(*) Funding Appeal: Classic Theatre San Antonio Moves to the Woodlawn Black Box

Classic Theatre San Antonio is moving to the Woodlawn Theatre black box in January, 2014, and needs $4000 to renovate that space, especially for relocation of the air conditioning ducts.  They've appealed via Indiegogo for contributions of funds, under the difficult-to-locate title 'Expand the Box for Classic.'  Click either logo to go to that page, which features a video posted by Rick Malone about the Classic's five-year history (inexplicably, with no mention of the relocation project).

 

Funding Appeal for Devised Theatre: Florence by Gale Theatre Company, December 6 - 15, 2013

A video by Ráchel Lowery to support the

(click to go to IndieGoGo page)

funding appeal for

Florence

by Gale Theatre Company
December 6 - 15, 2013 in Sparky Pocket Park
3701 Grooms Street in the Hyde Park neighborhood, Austin - click for map



Hi there! We’re Gale Theatre Company. We make new devised theatre here in Austin, Texas and we need your help to bring our first season to life.

What is devised theatre? Well, it means that we start in the room with actors, physical training, ideas, and NO SCRIPT. We build a universe from scratch and make shows in the moment. It is a big process that involves immense collaboration and trust. We love what we do.

Katherine Wilkinson, our Artistic Director, has been teaching, performing, and directing all around the world (USA, Australia, India, Greece) for the last 6 years. Celina Chapin has been choreographing new work internationally as well and most recently trained at the American Dance Festival and with Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance. Their diverse backgrounds and shared love for physical theatre inspired the creation of Gale Theatre Company.

GALE from Ráchel Lowery on Vimeo.
wwww.galetheatrecompany.com

Gale Theatre Co is dedicated to making work that is aesthetically arresting, emotionally compelling, physically daring, and dedicated to the unending power of live performance. Why do we need your help? Gale Theatre Co has begun building its first season and we need support to make it happen. We are currently in rehearsal for 2 brand new shows.

The first, Florence, is an ensemble-devised work about Florence Lawrence, the first movie star. Florence is a co-production between Gale,Bottle Alley Theatre, and the City of Austin. Show dates: December 6-9 & 12-15, 8pm, Sparky Pocket Park, Austin. TICKETS ON SALE NOV
Our second show, WK, is a play about first loves. It is also ensemble devised and will premiere at the New Orleans Fringe in November. Out of 150 applications, WK was one of 24 chosen by the Fringe. WK will return to Austin in January and have a three-week run at the Vortex.
Show dates:

NOLA Fringe, The Old Firehouse718 Mandeville St. BUY TICKETS HERE

11/21 @ 7pm, 11/22 @11pm, 11/23 @ 5pm, 11/24 @7pm

The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd, Austin. TICKETS ON SALE HERE IN JANUARY

1/17-1/19 @ 8pm, 1/23-1/26 @ 8pm, 1/30-2/2 @ 8pm

Funding Campaign for The North Plan by Jason Wells, Street Corner Arts, Austin

The company's seeking to raise $4,000 for the production via

(Click to go to Indiegogo page)

The North Plan is Street Corner Arts' return to the fast-paced, politically-charged world of Jason Wells, writer of their 2011 hit Men of Tortuga. This pitch-black comedy will have its regional premiere at Hyde Park Theatre (511 W. 43rd St.) in Austin, Texas from December 6 to December 21, 2013.

The North Plan tells the story of Carlton Berg, a bureaucrat for the U.S. State Department, who runs off with the top secret enemies list of a ruthless faction that has seized power in Washington creating a state of martial law. Unfortunately for Carlton, the chase has come to an end in a police station in the Ozarks town of Lodus, Missouri. With a pair of Department of Homeland Security agents on the way, Carlton's last hope arrives in the form of fellow prisoner Tanya Shepke, a motor-mouthed redneck who's turned herself in for drunk driving and has a penchant for raising hell.

The revolution will not be televised but it will have a soundtrack: Lynyrd Skynyrd. And it starts right now!

Street Corner Arts began with an idea (over a glass of good whiskey as all good ideas do): what if theatre could exist as a conversation between audience and actors, addressing current topics that affect the average person in an accessible way. That is the challenge which we always place before ourselves. By helping us to fund this project, you are becoming an active participant in that conversation. You are allowing us to continue to present collaborative, relevant, and engaging theatre to the Austin community.

Click to go to the Indiegogo page for more information and to contribute.

Funding Appeal from Uprise! Productions for A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberrry

UpRise! Productions is dedicated to bringing the voices of writers of color to the stage in the Austin, Tx area. We are one of a few companies who consistently feature these writers. Zell Miller, III, is the artistic director of UpRise! Productions. Last year, we produced a very successful and award-winning version of “For Colored Girls who considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf”. 

CLICK TO GO TO CAMPAIGN PAGE

This year, we are proud to bring to Austin one of the greatest American plays ever written, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. We are bringing one on the architects of “The Jazz Aesthetic," as well as an Obie and Bessie Award winner, Laurie Carlos, to direct our production. Laurie has been Zell's personal mentor for over 15 years. If you have enjoyed Zell's work in the Austin area, then Laurie is to thank. Zell's first community production in Austin as a child was A Raisin in the Sun, playing the role of Travis. Zell is excited to now perform in the role of Walter, which brings Zell's Austin theatre experience full circle. 

We are in need of your financial support to bring this amazing play to the stage. Funds raised will go to such production costs as Director fees and travel, scenery construction, marketing, actor fees, lighting and sound equipment rental, and costumes. Our goal is $3000 by July 19.

Please consider helping us by donating what you can to this campaign and spreading the word about our production. Click on either logo to go to the campaign page. Thank you for your support.

We also hope to see you at the show, August 1-17, at The Vortex in Austin.

Funding Appeal: Zeb L. West Takes Don Quijote and Jonah to Canada with 'Innocent While You Dream,' Appeal Closes June 9

Zeb appeals for help via

 to take his show to seven Canadian festivals this summer. Click on the Kickstarter logo to go to the information page to learn more and check on the progress of the campaign, which closes on June 9.

Innocent When You Dream

by Zeb L. West, directed by Steve Moore

 

Don Quixote spends most of this comedy adventure re-telling the story of Moby Dick! See Sancho Panza (as Ishmael) and Ahab battle the white whale windmill! This solo adventure uses puppets, masks, old-timey stagecraft, physical comedy, and sea shanties to smash two literary epics into an hour of shameless antics!

"I'm taking this work up to 7 fringe festivals in Canada this summer! This play takes place inside the belly of a whale! A castaway has been swallowed and driven mad by only having two books to read. It's an irreverent and silly one-man comedy about getting dragged along rock bottom and figuring out how to get out of the belly of the beast, told through masks, puppets and sea shanties."

Zeb West studied physical theater, clown and mask-making at the Dell'Arte School in California, and is a member of Austin's Trouble Puppet Theater Company and Brooklyn's Alphabet Arts.

Funding Appeal: Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare, City Theatre, June 13 - July 7, 2013

An Indiegogo appeal for contributions to help compensate the cast of 19 for the










production of



by William Shakespeare
directed by Bridget Fairas
June 13 - July 7, 2013
Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
(3823 Airport Rd. at 38 1/2 St., behind the Shell station)

Shakespeare’s Sublime Battle of Wits and Wills. 

Click the IndieGoGo logo for more information and to check progress of the campaign:








Considered one of the most popular and charming comedies, Much Ado About Nothing features the classic couple Benedick, an arrogant and confirmed bachelor, and Beatrice, his favorite sparring partner, who would rather exchange scorching insults than sweet nothings. However, the pugnacious pair is forced to forge a partnership in order to defend house and honor, and salvage the true love of Hero and Claudio after deceptions destroy the lovers’ wedding day. Will the earnest endeavor to restore a young romance elicit an unexpected change of heart for the effort’s unlikely collaborators as well? Witty wordplay, passionate poetry and clever plot twists make this the perfect romantic evening to share love and laughter.

Video Funding Appeal: Just Outside Redemption by Dennis Bailey, Theatre en Bloc

Theatre en Bloc is appealing via

to raise $10,000 for Dennis Bailey's play Just Outside Redemption depicting the events in Austin leading up to the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act in 2001. 

Click logo or click here to go to the IndieGoGo page. Derek Koluri and Jenny Lavery explain the project:

Redemption Pitch from Derek Kolluri on Vimeo.


A precursor to the National Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act was passed in Texas in 2001. It served as a huge win for those fighting for human rights and was firmly planted as a reminder that together our potential to overcome adversity is stronger than a lone voice crying for help. However, it was the voice of one amazing woman that led the charge to include Gay Rights in the legislation. Based on actual events in Austin, Texas (with a little dramatic license) Dennis Bailey's play is more than a history lesson, rather a celebration of the monumental win for Human Rights in Texas and the people who helped make it happen.
Since the bill was passed in Texas, there have been over 1,200 hate crimes reported, but only a dozen have been convicted. There is still work to be done.
Theatre en Bloc is partnering with several LGBT organizations including Equality, TX to continue this necessary fight for justice and equality.

The Impact The fight for justice never ends. Homophobia and racism still exist. Hate Crimes still exist. And while there is much to celebrate in the passing of laws like The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, this play is a reminder that the big wins only come by way of small acts of compassion from dedicated individuals who refused to back down in the face of great adversity.
While this play will resonate wholly as the story of one woman's fight, we hope her story will inspire others to take up the sword and shield to defend justice for all people, no matter who they are. We are partnering with LGBT and human rights service organizations to create a movement of people who will not tolerate violence toward anyone predicated on hatred.
We want to the ground to rumble with the sound of people stomping out the rhythm of equality! Where today people fear they might be harrassed or murdered for who they are - we want would be murderers to fear the multitude of people who stand together, ready to defend civil liberty!
The message of acceptance and inclusion is always necessary. This production lives perfectly in between a gripping night of theatre and a social call to action. We feel the reach of this project will be immense.

What We Need & What You Get We are asking for $10,000 and we want to build confidence with you, our potential funders, by letting you know exactly where we're going to spend every dollar.
First, Theatre en Bloc is an itinerant company and we hve to pay for a space to do the show. Our venue contract is for $3900. That covers a three week run for a toal of nine performances.
Second we like to pay our artists for their time. We are a small, young organization and cannot pay the wages these talented folks deserve, but we we are offering them stipends. The actors, all nine of them, will receive $300 each. Our designers for the lights, costumes, sound and projections are each receiving $300 for their work as well. We also need to pay 3 individuals to help run the scene changes, light board and sound board. Those three folks will get a $100 stipend each.
The total price tag for these modest stipends is $4200.
We need to provide budgets for materials for the designers to use to execute their designs. The set design has an $800 budget. Costumes have a $400 budget. Sound has a $100 budget and lights have a $200 budget. The total budget for the materials for the show is $1500.
Lastly, we are going to need to promote the show. We have budgeted $900 to cover poster and print material printing, photos and a professionally filmed promotional video that will spread across Yputube, Vmeo and Facebook. We also need to print out surveys to track our audience data for grant pruposes and for better marketing strategies as our small organization gets bigger.
The total comes out to around $10,500. So why aren't we asking for the full amount? Some of these expenses will be covered by in-kind donations.
We also have some very simple and unique prizes that we are offering. Among them, Copies of the script, photo books commemorating the show as well as personal video thank yous from the cast and production team including actress Beth Broderick.

Other Ways You Can Help Today, we live in a world where our voices, when used with passion and shared widely, can make a difference. We have the power to make this world a better place one small action at a time. By reaching out to others and sharing your passion for the importance of this story and encouraging them to make any contribution they can, we can raise the funds necessary to produce this important, albeit unfortunately relevant play. Thanks again for listening to our story and thanks in advance for your support.

Conspire Theatre fundraiser at IndieGoGO

Please support Conspire Theatre’s life-changing workshops for women inside the Travis County Correctional Complex. 

Conspire Theatre, a sponsored project of the Austin Creative Alliance, offers incarcerated women and their allies a healing and empowering experience through theatre and creative writing. For three years, we’ve been running Rehearsing Possibilities, a successful theatre and creative writing program for women in minimum and maximum security at the Travis County Correctional Complex (TCCC) near Austin, Texas.

Thanks to last year's campaign, this year we served more women than ever before.

Click to go to the IndieGoGo page where Conspire Theatre seeks to raise $6000.

Funding Appeal from the DA! Theatre Collective for DayBoyNightGirl at the Rollins Theatre

Just Say "DA!" - About DA! Theatre Collective

DA! Theatre Collective is proud to announce that we will soon be debuting our latest original show, DAYBOYNIGHTGIRL, at Central Texas' premiere performing arts facility, THE LONG CENTER! For one exciting week, June 6 - 10 at the Rollins Theatre, we will showcase the talents of our entire team (plus several incredible guest artists) for the full-length premiere of DAYBOYNIGHTGIRL, a multi-disciplinary production freely adapted from a magical 19th Century short story by illustrious Scottish author George MacDonald.

[To see developmental footage of DAYBOYNIGHTGIRL from earlier workshop incarnations, go to the video below at 16:48.]

This Indie-Go-Go campaign will specifically "Go-Go" towards compensating the work of the incredible artists on our team! Paying local artists a decent wage for their work is a core value that we chose to inherit from our beloved parent company, Hyde Park Theatre. The goal is $2012 by June 17. Please click on the IndieGoGo symbol to go to the fundraiser page where you can contribute and view the perks we're offering.

"Da" means “yes” in Russian. Yet DA! is more than a word and more than a company; it is a way of life. Rooted in contemporary Russian acting and movement theory, DA! Theatre Collective believes in the power of intention and the value of hard work --and that Austin, Texas in the 21st century is the very best place and time to be doing this hard work.

Click 'Read more' for additional information -- or go to the fundraiser page

Video and Fundraiser: The Experiment by Generic Ensemble Company

A fundraiser at IndieGoGo for The Experiment, to be presented by the Generic Ensemble Company, May 4 - 13

Goal: $3000 by April 29

(click here or on IndieGoGo logo to go to donations page)

The Experiment by Ana-Maurine Lara & kt shorb

directed by kt shorb, choreography by Tonya Pennie
Featuring Saray de Jesus Rosales as Lucy, Krysta Gonzales as Dolly, and Smalls McCoy as Dora; with dancing by Kimberly Caterino, Kaitlyn Jolly, and Kirsche Dickson.

The Experiment is an evening-length play asking the question, “What does it mean to be human?” THE EXPERIMENT draws its structure from worlds fairs and vaudeville, creating a speculative future reminiscent of the turn of the 20th century. It incorporates theatrical dialogue between a cyborg and an immortal mutant; singing by a perverse scientist/lab attendant; and a silent dancing chorus. THE EXPERIMENT showcases performances by (queer) women of color investigating the relationship between modern human subjects experiments, turn-of-the century freak shows, and anecdotal narratives of masculine/butch women.

The Experiment showcases the work and stories of primarily queer-identified women of color. Austin needs more shows like ours. Our approach is physical and experimental--delving into aesthetics and rehearsal processes that are innovative and new both locally and nationally.

How We Will Use Your Funds Donations from this campaign will go directly toward paying creative collaborators, which include more than 15 creative people. Thanks to the City of Austin Cultural Contracts and a generous grant from the Open Meadows Foundation we have enough to cover some venue costs, materials, travel, and some of the honoraria. It is the Generic Ensemble Company's goal to make this work sustainable for all collaborators. To do so, we hope to compensate all collaborators as well as possible.

Why We Are So Cool The Generic Ensemble Company (GenEnCo) is one of the few troupes in Austin, and nationally, that showcases queer-identified women of color in physcially engaged, experimental, ensemble-based performance. The Experiment is the third collaboration between Lara and shorb, the previous two collaborations both garnering awards. This is the most recent project aimed at asking profound questions toward social change through rigorous, dangerous, and community-conscious theatre.

Other Ways You Can Help If you cannot help out with donating to our cause, we are looking for volunteers to run the house, be backstage, and distribute media material. Do you have a blog, radio show, or column? Talk to us and share our project with your audience!

IndieGoGo Appeal from Brand New Theatre Company: Funds and Equipment for A Radio Serial

The Brand New Theatre Company is already in the process of creating a comedic radio serial style podcast Radio City Austin that is set (and recorded) in Austin, Texas but we need your help with recording and distribution.

The aim of the project is to feature a variety of Austin performers and playwrights in a way that celebrates Austin's creative culture while also providing Austin talent with a platform that has the potential to reach listeners around the world. The eight episode series will feature the work of over a dozen locally recognized Austin actors and four Austin-based writers. Click on the "IndieGoGo" icon to go to the donations page.

What We Need & What You Get

We would like to distribute the podcast at no charge to listeners but in order to do that we need to raise money to pay for production expenses such as:

Studio Prep/Soundproofing - About $600

Recording Equipment - About $500

Marketing and Podcast Distribution - About $500

The amount of support we raise will directly affect the quality of the sound recording we are able to produce. Your contributions will vastly improve the quality of the podcast, making your listening experience more enjoyable.

The Impact

In addition to serving as a platform for local artists to reach a wider audience, the podcast also allows BNTC to put down roots in Austin in a financially sustainable way. BNTC is not an entirely new company but the company has only recently moved to Austin. Our overall goal is to develop and showcase new works and we moved to Austin to do it because the city is a hotbed of new writing and independent filmmaking. This project will create an opportunity to help the company become more deeply embedded in the creative fabric of the city by allowing us to connect with wider audiences than we could reach through traditional theatrical ticket sales. "Lost in Austin" will help the company to develop an audience base that will hopefully support future theatrical productions that will be developed and performed by local theatre artists.

Other Ways You Can Help

Even if you are not able to contribute to this campaign you can do BNTC and the "Lost in Austin" podcast a world of good by listening and sharing it with your social network. Keep an eye on our website for the internet launch in mid-April.

Please go to the IndieGoGo page and use all of the share buttons there to let people know about the project!

Funding Appeal: Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet, A Chick and A Dude Productions, February 16 - March 3

Melissa Livingston-Weaver and Shannon Weaver, partners also as A Chick and A Dude Productions, appeal on IndieGoGo with a goal of $5000 to support their staging at the Hyde Park Theatre of Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet, February 16 - March 3. Click on the IndieGoGo logo to go to the appeal page.

[Apple users: can't see the video? Click here to go to Indiegogo]

Video Appeal from Conspire Theatre for Support via Indiegogo

Received directly: a video appeal for support for Conspire Theatre, a program supporting incarcerated women

Conspire Theatre from Katherine Craft on Vimeo.

[Apple readers: can't see the video? Click here to go to Vimeo]

Since 2009, Conspire Theatre has been conducting theatre and creative writing workshops with incarcerated women at the Travis County Correctional Complex. Our class gives these women a space in which to try on new possibilities for making different choices, and for exploring what holds them back in their lives. For many women, our class is "the only place where no one tells us to shut up and sit down." Both the Travis County Sheriff's Office and the women themselves welcome our presence, and now we want to do more.

There's a new program at the jail for women in Maximum Security, and the social services coordinator has invited us to start a brand new class for them. Conspire Theatre seeks to raise $3,000 by September 1st to enable us to expand our long-running program for incarcerated women into Maximum Security at the Travis County Jail. You can help us by making a gift today!

• Here is a link to the fundraising campaign we're running on IndieGogo now - there's a fabulous video on the page that explains what we do. Click here to see it.


• CultureMap Austin also wrote an article about Conspire that went live today. Click here to read.


• You can also read more about us on our website at www.conspiretheatre.org