For 24 hours, creativity will be put to the test when Columbia High School Thespian Troupe 289 hosts its first Play-in-a-Day Fest. "We have 24 hours to write, direct, rehearse and produce a play," said Georgetta Kaufhold, a member of the troupe. "We're hoping to produce at least two plays, depending on how many kids we get."

The festival will kick off with an open house on Thursday, July 29, from 6 to 8 p.m., followed by creative sessions from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 30, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 31. Play performances will be held at 7 p.m. on July 31. The festival will take place in the Columbia High School auditorium, 901 Ironville Pike, and is open to anyone age 12 and over.

Janet Wood, troupe director, came up with the idea for the festival. "A lot of professional theater groups do play-in-a-day events," she explained, adding that the plays will be about eight to 15 minutes in length. "It's a great exercise in thinking creatively and working under tight time constraints."

Some parameters will be in place for the plays, Wood said, but there will be a lot of opportunity to get creative. "Everybody will get a designated prop and a theme, as well as a starting sentence," Wood noted, adding that participants can offer suggestions for the theme. "They have to use those things, but within that, they're free to create. They can do comedy, they can do drama, they can include music. It can take any form."

Thespian Alexis Phillips encouraged people to come to the open house to learn more about the festival. "The open house will give people an example of what we're going to be doing at the festival, and it will give them a visual representation of what to expect," she said.

Her sister, Alissa, agreed, adding, "You can come and check it out and see if you like it. It's going to be a lot of fun, and it will be a cool experience to say you participated in this."

Wood noted that the festival also offers an opportunity for students to try theater without a huge time commitment. "When you participate in a show during the school year, you need to commit hours and weeks of your time," she said. "This is a way to try theater out and see if you like it."

For Isaiah Spencer, the festival offers not only a chance to indulge his love of theater, but also an opportunity to promote the theater program. "I like the idea of doing theater outside of the school year," he said. "We're excited about this, and we hope to make it an annual tradition."

There is no cost to participate in the festival, and the performance is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Wood at 717-468-3212 or search for "CHS Play-in-a-Day Fest 2021" on Facebook.