By Rylee Freeman, Staff Writer
The All Night Theatre event brought the Ouachita community together for a 24-hour production featuring six original 10-minute plays written by students. The selection process, auditions, cast and show reveal, tech rehearsals, dress rehearsal and final performance all took place within a single day, making the event all the more impressive.
All Night Theatre allows students across campus, regardless of their major, to participate in and experience the world of theatre while gaining insight into the production process. “If you look back, 99% of the time, people who win best actor or actress are not theatre majors,” Kenzie Tatum, senior Triumvirate, said. “This is a chance for those who don’t have the time to do the full-length shows to satisfy that creative itch and get to perform.”
“I hope that the audience gets to see that theatre is for everybody,” Helen Waggener, junior and All Night Theatre best actress award winner, said. “All Night Theatre is truly one of the best experiences Ouachita has to offer, and it is a blast.” Waggener, a nursing major, does not have much to do with theatre outside of this event. However, her experience showcases how All Night Theatre brings students together.
“This event is important because it shows students different opportunities that they may not even know exist and ways to get cultured about different facets of the Ouachita experience,” sophomore Hayes Murphy said.
Each individual play was completely different, maintaining the audience’s attention and keeping things intriguing the entire night. “There were some things that happened for the first time during the production that we didn’t even know about,” Tatum said. The unpredictable nature of the event captivated the audience and brought a greater sense of excitement, as performers and crew members adapted to surprises as events unfolded.
When it comes to storytelling, the short time frame presents a challenge for playwrights. “It really is challenging for the playwrights because you only have 10 minutes to not only create these characters, but also develop them and give them a strong through line that is interesting to watch,” Tatum said. This leads to greater audience engagement as viewers attempt to connect with each character in a short period of time.
Laughter and enthusiastic reactions from the audience filled the theatre throughout the night. “I thought it was cool how Verser Theatre was entirely filled up by students,” Murphy said. “It was really neat seeing students supporting students.”
The overall winning play proved to be popular with the audience. “I feel like the ‘Ring by Spring’ play was the most well-written out of the shows, and all the characters in it did really well,” Murphy said. “It was very entertaining.” Interestingly, Ring By Spring was written by a non-theatre major, further highlighting how students of any major can contribute to this event.
All Night Theatre showcases the wide variety of talent on Ouachita’s campus while creating opportunities for all students to get involved, whether through direct participation or as supportive audience members.
