The 24 Hour Plays Launches Permanent Home in Los Angeles

Kickoff event to feature plays with Tatiana Maslany, Jon Cryer, Justice Smith, Pauline Chalamet and more

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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The 31-year-old non-profit organization The 24 Hour Plays is opening a permanent home in Los Angeles for the first time. The organization's mission is to bring creative communities together to produce plays and musicals written, rehearsed, and performed in 24 hours. The 24 Hour Plays will now host both their popular celebrity events and their flagship professional development program The 24 Hour Plays Nationals in the new LA location.

Why it matters

The 24 Hour Plays has been a staple of the New York theater scene for over three decades, and its expansion to Los Angeles signals the growing demand for this unique theatrical experience on the West Coast. The program provides early-career artists an opportunity to hone their skills and collaborate in an intense, high-pressure environment.

The details

Each summer, The 24 Hour Plays brings together actors, directors, playwrights, producers, composers, designers and stage managers for an annual free professional intensive that culminates in a production of The 24 Hour Plays in an Off-Broadway theater. The organization has seen a surge of interest from the Los Angeles community in recent years, prompting them to establish a permanent presence in the city.

  • The 24 Hour Plays has been running for 31 years.
  • The organization is launching its permanent Los Angeles home in 2026.

The players

The 24 Hour Plays

A 31-year-old non-profit organization that brings creative communities together to produce plays and musicals written, rehearsed, and performed in 24 hours.

Mark Armstrong

The artistic director of The 24 Hour Plays.

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What they’re saying

“Over the past few years, we've seen an incredible surge in energy from the Los Angeles community around The 24 Hour Plays, which prompted us to look for ways to solidify our presence here.”

— Mark Armstrong, Artistic Director (IMDb)

What’s next

The 24 Hour Plays will host their inaugural Los Angeles event in the new permanent home later this year.

The takeaway

The expansion of The 24 Hour Plays to Los Angeles underscores the growing popularity of this unique theatrical experience and provides more opportunities for early-career artists to showcase their talents in a high-intensity, collaborative environment.