And that’s a wrap folks! The 24 Hour Plays Dublin was an absolute success, once again being an incredible fundraiser for Dublin Youth Theatre. This past weekend resulted in 7 hours of sleep, 5 coffees, 2 crazed American interns, and 1 hysterical night of theater. I left this experience emotionally jubilant, physically exhausted, mentally dumbfounded, and artistically inspired. Holy shit.
When I say 24 hours, I mean 24 hours. Saturday night began the madness at the Fringe Festival offices with an all-encompassing behind-the-scenes crew briefing. The meeting is a mixture of scheduling, encouragements, honest fear, tea (always with the tea here), a bit of jokes, then back to business.
The clock starts promptly at 8:30pm when all of the actors, writers, and directors arrive. All come prepared with a prop, costume, special skill, and something they have always wanted to do on stage. Every person has their own quirky type of crazy, and I could tell the craic was only just beginning with these guys (No Mom, I’m not doing drugs, it’s merely the Irish term for having a laugh.). I have never felt so much raw energy in one room. It filled everyone to the brim with rugged joy and true delight. Everyone is in the moment and it is electrifying.
Once the comical introductions are done, everyone is sent home to get some rest. When I say home, I actually mean pub. Nerves are on high and a little bit of liquid confidence is just what the team needs. The writers however, are locked away to create a brilliant piece of original work by 7am. Rich talent and rampant cursing get them through the night.
Fast forward to the day of the shows. From 9am to 6pm, the actors and directors rehearse, freak out, laugh, freak out a lot, memorize lines, probably pray, and freak out some more. The production team interrupts the precious nine hours twice – once for an initial walk through and once for a 20-minute tech rehearsal. Ha!
Being an intern, I filled my day with various intern-y activities. Errands, stuffing envelopes and programs, providing food, more errands, cleaning, smiling always smiling, and running all around the Abbey Theatre. I may not have been in the thick of acting, but I could feel fanatical frenzies of everyone around me.
The shows go on at 7:30pm. The 24 hours are over. With a deep exhale, I relax in my seat and laugh uncontrollably throughout all six one acts. Every ten-minute show is filled with sex jokes and constant swearing. I mean, what else were these writers thinking about at 3am this morning? These past 24 hours have invigorated so many talented artists, and it is translating to the audience. The enthusiasm on stage tickled the back of my neck, sent shivers down my spine.
The after party is the absolute peak of it all. Here I am, intern Madi Hyde from Portland, and no one bats an eye. I’m standing in the middle of famous actors, play writes, producers, and they treat me no less than anyone else. After these past 24 hours, we are all united in the heat of the pub and the energy is charged into this fantastic community. Everywhere I turned, someone has a story to tell, questions to ask, or opinions on the Super Bowl.
I was welcomed to Dublin that night. That night, I was not just an intern catering to important people, but a peer. The craic was never-ending, the conversations so pure, the interactions so intimate, the dancing so free. All of us had been put through hell the past 24 hours, but instead of going to bed, these Dubliners celebrate until the next morning. They find the little moments and treasure them. This community of creatives wrapped me up in a hug Dublin-Lovin, and I finally felt at home.