Play-in-a-Day Festival

What is Play in a Day?

Think of this as the ultimate theatrical sprint. We form randomly selected groups of writers, directors, and actors. Groups will be given a specific creative prompt and then tasked with writing, rehearsing, and performing a brand-new 10-minute play—all within a single 24-hour window.

Most importantly:

This is not a competition; it’s a celebration. There are no judges and no prizes. It’s about community, artistic "yes-and-ing," and the joy of making something out of nothing.

Do I need to audition?

Nope! This isn't that kind of festival. Participant slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and are open to absolutely anyone. We have 30 total slots available (6 playwrights, 6 directors, and 18 actors). If the slots for your preferred role are full, don't panic—we’ll be holding a waitlist and letting people in as spots open up. We actually have a pretty decent track record of getting waitlisted members into the show!

When and where is the chaos happening?

The event is hosted at the lovely  Vokes Theater in Wayland, MA. The official kick-off is at 7:00 PM on Friday, August 14, but we’ll be hosting an optional social starting at 6:00 PM so everyone can meet and mingle before the clock starts. Exactly 24 hours later—7:00 PM on Saturday, August 15—we’ll have a fully realized show ready for an audience.

Is there a method to the madness?

Always. If you want to see the literal hour-by-hour breakdown of how a play goes from a blank page to a finished performance in a day, you can check out the Official 24-Hour Festival Schedule here.

Do I actually get to sleep?

The schedule is designed to keep the momentum going, but there is definitely room for rest! Writers usually spend the night crafting the scripts to have them ready for sunrise, while actors and directors typically head home for a solid night’s sleep before rehearsals kick off Saturday morning. We make sure everyone has the energy they need to bring these plays to life by showtime.

How do I get tickets and how much do they cost?

You can snag in-person or live-stream tickets right here on our website. Everything is pay-what-you-want, and we mean that—there’s no minimum. That said, this is our big annual fundraiser. While we want everyone to be able to see the art regardless of price, any extra love you can throw our way goes directly into keeping Yorick Ensemble running for the rest of the season. Do with that info what you will!