NORTH ADAMS, MASS. — MCLA's Advanced Performing Arts Management (APAM) class will present a 24-HR Theatre Festival from 7 p.m. on April 30 to 7 p.m. on May 1, with a final showcase at 7 p.m. on May 1. 

 

Coordinated by students with faculty mentorship, the final performance of this virtual festival is open to the public with advance registration.  

 

To register for the festival, visit https://www.facebook.com/24hrtheatremcla or email 24hourtheatre@mcla.edu. 

 

The 13 students participants, including 11 members of the APAM class, will come together at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 30, then create works from scratch to be performed at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 1. Faculty mentors including Berkshire Fringe Festival Co-Producing Artistic Director Sara Katzoff, who also adjuncts at MCLA, Assistant Professor of Fine and Performing Arts Michaela Petrovich, Associate Professor of Arts Management Jerome Socolof, and Associate Professor of Theatre Jeremy Winchester, will meet with the participants to provide feedback as they develop their work. 

 

"The lack of certainty puts the ball firmly in the hands of the participating students/artists," said Socolof.  

 

APAM is designed to function as an event production lab, allowing upper-level Arts Management students to apply what they have learned throughout their time in the program to the creation, production, and follow-through of an event. Declan McDermott '21 and Lindsey Rosa '21 are serving as the event producers, with other students in the APAM class managing development, marketing, company management, and other tasks needed to bring this kind of show to life.  

 

The APAM class development team, led by Brit Lutz '21, secured $3,000 funding for the event through the MCLA Institute for the Arts and Humanities, which will cover food, compensation for mentors, and other supplies and resources that go into this kind of production.  

 

"It has been extremely rewarding to manage this project, particularly alongside Lindsey," said McDermott. "While Lindsey and I have been close friends and collaborators for our past four years at MCLA, we have never had the opportunity to work together so thoroughly in this type of leadership role. It has also been super exciting to see the class activate all of our knowledge from other classes and internships, and use that in an applied manner to get the project on its feet."