- Billy Thompson ‘22 & Shahnawaz Syed ‘22
An annual event at SHP, this year’s Play in a Day took place on March 7th, led by producers Huck Barry and Colleen Tanona. For those who are not aware, Play in a Day is a production where the theme of the play is not revealed until a day before it is put on, setting up for just hours of rushed preparation for the show. This year, the theme was “the most boring day ever”. The two plays put on were “Not Fit to Print”, written by Bennet Kruse, Lauren Roque, and Finn Roblin and “This Day in History”, written by Ciara Moses, Axel de Vernou, Anne-Sophie Lacombe, and Mr. Moffat.
Although this year’s plays themselves did not disappoint, major changes have been made to the tradition that has made Play in a Day so special. Previous to this year, writers would come together at 7 PM on Friday to start writing the play and begin their 24-hour journey to create a full production. However, this tradition was changed this year as the writers meet at noon on Friday, work until midnight, and resume work at 7 AM the next morning. Many producers, writers, and actors feel as though this takes away from the full theatrical experience that the Play in a Day provides. When asked about this decision, Senior Ciara Moses said “I think it made us more productive, but it really detracted from the experience of being able to hand the script to the directors and get delirious writing at night which can be funny.”
Despite the last minute change in the schedule, both plays still exceeded expectations of the audience and were extremely impressive as always. Being a part of something so unique is a great experience, and everyone should participate in Play in a Day at least once in their time at SHP!
