Whip it (up) good

It’s time again for the annual exercise in writing, producing, directing and acting under pressure: The 29 1/2 Hour Playwriting Festival gets underway at Sacramento City College this weekend. A group of playwrights gets an image or phrase to start with, then off they go to produce a script while the clock ticks off 10 hours. Then, ready or not, the script goes into production with an assigned director and three actors. They get to rehearse a bit, but 29-and-a-half hours after the starting gun, the show goes on.

What’s really amazing is how interesting the shows can be. Oh, sure, there’s an occasional dud, but for the most part, the plays turn out to be time well spent. Showtime is 8 p.m. on Sunday, September 13, at City Theatre, Sacramento City College, 3835 Freeport Boulevard. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit the Web site at www.citytheatre.net.