Photos: Follow Taran Killam As He Helps Put Together a Play in 24 Hours
They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they never say Rome wasn’t built in a play — wait, no, I mean they never say a play wasn’t built in day. That’s because of the 24 Hour Plays, a group of actors, writers, and directors who write and produce short plays in 24 hours, with the proceeds of the performances going to charity. Last night was the 15th annual 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, an event put on by the company to benefit the Urban Arts Partnership, a nonprofit that creates arts-integrated programs for underprivileged public-school students.
How it worked was six groups — each with its own writer, director, and ensemble — met at the American Airlines Theater at 10 p.m. Sunday. The writers, which included David Cross, Jonathan Marc Sherman, and Lucy Thurber, then worked overnight putting together a script that the directors and cast had started Monday morning. Each group then had all day to prepare their plays, leading up to the performance at 8 p.m. Monday back at the American Airlines Theater. Actors for this 24 Hour Plays included Rosie Perez, John Krasinski, Taran Killam, Edie Falco, Ben Foster, Cecily Strong, Rachel Dratch, Jay Pharoah, Amber Tamblyn, and Julia Stiles.
Vulture spent the day with Killam, from the orientation the night before to the final bow a full day later. This is how you put on a play in 24 hours.
Taran Killam entering the American Airlines Theater, 24 hours before he'll be performing an as-yet-unwritten play.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
Killam says hello to David Krumholtz and David Krumholtz's cheek.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
The orientation.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
Killam takes a selfie with Alyssa “Lady Logic” Saunders, a formerly homeless poet/writer/performer who won a scholarship from the Urban Arts Part...
Killam takes a selfie with Alyssa “Lady Logic” Saunders, a formerly homeless poet/writer/performer who won a scholarship from the Urban Arts Partnership and performed a spoken-word piece before the 24 Hour Play performances.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
Killam begins rehearsing his group's play, Waiting for Hello, written by Jonathan Marc Sherman, with co-star Molly Ringwald and director Thomas Kail.
...Killam begins rehearsing his group's play, Waiting for Hello, written by Jonathan Marc Sherman, with co-star Molly Ringwald and director Thomas Kail.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
Killam with co-star John Krasinski.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
Killam rehearses on the American Airlines Theater stage, in front of the set of the current run of Harold Pinter's Old Times.
Photo: Dolly Faib...Killam rehearses on the American Airlines Theater stage, in front of the set of the current run of Harold Pinter's Old Times.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
Lunchtime!
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
Killam seeing what the audience will eventually see.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
Killam rehearses with Kail and the entire Waiting for Hello cast: Krasinski, Ringwald, and Zuleikha Robinson.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
Killam practices singing Adele's "Hello" before showtime.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev
All the casts and crews give a final bow.
Photo: Dolly Faibyshev