The Pitch
I'm Phil Cruise and I'm directing Emmy and Ringo award-winning comic book artist Dean Haspiel's new play, "The Last Bar at the End of the World." I first met Dean Haspiel as a student at SUNY Purchase in the late eighties. When I was at that hotbed of talent and creativity, I became friends with "Last Bar" cast members Seth Gilliam and Ed Miller and have continued to work and play with them for many years. The collective we've assembled for this production are SUNY Purchase colleagues and other Haspiel collaborators (such as adult-film legend, actress and writer Stoya) who believe in Dean's emerging theatrical voice and have joined forces to present this off-kilter examination of NYC life in the "post-truth" era. Several of these amazingly talented performers were part of Dean's critically acclaimed sold-out run of "Harakiri Kane" in Brooklyn last November and readily agreed to be part of his next premiere. Unfortunately, the exorbitant prices of the theatre venue, marketing, rehearsal space, and set construction/tech have made it necessary for us to seek funding assistance from people like you who believe that new voices in the arts need to be supported in these tempestuous times. Any contribution to this project will have an enormous impact on our ability to present this thoughtful, funny and introspective show and demonstrate that there is support out there for theatre and the arts.
THE LAST BAR AT THE END OF THE WORLD
by Dean Haspiel
A Thin Duke Production in association with Sparkplug Productions
Directed by Philip Cruise
Featuring:
Philip Cruise, Tarik Davis, Lex Friedman, Seth Gilliam, Christopher Lee, Edward Miller, Alyssa Simon, Anna Stefanic, and Stoya
Premiering at Urban Stages, 259 West 30th Street, NYC begins performances on Tuesday, April 10th and will run through April 15th, 2018.
What We Need & What You Get
We are looking to raise $5,000 to cover production costs associated with our exclusive one week run of "The Last Bar at the End of the World," from April 10th - April 15th.
There are some amazing perks that we will be able to share with supporters of the production. Mementos of the piece such as signed show posters, tickets to the show, as well as rare prints and books from Dean's original works.
If we don't make our goal, the funds that we raise will still go directly to the production, whether it be for actor stipends, set construction, costumes or marketing. Your money will go to the most important thing to all of us,
The Impact
Through private investors and our early fundraising efforts we have booked the theater, but the production costs are mounting. The impact of your contribution will be immediately used for the following necessities:
$2500 for actor/designer stipends
$1500 for set design and construction
$500 for rehearsal space
$500 for costume/lighting design
$500 for marketing
The strongest impact is that your contribution will help to keep independent theater alive and thriving.
Risks & Challenges
We understand the risks that we are taking on with this project. The costs that accrue for NYC theatre can be staggering. The fact is, the show will go on whether or not we are completely funded. We understand that theatre is sometimes best when scaled down and simplified, and we will adjust accordingly to whatever budget we find ourselves with. While we prefer to have all the elements of the production that we envision now, we are no strangers to small budgets and DIY production.
Other Ways You Can Help
We understand the fact that some of you simply can't support the piece by contributing money. That's cool! There are other ways you can support us. Get the word out by sharing this campaign with the people in your circle. Show us you understand the plight of the independent artist by sharing this on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or any other social media site that can help us get the word out!
