“It’s fast and furious,” said Gretchen Teague, executive director of Devising Original Theatre Springfield, or DOTS, describing the Playwright’s Playground Festival set for April 10-11.
Participants will form teams, receive a prompt and then spend the next 24 hours writing and rehearsing an original 10- to 15-minute piece. The following day, the groups will perform their works in front of an audience.
Prompts are selected by Bryant Turnage, a DOTS playwright and dramaturg.
“Boy, does he come up with some wacky things,” Teague said. “He usually creates three elements. One is a concept, one is a line of dialogue and one is a prop. The prompts are kept secret until Friday night.”
“There doesn’t have to be an agenda to your participation. It really is just fun. It’s a playground. We get to play,” she said. “There are lots of ways to approach it.”
The event will take place at The Judy, a Springfield Little Theatre education building.
“They have a wonderful space for us to use, including their auditorium, and it has served us very well the last few times we’ve hosted Playwright’s Playground,” said Kristen Farr, director of outreach. “You don’t necessarily have to sign up, but it helps if you do in advance so we can anticipate how many teams to expect and plan accordingly.”
“What is most fun about the event is how different groups approach the same prompt,” Teague said. “They all come up with something completely different. That’s what makes it feel like a playground of ideas coming together.”
For more information on the event, visit the DOTS website, Instagram and Facebook pages.
