Our History
The early days
1995-2001
THE STORY: In October 1995, The 24 Hour Plays were founded on the Lower East Side of New York City. Inspired by Scott McCloud’s 24 hour comics, founder Tina Fallon seized an opportunity to bring together a group of artists for a time-limited experiment. Intended as a one-time-only event, The 24 Hour Plays quickly became a regular presence on the downtown theater scene of the time, adhering to tenets of immediacy, practicality and always leaving the performance space better than you found it. Early events featured Aasif Mandvi, Rainn Wilson, Andre Royo, They Might Be Giants and others.
KEY PLAYERS: The 24 Hour Plays founder Tina Fallon, soon joined by Lindsay Bowen and Kurt Gardner, meets her future husband, Sam Sifton when she recruits him as one of the writers for the event.
A PLAY YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN: Future Pulitzer finalist Will Eno (pictured) wrote his first play for the inaugural 1995 show — on a manual typewriter!
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The birth of Broadway
2001-2007
THE STORY: On September 24, 2001, just two weeks after the attack on the World Trade Center, stars from New York City’s film, TV and theater community gathered for a special gala edition of The 24 Hour Plays — a real instance of rapid-response theater. The annual celebrity gala has become a New York City institution, continuing each fall as The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway. Publicity around the event led to subsequent events in Los Angeles and London, plus more partner productions with a variety of organizations. And, of course, The 24 Hour Musicals beckoned…
KEY PLAYERS: Anna Strout joins the team of producers for The 24 Hour Plays inaugural 2001 gala, quickly becoming a key player. Indefatigable production manager Philip Naudé travels the globe handling new events in communities from Dublin to Greece.
A PLAY YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN: That Other Person, a David Lindsay-Abaire original starring Andrew McCarthy, Rachel Dratch, Cheyenne Jackson, and Cady Huffman — and Elizabeth Berkley, who Local One stagehands give a (fully-clothed) shower backstage.
Musicals & Nationals
2007-2014
THE STORY: After The 24 Hour Plays’ first decade, the gang decided writing, staging, memorizing and performing new plays in 24 hours simply wasn't challenging enough — and The 24 Hour Musicals were born. Launched in 2006 with a “secret show” (featuring a musical by the late great David Rakoff), The 24 Hour Musicals added composers, lyricists, music directors, choreographers and a live band to create an intimate off-Broadway event featuring marquee talent up close and personal. In 2007, an inaugural cohort of early-career artists came together for master classes, panel discussions and their own production of The 24 Hour Plays in an off-Broadway theater. The program became an annual event in 2013, launching the careers of generations of young artists as The 24 Hour Plays Nationals.
KEY PLAYERS: Indefatigable production manager Philip Naudé travels the globe handling new events in communities from Dublin to Greece.
A PLAY YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN: Bliss by Lynn Nottage, directed by Lynne Meadow, featuring Michael Ealy and Saffron Burrow as ethereal love gurus, and Craig “muMs" Grant and Sarah Silverman as two devotees who stumble upon a love of their own.
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New leadership
2015-2019
THE STORY: In January 2015, Tina Fallon stepped down as Founding Producer of The 24 Hour Plays, handing off leadership of the company to current artistic director Mark Armstrong. The new era was marked by an expanded commitment to the organization’s independent charitable mission: to produce work written, rehearsed and performed in 24 hours and to share that process with creative communities everywhere, especially with young artists.
KEY PLAYERS: Artistic Director Mark Armstrong becomes The 24 Hour Plays first-ever full time staff member.
A PLAY YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN: John Mulaney as diapered boxer “Baby Onesie” in Split Decision, a musical by Aimee Mann, Jonathan Coulton and Jonathan Marc Sherman. Directed by Kathleen Marshall and featuring Jordan Roth as Baby Onesie’s manager!
Going viral
2020-2021
THE STORY: At the onset of the global pandemic, The 24 Hour Plays rallied the arts and entertainment community around a socially-distanced version of the event. Beginning March 17, 2020, The 24 Hour Plays Viral Monologues series generated over 600 new free-to-view theater pieces, featuring over 1000 artists, viewed millions of times worldwide and archived in the Library of Congress. “That’s what we do,” Armstrong said in a Sunday feature for The New York Times, whose lead critic Ben Brantley raved about the series.
KEY PLAYERS: Coleman Ray Clark and Madelyn Paquette, staff producers for The 24 Hour Plays Viral Monologues.
A PLAY YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN: Any one of six separate Viral Monologues starring Hugh Dancy — they’re still available for free viewing on YouTube!
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Growth mindset
2023-Present
THE STORY: Back from the global pandemic, The 24 Hour Plays launched into action with the triumphant in-person return of The 24 Hour Plays on Broadway and The 24 Hour Musicals, as well as a massive expansion of partner shows in communities as diverse as Little Rock, Savannah, Denver and Sacramento. The long-planned incorporation of a sibling nonprofit organization in California helped solidify our presence on the West Coast and expand the Nationals cohort, as did a new partnership with Pace University’s Sands College of the Performing Arts. We established an annual show at the International Thespian Festival, featuring high school students from around the country creating their own production of The 24 Hour Plays.
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KEY PLAYERS: Co-producers Serena Berman and Jake Beckhard lead the growth of the Nationals program, while a revitalized production management group navigates a changed venue landscape.
A PLAY YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN: 24 all-star Jesse Eisenberg’s musical The Chatty Dictator, written with Josh Koengisberg and starring George Abud as a violent dictator just looking for a friend he won’t put to death.
Production Archive
Each performance tells a unique story, highlighting the vibrant creativity that flourishes in our short, intense timeframe. Our commitment to collaboration has brought together actors, writers, and directors to produce unforgettable theater.
Our Apologies
Our Production Archive is currently under construction. Check back soon!
