Students from schools across the island came together this month for one of the BMDS’s most demanding creative challenges: producing live theatre from scratch in only 24 hours.

An annual event, the 24 Hours to Curtain production pushes teenagers aged 14 to 18 to write, direct and perform six original ten-minute plays in a single day.

Organised and hosted by the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society at the Daylesford Theatre, the show was the brainchild of a member, Lisa Maule.

The event helps students to develop their skills, with all proceeds going to the BMDS Charitable Trust, which provides bursaries for young people pursuing further education in the performing arts.

“This is the fourth year that I have organised this event. It is so rewarding that both the students and mentors now look forward to it each year,” said Ms Maule, a music teacher at Bermuda High School.

The concept was introduced to the BMDS calendar more than two decades ago as a programme for adults and she was convinced that it could also benefit students. She developed a format specifically for them, shaping it around their academic and extracurricular commitments.

“I had been thinking about how to get students from different schools working together in theatre, but came up against calendared events, such as school shows and exam schedules,” she said. “Having met with as many drama teachers as possible, the middle of March was agreed on as the best timing, so it has now become a fixture in the theatrical calendar.”

Each year, 24 Hours to Curtain encourages students to step outside their comfort zones. Not only must they be creative and confident in their abilities, but they also have to collaborate with students from other schools — many of whom they have never met before.

This year saw a strong turnout, with participants drawn from CedarBridge Academy, The Berkeley Institute, Mount Saint Agnes, the Bermuda High School, Somersfield Academy and Warwick Academy.

“A record 50 students signed up this year,” Ms Maule said.

The process began on March 6, when students were split into teams. Actors’ names were drawn from a hat and given to the writing teams so scripts could be created with the cast in mind.

Mobile phones were taken from the students so that “the focus can be on making connections. Without the distractions of social media [and] devices, they are able to be present and communicate”.

The six writers then worked through the night on their scripts, while directors, actors and crew returned the next morning to begin rehearsals.

On March 7, the productions were fully staged — with lighting, sound and set — and ready for a public performance.

“On Saturday morning, the directors, actors and crew all got together to rehearse their plays and at 8pm, all six shows were performed for a full house at BMDS,” one of the organisers said.

“Every aspect of the production is handled by the students themselves, from acting and directing to backstage operations. This year’s cohort included six writers, six directors, one stage manager, two lighting technicians, two sound technicians, four backstage crew members and 29 actors, supported by ten mentors and chaperones.”

The mentors are volunteers — experienced members of Bermuda’s theatre community who are on hand throughout the 24 hours to guide students and provide technical support.

One mentor described the experience as both inspiring and deeply rewarding.

“It was wonderful to witness the empathy and encouragement that the actors gave to each other and the leadership roles that the directors took on,” she said. “The students learn so much more than just acting or technical skills. The communication skills and camaraderie built across ages and schools enables them to find out about themselves and build confidence through teamwork.”

Parents echoed those sentiments, praising both the intensity of the experience and its impact on their children.

“Thank you for having her. She really enjoyed the experience and is already talking of participating next year,” one said.

Added another: “[It was a] fantastic show all round. What a great experience for all of them. She really loved it. Hopefully this will give her the acting bug now.”

• For more on 24 Hours to Curtain, visit www.bmds.bm