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The Overnighters is theatre fully realized within twenty-four hours. Four playwrights get a topic at 8:00 PM, then stay up all night writing a 10 to 20 minute play inspired by the given inspiration. Those plays are performed that night at 8:00, fully realized performance with inception to finalization in the span of one day.
I've been one of the producers of the Overnighters up in Anchorage for the past six years. I learned of the concept from the Rough Theatre Company in San Francisco, consisting of "Bulldog" Jenn Garagliano and Bradford Coorman. We've come a long way from our first performances in the Jerry Harper Studio Theatre at UAA.
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We perform at least three times a year, and as of August 2008, we've produced 116 scripts by 37 different writers. Scripts we've developed have gone on to win awards and have further productions, both in Alaska and the throughout of the U.S. We now are the opening performance every year at the Last Frontier Theatre Conference, and every year it starts us off with the spirit of creativity that is the essence of what that event is about. And other cities around Alaska like Homer have begun to stage their own version of the Overnighters, giving voice to the writers in their communities.
The Overnighters is co-produced by me'n'my company, Three Wise Monkeys/Moose, and Shane Mitchell and his tribe at TBA Theatre Company.
The Overnighters process is a great education that creates engaging, entertaining theatre. I'm attaching a 8-page how to guide as an Adobe file (Click here to open the guide). It gives the basic instructions on how to run one of these for yourself. Start one of these in your community…. You won't be sorry.
Click the thumbnails below to see posters
from previous Overnighters performances.
J. SIBLEY LAW'S PIECE
Sib's a good friend of mine I barely know. We worked together on the board of the Playwrights Center of San Francisco for a couple of months before he moved out of town. But we recognized kindred spirit or whatever, and have stayed in touch, and I was thrilled to get to do an Overnighter script of his at the Conference. His current project is pretty fun, www.newsforblonds.com. Pictured cast includes Hailey Faust, Sara Wagner (love you, Sara), Jeff McCamish, and Taylor Haynes.![]()
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ARLITIA'S SHOW PICTURES
These are from Arlitia Jones' amazing play Over the Sea. They feature Linda Ayres-Frederick, Hailey Faust, Kristin Fernandez, Wayne Mitchell, and the much-missed Meghan Tanner, who played Abigail to my John Proctor in The Crucible here in Valdez (I know, you're saying, "wow, I bet that was amazing," but really, it was a pretty effective production!![]()
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SHANE MITCHELL'S SHOW
Naughty Friedrich Goes to Heaven, by the ever challenging Shane Mitchell, my partner in crime in producing the Overnighters up in Anchorage. Love his work, and really, this project that I get a lot of credit for wouldn't have happened without his clan's unflagging support and belief. Pictured are Rodney Lamb (going freakin' crazy!), Lindsay Lamar (hot hot hot), and Alette Valencia (who is not allowed in the frozen food section of the supermarket coz she'd melt all that stuff!).![]()
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These shots are by Gen Hasagawa, and were taken at the 2006 Conference.
The actors, writers, and directors from the Overnighters held in Anchorage, Alaska:
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Saturday, August 21, 2004, UAA Recital Hall (31-34)
Salmon Taloned by Cardinal Knowledge by Ann Reddig
Directed by Rory O'Boyle
Cast: Rita Miraglia, Nick Lynch, Elle Janecek Delaney, Rachel Babcock, Wayne Mitchell
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Schatzie Schaefers' funny funny play Ancient Chinese Secret. The togas would be Charlotte Kopp, Van Horn Ely II, and Kayti Barnett. The histrionic man is Stuart Matthews, and he's yelling at Jennifer Faulkner.
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My play The War of Virginia and Alabama. Sara's being brilliant in this shot, with Paul Brynner waiting his turn to be brilliant.Krista Schwarting with anonymous necking couple (okay, it's proly Leif Sawyer & Christina Weber in Peter Porco's Wrinkles in Time).
Mike Daniels has something to hide!
Wrinkles in Time by Peter Porco
Directed by Kristina M. Church
Cast: Leif Sawyer, Erika Savage, Krista M. Schwarting, Christina WeberSevenfold by Mark Stoneburner
Directed by Paul Brynner
Cast: Paul Schweigert, Regina MacDonald, Jill Yarbrough, Kristin FernandezThe Miraculous Resurrection of Humpty Dumpty by P. Shane Mitchell
Directed by Erin Dagon
Cast: Amanda Thomas, Rodney Lamb, Glen Wald, Dana Fahrney, Lesley BurkowskiSunday, August 22, 2004, UAA Recital Hall (35-38)
Ancient Chinese Secret by Schatzie Schaefers
Directed by Brendan Babb
Cast: Charlotte Kopp, Van Horn Ely, Morgan Hobkirk, Stuart Matthews, Jennifer Faulkner, Vivian Kinnaird, Kayti BarnettFastrax by Mark Robokoff
Directed by Dave Block
Cast: Lisa Reed, Audra Mabinger, Dave Block, Paul Brynner, Michelle Inman, Carl Bright, Aric Hudson, JesseThe Ballad of Sidewinder Slade… by Linda Billington
Directed by Jill Yarbrough
Cast: Mike Daniels, Dennis Cleary, Carmen Pfeil, Jacqueline Heimel, Krista BrelsfordThe Eccentricities of a Monkey Rat… by Mark Muro
Directed by Vicki Russell
Cast: Frank Delaney, Petra Banks, Alexandra Korshin, Kathy Hertel-Baker, Mark Stoneburner, Aron Johnson
Saturday, June 17, 2006, Valdez Civic Center, Last Frontier Theatre Conference (61-63)
Naughty Friedrich Goes to Heaven by P. Shane Mitchell
Directed by Krista Schwarting
Cast: Deborah Gideon, Lindsay Lamar, Rodney Lamb, Alette ValenciaOver the Sea by Arlitia Jones
Directed by Erin Dagon
Cast: Linda Ayres-Frederick, Kristin Fernandez, Wayne Mitchell, Meghan TannerDepth of Emotion by J. Sibley Law
Directed by Vicki Russell
Cast: Jesse Alleva, Ryan Buen, Hailey Faust, Taylor Hanes, Jeff McCamish, Sara Wagner
Saturday, June 23, 2007, Valdez Civic Center (82-85)
Squid by Mark Muro
Directed by Shane Mitchell; Stage Managed by Elizabeth Deleo
Cast: Dennis Cleary, Eleanor Janecek Delaney, Kristin Fernandez, Charlotte Kopp, Shane MitchellRattus Rattus by Ann Reddig
Directed by Megan Bladow; Stage Managed by Jake Bevis
Cast: Luke Bartholomew, Hailey Faust, Anthony Lounsbury, Meg McKinney, Emili Moneyhun, Ann Marie SheaThe Thing About the Neighborhood by Lia Romeo
Directed by Erin Dagon; Stage Managed by Carl Bright
Cast: Ryan Buen, Tyler Collins, Erin Mallon, Meghan TannerWhere Strawberries Come From by Schatzie Schaefers
Directed by Jill Yarbrough; Stage Managed by Aric Hudson
Cast: Petra Banks, Bostin Christopher, Jessica Faust
Saturday, August 9, 2008, Grant Hall (109-112)
A Buncha Misguided Folks in a Seedy Bar by Jon Minton
Directed by Erin Dagon Mitchell; Stage Managed by Rebecca Gamache
Cast: Carl Bright, Tyler Collins, Wayne Mitchell, Veronica Page, Billy WorthyCockroach's Countdown by Paul Brynner
Directed by Dave Block; Stage Managed by Amanda Walker
Cast: Max Aronson, Emily Cohn, Jessica Faust, Eleanor Janecek Delaney, Ian PetersonThe Boy With Daffodils by Arlitia Jones
Directed by Aaron Wiseman; Stage Managed by Jackelyn Lozano
Cast: Ryan Buen, Dana Fahrney, Lindsay Lamar, Jeff McCamish, Susan Niman, Jari PiperRerun by Schatzie Schaefers
Directed by Megan Bladow; Stage Managed by Olivia Route
Cast: Aric Hudson, Alexandra Korshin, Ernie Piper, Jay StevensSunday, August 10, 2008, Grant Hall (113-116)
Impromptu No. 1 in Z Major by Oliver Siemans
Directed by Vicki Russell; Stage Managed by Morgan Grey
Cast: Marilyn Carpenter, Rebecca Gamache, Heather GravesProm Night by Wendy Withrow
Directed by Paul Brynner; Stage Managed by Jackelin Lozano
Cast: Petra Banks, Ryan Buen, Jaqueline HeimelThe You'll-Never-Have-a-Second-Wife Club by Dawson Moore
Directed by Danny Jones; Stage Managed by Max Aronson
Cast: Lesley Borkowski, Frank Delaney, Giana Giusti, Karen Lauer, Julie VossSebastian's Vigil by P. Shane Mitchell
Directed by Ruby Kennell; Stage Managed by Leana Savoie
Cast: Laura Carpenter, Tyler Collins, Aaron Eberhardt, John McKay, Anthony Oliva, Jay Stevens, Waylon Waddell
Saturday, June 13, 2009, Valdez Civic Center (121-123)
What Would You Do For A Million Dollars? By Antoinette F. Winstead
Directed by Christina Ashby; Staged Managed by Keriann Gilson
Cast: Van Le Crockett, Jon Minton, Michael Sharp, Kate WilliamsCurrency by Amy Tofte
Directed by Charles St. Clair; Staged Managed by Carrie Yanagawa
Cast: Luke Bartholomew, Karina Becker, Kathleen GoldeMonkey by Anson Mount
Directed by Paul Schweigert; Stage Managed by Alexis Brockman
Cast: Rick Barreras, Alexis Brockman, Kelli Brown, Ryan Buen, Paul Brynner, Dawson Moore, Anson Mount, Schatzie Schaefers, Paul Schweigert
Photos From the 2007 Overnighters in Valdez, Featuring work by Ann Reddig, Schatzie Schaefers, Lia Romeo, and Mark Muro. ![]()
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