So… What is a 29 Hour Staged Reading?

A 29 Hour Staged Reading is a new works development format standardized by the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), a labor union for actors and stage managers in the United States meant to protect their rights as workers, to allow the creative team to be able to develop the story further by workshopping the script with actors. The AEA standardized the process in order to allow actors in the industry, typically restricted to working on projects approved by their labor union, to work on these projects. According to the organization itself, “equity members… may participate for a maximum of 29 hours (including both rehearsals and no more than three presentations) over the course of 14 days.” It’s a bare-bones process in which no costumes, sets, or accessorizing factors are used. Throughout the 29 hours, the script changes often as the creative team and actors discover new possibilities for the story or pinpoint what may not fuel the plot. At the end of the 29 hours, the musical-in-development will be in a different place from which it started. For more information regarding the AEA’s Staged Reading Code, visit https://www.actorsequity.org/resources/contracts/Staged-Reading/.

But Why TNT?

Tisch New Theatre is an organization dedicated to both excellence in production, as well as providing opportunities to its involved students to grow as artists. In an attempt to allow Tisch New Theatre’s team members to gain mock-professional industry experience,

TNT’s J-Term 20 Hour Project was born.

The goal of the project was to launch TNT team members into the industry as prepared and as connected as possible, gaining experience learning from outside professionals in this process while helping them to develop their work. 29 Hour Projects are often the industry standard for bringing new works off the page and onto the stage, and their participants must be incredibly adaptable to teach, learn, or play an entire show within 29 hours of rehearsal that may change at any time. Tisch New Theatre’s team being a part of this process is a testament to their incredible dedication to the art, their unmatched work ethic, and their ever-growing skill. In the same way that TNT team members would learn from this project, TNT wanted to be a catalyst for new works and provide a platform —going back to its roots: Tisch New Theatre.

And finally, why this show?

this old haunt is a ground-breaking show that speaks for itself. Focusing on the complicated interpersonal relationships between women, this show, in the words of book writer SMJ: “is a folk musical that explores grief, growing apart, the depth of childhood friendship, and the ownership of memory.” This show is relatable to all of us—in a world of grief, growing up, and constant change, our relationships ground us and our memories make us who we are. This show, with a beautiful score, graceful lyrics, and an intricate book, this haunting musical is both funny and thought-provoking… But you’ll just have to see it for yourself.

Read the work here: https://newplayexchange.org/plays/1333104/old-haunt

Keep updated on where the work goes here: https://www.smjwrites.com/this-old-haunt

QUOTES FROM CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

“Working on this project has been so rewarding. The experience of being able to talk to the writers while trying to figure out your character is seriously one of a kind. The collaboration between actor and writer is one I never had before but I truly love it.” —Sawyer Evans (Cast Member, Hetty)

“This process has been a beautiful deep dive into nostalgia and the complexity female relationships. Working on this show has been an amazing catalyst to us evaluating ourselves and our past. It’s been so refreshing working with such incredibly intuitive director. They really have a way of pulling out the most minutely important details of this work, which is such an imperative aspect of 29 hour stage readings.” —Erin Amstein (Assistant Director)

“Working on this old haunt has been a remarkable learning experience that has really stretched my capabilities as a dramaturg. I'm so grateful for the chance to work directly with SMJ, Maggie, Dillon and Rebecca as they rework this piece. Some questions that have been central to my own work on this story have been: Who does this town belong to? Who is allowed to call Stowe home? And what does it mean for a place to be both an ideal vacation destination and a messy, year-round home?” —Breene Halaby (Dramaturg)

‘It has been so exciting to get to work on a 29 Hour Project with Tisch New Theatre and see the actors engage with the material in such a fast paced but fulfilling way! It is also wonderful to get to work with theatre makers from outside of NYU and see their artistic process as they work in the field that I hope to be in in the future.” —Aryana Piros (Stage Manager)