During the first weekend of each semester, the Rice Players holds an event challenging students to write, direct and perform several plays within 24 hours. Friday night, writers are given twelve hours to cast and develop their plays, completed in time for the directors to read them and decide who will direct which play. Afterwards, the director works with the cast to stage the play and helps the cast memorize their lines before the curtains open.
The product is sometimes messy, sometimes brilliant, and always chaotic in the best way possible. It is a great event to try out theatre if you have no prior experience, especially because of its low stakes and lower time commitment.
Although Play in a Day is usually an in-person event, there have been a few virtual ones. Check out the recordings of some past virtual and in-person performances below: