Illuminate! Video: Vortex Rep's Kickstarter Appeal: $25k for a New Lighting System

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Austin's Vortex Repertory Theatre, Artistic Director Bonnie Cullum, Lighting Director Jason Amato and Stage Manager Tamara L. Farley appeal for $25,000 contributions via Kickstarter to fund a new lighting system by February 15 (5 min.) and share 15 minutes of "happy birthday" wishes, a selfie-video compendium of supporters from Austin, across the country and around the world.

Click Vortex sign or Kickstarter logo to go to the Kickstarter page for info and to contribute (deadline: February 15, or it all goes away).

(*) Kickstarter Appeal: Bryan Ortiz Directs Night of the Living Dead at the Overtime Theatre, October 4 - November 2, 2013

Bryan Ortiz tells you why in his dramatic and well-edited video appeal to raise $1500 via Kickstarter for the







 presentation of

 October 4 - November 2, 2013

(Overtime Theatre Center, 1203 Camden Street, San Antonio, 78215 - click for map)

Click on poster to go to Kickstarter page for more info and to donate

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Funding Appeal at Kickstarter: 'The Hands of Its Enemy' and 'Exit, Pursued by Bear,' Broken Alley Theatre Company

(image: LBJ Alley Cat Players)

A new company has raised $1305 of its $2000 Kickstarter goal for August 2013 stagings of The Hands of Its Enemy by Mark Medorff and Exit, Pursued by Bear by Lauren Gunderson. They have until next Wednesday, July 10, to get pledges for the remaining one-third of their goal. You can click on the Kickstarter logo to go to the contributions and information page.

The Broken Alley Theatre Company is a new troupe in Austin, Texas. We are alumni from LBJ High School and its theatre program, the Alley Cat Players. With support from this Kickstarter, we hope to open our inaugural season with two shows: The Hands of Its Enemy, by Mark Medoff; and Exit, Pursued by a Bear, by Lauren Gunderson.

Starting Broken Alley is about keeping a connection with our creative side. As we've entered college, our lives have branched every which way—mostly away from theatre. But the art still calls us. Broken Alley will give us the chance to feed our creative sides, and keep our Alley Cat family alive. For those of us pursuing theatre in college, BATx will also be a skill-builder to help us find our footing in the world of professional theatre. (Summer work with a local theatre company doesn't look half-bad on a résumé, either.)

Many of us performed Hands in 2012 for the UIL One-Act Play competition, advancing to the Area level. The plot revolves around director Howard Bellman—a recovering alcoholic—and Marieta Yerby, a Deaf playwright, as they struggle with their pasts and their art to put on Marieta's original play about domestic violence. The piece, by acclaimed writer Mark Medoff (Children of a Lesser God), explores pain, creativity, & reconciliation.

Exit, Pursued by a Bear is an absurd comedy based on a famous stage direction from Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. It opens on a young woman who has duct-taped her abusive husband to his recliner. She plans on leaving him to be consumed by bears—though not before theatrically working through all of the problems with their relationship, with help from two of her friends. This cathartic work investigates personal identity and growth, but Gunderson carries these heavy themes with a light touch that will have you laughing through the end.

Both shows will be going up during the first few days of August, 2013.

We've got all the talent and time that we need to put on two great productions in the next few months. We still need: royalties payments for both plays; a space to perform in; a set; costumes; publicity and ad spots

We're asking for $2,000. Truth be told, that's a shoestring budget, but we worked for years on public school projects—with that much we're sure we can get two shows up and running. We're also building Broken Alley Theatre as a nonprofit company, so any money we don't use directly on a show will go towards our next summer season.

Funding Appeal at Kickstarter: Circus Girl by Hat Tree Theatricals, deadline of May 11

Kickstarter Appeal for The Priceless Slave by J.M. Meyer, Cohen New Works Festival, University of Texas, March 25 - 29, 2013

Kickstarter Appeal from playwright Johnny Meyer and director Gary Jaffe, March 15, aiming to raise $2000 by April 7.

 Click Kickstarter logo to go to donation page.

The Priceless Slave

 

by J.M. Meyer

directed by Gary Jaffe

This is a true story. The events depicted in this play took place in Northern Louisiana from 1842 to 1856. Telling this story cannot atone for the sin of American slavery, for nothing can atone for the sin of slavery in a "free" country: a state has no soul, and therefore can never find forgiveness. Instead, the play seeks to help prevent slavery's reoccurrence.  

THE PRICELESS SLAVE is a chronicle of human obligations. Four human members of antebellum society exist in the shadow of a wider social system: here, in the shadows, they built their lives. Each character has the opportunity to fight against that social system, but in doing so they attack their own way of life, and trivialize their own hard-earned morsels of dignity.

Welcome to the world of The Priceless Slave, where forgotten stories return to life, and challenge the moral values of both our past and present. Written by J. M. Meyer, and directed by Gary Jaffe, THE PRICELESS SLAVE challenges the status quo to uphold the true meaning of “freedom.”

In the world of THE PRICELESS SLAVE, five characters represent the struggles seen in this antebellum society. Their descriptions and the synopsis are given below, beneath the video.

ALEXIS CLÉREL is an older English woman who married young, but her much older American husband died quickly and left her far less money than expected. Paulina is Alexis' friend and sometime benefactor, despite significant differences in age and background. Paulina and Alexis live vicariously through each other, and take this living very seriously, so much so that when one makes a move, the other feels some ownership of the act. Alexis believes it is important for Paulina to uphold her end of the friendship by becoming an established, respectable matron.

GEORGE PAYSINGER is a middle-aged architect and foreman owned by Senator John Hamter. James Gilmer has convinced Paysinger that his destiny is to help pull Northern Louisiana out of the frontier and into civilization. Paysinger's proudest moment thus far was the construction of Orchard Place Plantation. He might be an anti-hero.

PAULINA DEGRAFFENRIED GILMER is the wealthiest landowner in Northern Louisiana. She approaches thirty years of age, and is married to James Blair Gilmer, whom she will divorce in 1856. She is the widow of James Pickett, one of the seven founders of Shreveport, Louisiana; her first marriage is the primary source of her wealth. Pickett dies in 1842, one year prior to her marriage to James Gilmer. Paulina has three children from her first marriage; she will outlive all three. The play takes place in her home, Orchard Place Plantation.

THOMAS JEFFERSON is the third president of the United States of America, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and the play's only centenarian. As president, he oversaw the purchase of the Louisiana territory from France.

SALLY GILMER SPYKER is the young wife of Leonidas Spyker, and younger sister of James Gilmer. At the beginning of the play, she visits her sister-in-law, Paulina, for the first time. Sally just married Leonidas in New Orleans, and does not know that Paulina and Leonidas shared a brief relationship. Sally is not as naïve or simple as anyone would like, including herself; she understands the protective benefits of socialization and group-think.

SYNOPSIS   When Paulina DeGraffenried and George Paysinger receive word of James Gilmer's incriminating social indiscretion, each separately considers fleeing the constraints of their own social positions: Paysinger leaves; Paulina does not. Paulina panics at Paysinger's absence, and forfeits her James' trust to maintain her social status in wider society. James' sister, Sally Gilmer, discovers that Paysinger has been hiding beneath the porch of Orchard Plantation, the antebellum home he built with his own hands. Paulina recognizes that her forfeiture of her husband's trust places her children at risk, and she decides to abandon her marriage altogether.

In the world of The Priceless Slave, everyone is needed. To make this play be the best it can be, we not only need the talent and discipline of our cast and crew, but we also need you. By contributing to this world, you become a part of it.

You make The Priceless Slave come to life.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Although sponsorship from the University of Texas Co-op has provided a generous budget allowance for our project in the Cohen New Works Festival, that budget only covers costs such as prop construction, script printing, and other basic supplies. We think it's essential that go out of our way to provide some form of compensation for the artists devoting hundreds of hours of labor to our show. Our Kickstarter campaign will allow us to reimburse our artists for all the incidental expenses associated with constructing a piece of theater.

About the credentials of the writer and thee director [with links to AustinLiveTheatre.com reviews]:

Johnny Meyer: (Writer) His last play, AMERICAN VOLUNTEERS, drew on his experiences as a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and explored the conflict between 21st century warfare and American values; the play received the 2010 Mitchell Award, and became the first stage-play to make the long-list for the United Kingdom's Dylan Thomas Prize.

Gary Jaffe: (Director) His professional work includes Spirits to Enforce (winner of the 2011 Critic's Table Award for Outstanding Drama) with Capital T Theatre, The Dudley's: A Family Game by Leegrid Stevens with Tutto Theatre Company (winner of eight 2011 B. Iden Payne Awards, including: Best Production of a Comedy and Best Director), The Alien Baby Play by Nicholas Walker Herbert (Tutto); his own play Love in Pine (LATCo); and The Twelfth Labor by Leegrid Stevens (Tutto).

Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

The Priceless Slave is on a tight schedule with a limited amount of time until opening day on Monday March 25th. Fortunately, we have a bright and collaborative team of young professionals working hard to make this production a success. Working under pressure causes the entire team to stay on task and fulfill their duties to the utmost diligence.

Successfully crowd-funding our play through Kickstarter remains our most significant challenge, but we can meet that goal with your help! Luckily, the deadline to donate will occur after the final performance ends, so there is ample time to support our work with a small (or large) financial contribution!

As The Priceless Slave team stated in our video, we need YOUR support. This production will be the best it can be if you help us achieve our goals! Please come see our show, and please support our work in any way you can! Thank you!

Kickstarter Appeal from Steve Moore for 'Adam Sultan,' Celebrating Austin's Theatre Community, Mortality and This Moment in Time

 



How would you as an Austin theatre artist want to be remembered decades from now? Steve Moore explains the rationale for his play Adam Sultan, scheduled to open at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre at the end of March and asks for your support.

Adam Sultan is a real person here in Austin - a composer, performer, teacher, friend. At the moment, he is still alive.

You can select your own memento and lend it to Steve and the Physical Plant Theatre Company, as many of us already have. You can also donate toward the $4900 the company needs to produce the show. Click HERE or on either Kickstarter logo for further information and to pledge.

 

Adam Sultan is a play slated to open in Austin on March 28th - just about two months from now.
The play centers around a real person in the world named Adam Sultan. Great guy. Lives here in Austin. He's a musician, composer, dancer, storyteller, actor, and teacher.

We imagine Adam's life about forty years in the future. It's the year 2052, and Adam is in his eighties. Many of his dearest friends have died, including his wife -- and much has changed. Including Adam. Over the years he's gone from happy and adventurous to cranky and withdrawn, in large part because the community he was once a part of has disintegrated around him. That's where we begin.

One day, seemingly at random, an exact puppet version of Adam arrives at his apartment. It can't see Adam and can't hear him, but it is definitely alive. It walks, eats, drinks, and sleeps. And it's living some version of Adam's own life....


Go to the Kickstarter page for more information. . . .

Kickstarter campaign for Bottle Alley Theatre Company's The Ivy House by Chris Fontanes, January, 2013

Kickstarter campaign for Bottle Alley Theatre's The Ivy House by Chris Fontanes with the goal of $750 in 30 days:

CLICK LOGO to go to Kickstarter page

The third production from Bottle Alley Theatre Company - a play of love and love lost, escape, and memories.

• Launched: Jan 8, 2013
• Funding ends: Feb 7, 2013

About The Ivy House: The Ivy House is the third independent production from the Bottle Alley Theatre Company following their two-show stand at the notorious Broken Neck, Stage and most recently, Autumn. For Ivy House Bottle Alley ventures out into new and unexplored territory, settling into the eventual unknown. The Ivy House is hard to describe as so much of it is interpretive. The best description of it is a story of love and love lost, but also that of memories and escape. Seven character's stories intertwine through the past, present and future and fall safely into the confines of the Ivy House, an imaginary place where they go to re-live their memories. The play is written and directed by Chris Fontanes and features Bottle Alley alumnus actors Tim Olivares, Ariel Gilman, and Steven Cruser.

About Bottle Alley Theatre Company: Bottle Alley Theatre Company is a collection of creative minds, theatrical rebels, and college friends. We strive to push the limits of theatre and to create new and exciting collaborative works from both within the company as well as outside members. In order to have the most successful chance at presenting the play we need your support to promote, produce and fund this play. We operate outside the realm of conventional theater and as a wholly independent theater company we rely on the generosity of the public to keep us going. Every donation made to this show goes directly into the production and we know how to make every dollar go far.

Why we need your money: We are a poor theatre company trying to do big things - you can already see the problem. We are just like you - we live paycheck-to-paycheck and cannot afford that dental procedure or blown tire. We would like to own nicer clothes and new shoes. We would also like major grants to be able to drop ten thousand dollars on a single show. However, this is not yet to be. We don't want all of your hard-earned money. Spare what you can, and know that it shall go to the very grateful, who shall use it for what is absolutely needed.

Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

With creation, comes conflict. We are a fledgling theatre company amongst a vast city littered with many amazing theatre companies. Some are massive, building huge multi-million dollar facilities. They will never have to wonder where their next show will be. Or how they'll have to scrape up a hundred bucks for seventy chairs. Other companies are like us - living show-by-show, chasing dreams, ambitious as hell. We live paycheck-to-paycheck too - our money is going into lights, chairs, programs, and promoting the hell out of this thing that we are proud to be creating.

FAQ

Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
Ask a question

Kickstarter Appeal: Autumn by Randall Newsom, Bottle Alley Theatre Company

The second production from Bottle Alley Theatre Company - a new, dark, experimental work written by Randall Newsom

GOAL: $600 ($325 raised as of October 8)

• Launched: Oct 8, 2012
• Funding ends: Nov 7, 2012

Click HERE or Kickstarter logo to go to funding page

About Autumn: Autumn is a tragic, disjointed, love story between a man and a women who are actually characters in an obsessive writer's story. The Writer delves completely into his fantasy and pushes his love, Mary, out of his life as she desperately tries to keep him in reality. With The Writer hearing demonic voices and taking their advice on how to finish his story he loses his fragile grip on reality and crosses the fine line between the fiction and the real while destroying the fantasies to which he so desperately clings.
BottleAlley Theatre Company is a collection of creative minds, theatrical rebels, and college friends. We strive to push the limits of theatre and to create new and exciting collaborative works from both within the company as well as outside members. Why we need your help: This play is an ambitious undertaking by both myself and Chris Fontanes, the director. In order to have the most successful chance at presenting the play we need your support to promote, produce and fund this play. We operate outside the realm of conventional theater and as a wholly independent theater company we rely on the generosity of the public to keep us going. Every donation made to this show goes directly into the production and we know how to make every dollar go far.

With creation, comes conflict. We are a fledgling theatre company amongst a vast city littered with many amazing theatre companies. Some are massive, building huge multi-million dollar facilities. They will never have to wonder where their next show will be. Or how they'll have to scrape up a hundred bucks for seventy chairs. Other companies are like us - living show-by-show, chasing dreams, ambitious as hell. We live paycheck-to-paycheck too - our money is going into lights, chairs, programs, and promoting the hell out of this thing that we are proud to be creating.

Video for Kickstarter Appeal: Freedom Fighter by Philip Kreyche, August 23 - September 1

appeal for Freedom Fighter by Philip Kreyche, Dougherty Arts Center, August 23 - September 1
Goal: $1000 (Click to go to Kickstarter page)



"Freedom Fighter" is an original play inspired by the story of David Fagen, an African-American soldier who fought during the Spanish-American and Philippine wars, and became one of the few American soldiers to ever defect to the enemy side.

The idea of an American traitor, an American deserting his country to fight on behalf of the enemy, is a very foreign idea to us. We are raised to think our country stands for truth and justice, that it's a beacon of light in a dark world. The realities, of course, have always been very different, and so the story of an American soldier following his heart, only to have his heart lie with the enemy, is a controversial one, but one which must be told and understood if we are to understand the destructive nature of politics, war, and the idea of patriotism.

WHO WE ARE We are actors, writers and directors living and working in Austin, Texas. The vibrant local theater scene encourages new work from new writers and producers, and with this production we hope to present Austin with a unique, thought-provoking piece of theater that entertains as much as it informs. The company, No'Az Productions, has produced several works for the Austin stage, including "Macbeth," "Othello," and "Boudikka: The Warrior Queen," which was partly financed through KickStarter and made its fundraising goal! The company, now known as Lesser Stories, hopes to bring more innovative, controversial, and unique visions to the Austin theater scene in the years to come.
WHAT WE NEED We need about $4,000 dollars to make this show work,. That includes the theater space ($2,300), props ($300), costumes (~$800), and some minor stipends for the hard-working cast and crew. We are being partially supported by UT's Warfield Center for African and African-American Studies, and so we've come to KickStarter to help us out with the rest of our expenses. Our $1,000 goal isn't going to make us break even, but we're hoping to offset the costs at least a bit, with your help.

Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly. Click here to ask a question

Kickstarter Appeal: Moving the Overtime Theatre in San Antonio

The Overtime Theater is Moving
(and we need your help!)

[click on Kickstarter logo to go to the funding page]

San Antonio's "theater for the people" has brought audiences innovative and accessible performances for five years. The city's only theater devoted to new work, the Overtime offers a space for experimentation and a home for writers, actors, visual artists, and musicians. In 2011, the readers of the San Antonio Current voted us the "Best Local Theater". From late night scifi comedy and improv to mainstage plays ranging from political theater to musical adaptations of old films, we bring people together to share stories and a funky homemade aesthetic you can't find anywhere

The Overtime will lose our current space at the BlueStar Arts Complex in May. While we will all miss this theater, we now have an opportunity to make the Overtime better than ever. We are expanding from the Overtime Theater to the Overtime Center for the Arts. In addition to the theater you know and love, we will offer late night cabarets, concerts, an incubator for new experimental work, film screenings, and gallery spaces for visual artists. We will also offer a second stage so that we can host performance groups from around San Antonio, Austin, and beyond. We will continue and expand our acting classes. The Overtime Center for the Arts will create an exciting new space for artists to collaborate and develop a hub for San Antonio's cultural and artistic community.

But we need your help. We need to raise $15,000 to renovate a new space and get it ready. If you love our shows, want to see more, and want to contribute to San Antonio's next big cultural hub, now is your chance to make a difference. We are starting a kickstarter fundraising campaign. Please consider giving as much as you can, but even $20 helps.

And, remember, the Overtime is a recognized 501(c)3 charity, so your pledge is tax deductible for every penny over and above the value of the rewards you select. SO what are you waiting for? Click here to visit the Kickstarter page.

Cambiare Productions Kickstarter Appeal for Messenger No. 4

Travis Bedard addresses the citizens via Kickstarter, appealing for funds to raise $4000 for the production.

Click on image to go to video at Kickstarter.

Cambiare Productions is Travis Bedard, Will Hollis Snider and Amanda Gass. Teaming together for the last five years to bring a variety of projects to life including Elektra, Intermission, The Nina Variations, and Orestes, while also serving as Austin facilitators for World Theatre Day.

Back from a break (wherein Will opened his own photography business, Travis dug into social media with both hands and Amanda went and got a 37th degree (this time in math)) Cambaire is trying Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed Something Blue.

Something Old: We're back with the Greeks...We will have our revenge on Euripides

Something New: This is Will's very first full length show (that isn't an adaptation).

Something Borrowed: Will has two cups full of references to and lines from classics jammed into this one text... .

Something Blue: is of course the theatre where we're performing it here in Austin

The STORY? Messenger No. 4 longs for something grander than message delivery, so one day he takes it upon himself to SHOW and not TELL. While fiddling with messenger speeches leads to streamlined plot points and dynamic scenes, it also unfortunately leads to the accidental erasure of history's greatest plays and --quite possibly--reality itself. Complete with sword fights, alternate universes, and an epic dance break, Messenger No. 4 is a high energy tour of love, fate and the Western Cannon.

Messenger No. 4 is propelled by an award-winning ensemble portraying over 50 characters from the Greek classics and Shakespeare’s masterpieces featuring Jessica Allen, Karina Dominguez, Camille Latour, Vanessa Marroquin, Joey Melcher, Megan Minto, Daniel Sawtelle, Philip Olson, Elena Weinberg, Rachel Wiese and Andrew Rodgers in the title role.

And we need your help. Click to go to the Kickstarter page.

Kickstarter Appeal: Antarctica, Crank Collective, February 3 - 11

Found on-line:

appeal for a campaign to raise $1000 by

Help us get to Antarctica - a rock musical comedy - by February 3rd. Your donation will allow us to fund the 10 + musicians, singers and actors performing, as well as the dancing Antarctic blizzard dancers, choreographers and set designer.

A rock musical tribute to explorer Ernest Shackleton, set on a modern-day cruise ship in the Antarctic. Featuring a live band and a cast and chorus of 10, Antarctica will be performed at City Theatre in Austin, Texas, February 3 - 11, 2012.

www.antarcticashow.com

Click image below to go to the Kickstarter page:

Produced by Crank Collective, which was recently featured in Backstage. Crank Collective's Drone was recently nominated for Best Musical of 2010.

Cast: Carl Guthrie, Cassidy Schiltz, Alexandra Russo, Lucy Miller-Downing, Christian Huey, and Rob Faubion. Singers: Shannon McDermott, Matthew Melton, Michael Turner, Laura Burgess and Kerri Atwood. Band: Mikey Walters, Chris La Cava, Jonathan Hoyle and John Cecil.

Created by Crank Collective. Directed by John Cecil.

Kickstarter Appeal: American Bear by Theatre en Bloc, Austin

Notice received directly:

appeal by

American Bear

by Larry Mitchell

to be produced November 25 - December 17

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 5 p.m.

at the Hideout Theatre, 617 Congress Avenue (click for map)

Tickets are $15. Reserve via the Theatre en Bloc website or by leaving a message at (512) 522-4083

American Bear: A play about home, is the first production of Austin's latest artistic development Theatre en Bloc. This production also marks the world premiere of the fully realized script by Theatre en Bloc's resident playwright Larry Mitchell.

This project will be funded only if at least $1,500 is pledged by Friday Nov 18, 6:00pm EST.
As of October 24:

0 Backers 0$ pledged of $1,500 goal 25 days to go

American Bear is a play about how we define home and family, especially during times of family crisis. Is family forever? How far can the bonds of family be stretched before they snap? Why is it that families tear themselves apart. When isn't blood thicker than water?

American Bear is the journey of two brothers, Eddie and Jules, struggling to find themselves in the wake of their parents’ untimely death. Eddie, who has been gone for many years, returns to the boys' childhood home for the funeral with his new fiancée, Lonnie, in tow. As the three work through the history of family strife, it is more than sibling rivalry that comes between the two brothers.

American Bear is a provocative play that finds a subtle and refreshing balance between humor and drama. Mitchell is a craftsman. While there are tones of great playwrights like O'Neill or Sheppard in the piece, Mitchell's perspective, voice, humor and love for his characters ring true. Theatre en Bloc is excited to bring this play to Austin and is working to publish Mitchell's script to be distributed to other theatres looking to produce new American plays.

Click for additional information at AustinLiveTheatre.com

Click HERE or on the image to go to Kickstarter for the video slideshow or to pledge

Kickstarter Appeal: Hidden Room's 'Original Practices' Taming of the Shrew Travels to the American Shakespeare Center

Received notice on line of the following

appeal for $3250 by October 21:

The Hidden Room has been invited to present a staging session at the world famous American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriars Conference. We will be performing scenes from last year's Taming of the Shrew - Original Practices and discussing Original Practices techniques. This is our big chance to have our amazing Austin actors perform for some of the world's most renowned Shakesperean scholars.

But, first we need to get to Staunton, VA.

And preferably survive while we're there.

Plus it would be nice to return to Austin when we're done. We're fond of it.

Your donation of any amount will help fly our Hidden Room team to Staunton and provide accommodations while we are there. All our folks have already taken care of their own conference fees, but additional moneys raised will go to reimbursing those and other costs incurred on the road. Like food and other such niceties.

Throughout our week in Staunton, the Hidden Room will have the opportunity to learn from and meet with some real academic heroes in the world of Renaissance Drama. Then on Thursday October 27th, we will perform and present on the Blackfriars stage - an exquisite recreation of Shakespeare's original indoor playing house. You can help make a dream come true for our band of players, and allow us the chance to bring Austin to the American Shakespeare Center.

Take us to the ASC. They're waiting for us.

We are grateful for your support - more than you know.

[image by Kimberly Mead: Judd Farris as Petrucio, Ryan Crowder as Kate]

Click for details, FAQ, enticements and to donate at Kickstarter.com. . . .

Kickstarter Appeal: Stranger, Jump-Start Theatre San Antonio and Divadlo z Pasáže, Slovakia

ALT comment: Jump-Start Theatre has produced a superb 5 minute video with S.T. Shimi and Steve Bailey to explain this project and show the performers onstage, in rehearsal, and visiting the United States. Click here or on the images to go to the Kickstarter page and video.

Found on-line, thanks to Deborah Martin of the San Antonio Express-News:

Stranger - an international theatre collaboration
Jump-Start Theatre, San Antonio and Divadlo z Pasáže (Theatre from the Passage), Slovakia

Goal: $2400 by October 2 ($425 raised as of September 7)

As part of its 2011-12 theatrical season, San Antonio’s Jump-Start Performance Co. will collaborate with Divadlo z Pasáže (Theatre from the Passage)—an ensemble of profoundly mentally challenged performers from the Slovak Republic—on an original performance piece. The play, Stranger, will explore what it means to experience sudden freedom, echoing the Slovak experience following the fall of the Soviet bloc.

The piece uses the metaphor of an unexpected guest's arrival into the lives of a group of people stuck in limbo, freeing them for their past constraints. How does sudden freedom affect one’s attitudes and actions? What is normal and what is strange?

The play will run November 18-19, 2011 at the Sterling Houston Theatre in San Antonio and November 20, 2011 at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre in Austin, sponsored by VSA Texas, the state organization for arts and disability.

Stranger marks the second time Jump-Start and Divadlo z Pasáže have worked together. In 2009, the organizations partnered to present a United States tour of Divadlo z Pasáže's original play, Protected Territory, to Cedar Rapids, IA, San Antonio and New York City. Inspired by these incredibly gifted performers, the Jump-Start company then made plans to collaborate with Divadlo z Pasáže on a new work that includes artists from both companies.

This is an incredible opportunity - artistically and culturally - for both companies. However, an international collaboration of this scale is challenging and expensive. Artists involved in the production will be paid a fair wage for their creative work. That's where you come in. We are looking to raise $2,500 to fund this very ambitious and exciting project and we need your help to do it. Every dollar is greatly appreciated, and there are some great rewards for those who help out.Please visit jump-start.org and divadlozpasaze.sk for more information on these progressive theatre companies and the exciting work that they do.

[click on image to go to Kickstarter site with video]

Kickstarter Appeal from Uprise! Productions: For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf

Received directly and followed up on-line:

We are producing a theatrical production of Ntosake Shange's For colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf. There are seven women cast in the production. We would like to be able to pay these women as much as possible for the time, effort, and talents they are contributing to this production. At the present time, we do not have the funding to pay these women anywhere near what they are worth. This Kickstarter will help us to provide a base salary of $300 or more for each actress. These women will have rehearsed over 90 hours a piece in preparation for this production. If you do the math, that comes out to $3.33/hr. Your support will not only help to pay these women a decent wage, but to let them know their efforts and talents are deeply appreciated by you. The production itself is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Click on the image below to go to the Kickstarter page and video:

From Director/Producer Zell Miller III, August 9:

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Zell Miller, III, and I am the artistic director of Uprise! Productions and the director of Ntozake Shange’s “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf”. We are a small non-profit, but we try not to allow the all mighty dollar to dictate the work that we bring to our amazing community. For those of you know me or my work, you know that I give, give and then give more to this community. You know that I have done tons of things in this community over the years and a lot of it has been for reduced rates, or free. I have never asked before, but now I’m asking.

I’m asking that you please help us find a way to pay these 7 amazing women a base rate for this production. As of today, we have 19 days left on our Kickstarter. We will easily meet our goal if 350 people donate $5 or 174 people donate $10. Please support and help us pay these amazing women. If you are in the Austin area, please come see the show at the Vortex, August 25 through Sept 10^th. I don’t ask, but I’m asking now. Please help us.

Thank you, Zell Miller, III