First things first, I needed new stuff to check out this year, y’know? Been kinda stuck in a rut, doing the same things. This theater festival idea popped into my head – maybe see something weird and wild, not just the usual big plays. Seemed like fun.
Starting the Hunt – Kinda Messy
Grabbed my trusty old laptop, fired up the web browser. Typed in “theater festivals near me 2024” real quick. Lots popped up, surprisingly. Some names sounded familiar, most didn’t. Made a messy list right there in a simple note app – no fancy spreadsheets this time, just typing stuff down as I found it.
Then, I remembered chatting with a friend online ages ago about some crazy festival in Europe involving giant puppets or something? Got distracted for a solid hour chasing that vague memory. Finally found it – totally different name than I remembered. Added that to my jumbled notes.
The Global Bit Got Tricky
Thought, “Okay, what’s happening worldwide?” Started digging deeper. Searched things like “new theatre festivals 2024” and “international drama festivals upcoming“. Man, so many languages! My browser kept asking if I wanted to translate pages. Clicked ‘yes’ a million times.
Found stuff happening everywhere:
- This one outdoors in Scotland where people just wander around woods following actors? Sounds freezing but cool.
- Another one somewhere hot focusing just on stories people tell without writing them down first. Improvised madness.
- And yeah, that huge puppetry fest my friend mentioned finally popped up properly – dates confirmed!
Realized some big, famous ones already happened early this year. Felt dumb for a second. “Note to self,” I wrote, “Start looking waaay earlier next year.”
Putting It Together & The Reality Check
Okay, pile of info now. Started grouping them roughly:
Local fests I could maybe drive to, National stuff needing a cheap flight, and the Big International Dreams needing serious planning (and cash!).
Prices? Whoa. Some local ones were pretty reasonable, like twenty bucks a show. Others? Especially those fancy overseas packages? Forget it. Wallet cried a little.
My final notes looked chaotic – names, dates, locations scribbled down, a few question marks, some “HELL YES” stars next to the cheaper/local awesome ones. Brain felt fried. Closed the laptop. Needed coffee.
What’s Next?
Took the list, printed it out (yes, actual paper!). Stuck it on the fridge. Real goal now? Talk the partner into at least one of the weekend trip festivals nearby. Maybe that woodsy one if I promise to pack extra socks. We’ll see! Feels good having options though.
