!, the four former strangers decided to organize and host an even faster theater production, something that Chase called “The Project Runway” of Theater. They licensed the first official “The 24 Hour Plays: Memphis,” which will show Saturday, June 25, at TheaterWorks. 

The 24 Hour Plays phenomenon started in 1995, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Since then, there have been thousands of 24 Hour Plays events across the U.S. and the globe. 

The premise of 24 Hour Plays is simple: A small group of writers, directors and actors come together to write, rehearse and perform six 10-minute plays within 24 hours. The local event will feature six writers, six directors and 24 actors, all of whom applied earlier this month and were selected for the project June 8. 

On the evening of Friday, June 24, all the local participants will gather for a short meet-and-greet at TheaterWorks, where the writers and directors can get to know the actors. Then each writer will get to work, scripting a brand-new, 10-minute play that will be ready by 6 a.m.

“This is really a chance for local writers to put creative ideas out there and to kind of just see the process; to see the kind of creativity that comes out of the time constraints,” Chase said. 

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Actor Liz Pegg agreed: 

“I love The 24 Hour Plays because they really allow the artists involved to be completely creative. Everyone is working with such a quick turnaround, so there is no time for overthinking or over-complicating,” Pegg said “You’re just completely immersed in the experience. ... You’re not worried about perfection and you just get to create.”

For the show, each director will draft pick four actors to participate in their play; on Saturday morning, the actors will begin rehearsing the six plays that will be performed later that evening in front of a live audience. 

Chase acknowledged that it’s a pretty lofty goal to accomplish within 24 hours.

“I mean, we’re theater people. We’re insane. We’re out of our minds,” she said with a laugh. 

One thing that drew them to this event is how it incorporates the talents of all types of artists within the theater community.

“Domenic is going to be one of the writers; Amy is going to be one of the actors; I’m going to be one of the directors, and Julia is strictly in the producer role — that way we’re in each sphere, making sure everything runs smooth,” Chase said. 

Plus, she views the event as an opportunity to showcase the diversity and creativity of local talent.

“There was a big push when we were casting to try to be as diverse as possible. Because this city is super diverse,” she said. 

Though operating on a short time frame, they’ve added some support systems to ease the process. The show will be produced by Hinson’s production company, LoneTree Live, and there will be a stage manager, as well as some simple lights and sound support. 

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They’ve encouraged each actor to bring one unique prop or costume item from home that can be used by other actors in different plays. And they’ll provide plenty of coffee, snacks and meals to fuel the participants throughout the 24-hour period. 

Based on how things go this year, the organizers hope to make “The 24 Hour Plays: Memphis” an annual event. 

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“It’s going to be a different experience,” Chase said. “It’s going to be something kind of weird and really unknown, and you won’t know till you see it.”

“The 24 Hour Plays: Memphis” performance will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at TheaterWorks, 2085 Monroe Ave. Guests can pay $10 at the door or preorder through Eventbrite. The entrance fee covers the show, as well as snacks and live music. Beer will also be offered but it must be purchased. The organizers recommend an adults-only audience, as the artists’ productions could cover any topic. For more info or tickets, go here.