"The process begins at 10pm the night before the show, when a group of about fifty writers, directors, actors and designers gather at a theater for the latest round of what has become a highly anticipated ritual. After everyone has been briefed (and Polaroided), the writers are left alone to each compose a ten-minute play. At 7am, the directors return, read the plays, make their bids, and begin casting. The actors arrive at 8am, meet with their respective writer/director teams; rehearsals start promptly at 9am. Tech rehearsal runs from 5 to 7:30pm - doors open at 7:45. At 8pm, ink barely dry, the new plays are performed for a live audience."