Montblanc held the 13th annual performance of The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway in New York City on Monday, November 18, 2013. An annual benefit event produced by the 24 Hour Company and Freestyle Picture Company for Urban Arts Partnership, The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway attracts some of entertainment’s biggest names as they join forces to participate in an extreme rite of theater: writing, directing, and performing 6 original short plays, all in just 24 hours. Proceeds from the evening’s performance supported Urban Arts Partnership, NYC’s largest arts educational organization, in their efforts to close the achievement gap in our city’s underserved public schools.
This year’s company members included actors Sasha Alexander, Jason Biggs, David Cross, Tim Daly, Natalie Dormer, Rachel Dratch, Griffin Dunne, Carmen Ejogo, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Gina Gershon, Karen Gillan, Bryan Greenberg, Hill Harper, Taran Killam, Zachary Levi, Josh Lucas, Anthony Mackie, James McAvoy, Diane Neal, Rosie Perez, Jay Pharoah, Maggie Q, Ben Shenkman, Krysta Rodriguez, Jordin Sparks, Mickey Sumner, Jennifer Westfeldt, Michael Kenneth Williams. Directors include Ari Edelson, Jessica Bauman, Andy Fickman, Patricia McCregor, Kathy Najimy and Thomas Kail. Writers include Rachel Axler, David Lindsay-Abaire, Lynn Nottage, Theresa Rebeck and Jonathan Marc Sherman.
“Urban Arts Partnership is proud our students have the opportunity to work with such incredible talent. Success in The 24 Hour Plays requires persistence, ingenuity, and critical thinking – qualities that are developed when students have arts education in their lives,” said Philip Courtney, CEO of Urban Arts Partnership. “Young people attending underserved New York City public schools get the short end of the stick when it comes to the arts, and thanks to our supporters we are giving them a fighting chance.”
A sixth participating writer was announced as the winner of The 4th Annual Montblanc Young Writers Program, held on October 21, 2013. Urban Arts playwriting alumni had the opportunity to compete for a chance to write on Broadway. In a 24-hour period, six students penned short plays that were performed by actors before an audience of industry professionals and a panel of judges. The winning playwright, Devin Mojica, created one of the six short pieces for The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway with Craig “muMs” Grant as a mentoring playwright. Mojica is a sophomore at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts studying theater and playwriting. His winning play, entitled “Naughty List,” was directed by Ari Edelson and read by HBO actors Hoon Lee and Frankie Faison and Urban Arts faculty member Kaya Chwals. The Montblanc Young Writer’s Program is a testament to Montblanc’s DNA and brand heritage as it enhances the classroom experience and fosters emerging talent.
“The production of The 24-Hour Plays on Broadway, presented by Montblanc, is a demonstration of our continued commitment to the underserved public schools in New York City,” said Jan-Patrick Schmitz, President and CEO of Montblanc North America. “For 8 years now, Montblanc and Urban Arts Partnership have joined forces to ensure arts education programs are continued to be integrated into students’ curriculum and we proudly celebrate this year’s production.”
The creative process for The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway began at 10PM on Sunday, November 17th – the night before the show – when a group of six writers, six directors, 24 actors, two musical guests, and a production staff gathered at the American Airlines Theatre. After each of the cast members shared a costume, prop, their special skills and stage desires– each writer was tasked with composing a ten-minute play by 7 AM the following morning, when the directors returned to read and select their piece. The cast then met for the first time at 9 AM and, over the next 12 hours the plays were rehearsed and produced for a live presentation. At 8:00 PM, ink barely dry, the six new plays – interspersed with six musical acts –were performed for a live audience.
For this year’s production, hair styling was be provided by ECRU New York and New York Streets with makeup provided by Kevyn Aucoin. The Roots frontman,Questlove served as DJ at the sponsor and cast after-party.
About Montblanc
For over 100 years, Montblanc has embraced the traditions of lasting value and exquisite craftsmanship. The company’s uncompromising principles of design, style, quality and workmanship have allowed them to create heirloom collections that are passed from generation to generation. The iconic Montblanc Star is a symbol of excellence – the pinnacle of luxury writing instruments, timepieces, jewelry and leather – and the brand has made an enduring commitment to encourage excellence through cultural advancement. Montblanc is pleased to partner with the 24 Hour Company and Urban Arts Partnership to bring arts and culture to the city’s youth.
About Urban Arts Partnership
Urban Arts Partnership, NYC’s largest arts education organization, advances the intellectual, social and artistic development of underserved public school students through arts-integrated education programs to close the achievement gap. Through a dynamic range of programs including playwriting, theater, media, music, dance, spoken word, photography and the visual arts, Urban Arts Partnership empowers youth to develop the creative and analytic impulses that will serve them as students, professionals and responsible citizens. The 24 Hour Plays in the Schools runs throughout the academic year. www.urbanarts.org
About the 24 Hours Play
The 24 Hour Plays® is a long-running institution in New York and international theater, but its work is always fresh and new. Inspired by Scott McCloud’s 24 Hour Comics, creator Tina Fallon intended The 24 Hour Plays® to be a one-time-only event when debuted on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 1995. Eighteen years and thousands of plays and musicals later, The 24 Hour Company produces these time limited events, including “The 24 Hour Musicals”, on Broadway and in cities all over the world. In New York, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, Florence, Dublin, and Athens, theater icons and newcomers alike regularly participate in what insiders call “the 2-4.” Through collaborations with organizations like the Old Vic, The Festival Del Sole, Dublin Youth Theatre and Urban Arts Partnership, The 24 Hour Company produces celebrity benefits that have raised millions for a variety of worthy causes. www.24hourplays.com