The KSU College of the Arts is starting off the fall semester with two important events on Saturday, August 25 — the 24-Hour Play Festival and the reception of three new exhibits in the Zuckerman Museum of Art.

The 24-Hour Play festival

The 24-Hour Play festival is a yearly event put on by Kennesaw State University’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies organizes at the beginning of fall semester, featuring plays written, performed and managed by students in only 24 hours from inception to production.

Organizer Amanda Wansa Morgan, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Musical Theatre, said that the festival is a fun and inspirational event that is representative of the unique work that the program produces every year.

“This event is such a spectacular opportunity for our students to create art and tell new stories in an exciting environment,” Morgan said. “The festival pieces are student-written, student-directed, student-designed and managed, and performed by students.”

Participants come together at 6 p.m. on the Friday before the festival and by 8 p.m. the next night, they have fully-rehearsed plays ready to present to the public.

“Their creative juices are flowing fast and they learn how to make decisions quickly while respecting each other and making things work together,” Morgan said. “All the students involved learn how to collaborate efficiently under pressure.”

Morgan joined the faculty team working on the festival in 2015, but she said that the program is very much student-driven from the stage managers to the performers.

“The festival has evolved over the years, thanks to some other dedicated faculty like [Associate Professor] Dr. Charles Parrott and former faculty [Associate Professor] Jamie Bullins,” Morgan said. “It is the most unique piece of art you’ll see all year, having been conceived, rehearsed, and performed with tech within 24 hours.”

The 24-Hour Play festival will take place at 8 p.m. in the Stilwell Theater, located in the Wilson Building on Kennesaw State University Campus. The address is 471 Bartow Ave, Kennesaw. Tickets are general admission only for $5, and can be found on the KSU College of the Arts website.

Zuckerman Museum of Art

“Mo’Dest Volgare” by artist Aubrey Longley-Cook, who is featured in the ZMA exhibit (photo courtesy of KSU College of the Arts)

On the same day, before the 24-Hour Play festival begins, The Zuckerman Museum of Art is opening three new exhibitions for the fall with a public reception from 2-4 p.m. at the SMA, just north of the Stilwell Theater. The ZMA features work by professional artists around the country, as well as local artists and KSU students of all skill levels. Receptions typically include light food and non-alcoholic drinks, and artists featured in the exhibit will be there to talk with attendees about their work.

“A Hundred Blossoms and the Sweetest Scent: Stairwell Project Wall” is a year-long solo exhibition by artist Sonya Yong James. James’ project transforms the ZMA stairwell into a large-scale set piece crafted from nature and found objects to create a mixed-media installation inspired by the fable of “Little Red Riding Hood.”

“Figure Forward” is a portrait gallery by multiple artists, with works focusing on the human figure and the subjective vision of both the artist and viewer.

“Class Pictures” features the work of five contemporary artists paired with six works from the ZMA Permanent Collection, framed in juxtaposition with themes of social class, economic status and occupation. The multi-discipline exhibit features paintings, collages, cross-stitches, photography, videography and a large ceramic sculpture.

“A Hundred Blossoms and the Sweetest Scent: Stairwell Project Wall” and “Figure Forward” are curated by Sarah Higgins, and will be on display August 25 – December 21, 2018.

“Class Pictures,” as well as the ZMA’s ongoing permanent collection of publically-stored artwork “Ruth V. Zuckerman Collection: Inside Out,” are curated by Teresa Bramlette Reeves. “Class Pictures” will be on display August 25 – December 21, 2018.

The art exhibit reception is from 2-4 p.m. at the Zuckerman Museum of Art and Design, located on the North side of campus at 492 Prillaman Way, Kennesaw.