The Ad Astra Theatre Ensemble will bring artists from all across the state of Kansas together to the capital city to create a new and exciting type of theatre festival. Together with the playwrights, directors and actors, five brand new 10-minute plays will be written, cast, rehearsed and performed in the span of 24 hours. Although it seems a challenging feat, The Ad Astra Theatre Ensemble is up for the challenge.

Founded in early 2010, The Ad Astra Theatre Ensemble is a theatre company born from the desire to shine a light on challenging, provacative works of theatre. This event is merely another way for the company to help showcase new work, but to also encourage artists from all over Kansas to come together to produce plays that are interesting, fresh and intriguing.

“This is a chance for theatre artists from all over the state to come and showcase their work, and we are proud to host the fourth annual 24 Hour Play Festival in Topeka. We had so much fun in the last three years and we can’t wait to see how we are going to top it this year,” said Artistic Director Craig Fisher.

The idea sprang from festivals that have begun to pop up all over the country. A place where theatre artists gather one evening, actors, playwrights and directors to meet and engage each other. Actors introduce themselves, and the special prop that they bring. Once all actors have introduced themselves they leave for the evening, and the playwrights then set out to work, writing all night and begin rehearsing all day, preparing for the performance of these plays that night, exactly 24 hours later.

The 24 Hour Play Festival will perform at 7:30 p.m. July 12 at the Gizmo building in Downtown Topeka, 112 SE Eighth and Kansas Ave. A suggested donation of $10 will get you a ticket at the door. Doors will open at 7 p.m. For more information on Ad Astra’s ‘homegrown’ theatre or to get involved in this project, visit www.adastratheatre.com.