Who Are We?
We are Any Other Name Company and our focus is providing a platform for marginalized voices to tell their stories through the lens of classical theatre.
Which is our fancy way of saying that, last fall, a couple of idealistic college friends, a little drunk on ice cream and chicken wings, disheartened at the lack of representation in our chosen field, turned to each other and said: “We should just start our own company.”
However, don’t let that fool you; we are actually qualified to do so.
Aside from our BFAs in Classical Acting, we have each worked at professional theaters across the country directing, performing, managing, educating, marketing, supervising, and producing a variety of projects from Shakespeare to modern classics.
Why All Women?
As we discussed piece selection – the day after our ice cream and chicken bender, at a conference focused on bringing advocacy to women in the arts – we were feeling so optimistic at the grand ideas of we could achieve. After two days of conferencing with other attendees, we were feeling pretty confident about our talents, abilities, and future.
Then, that afternoon, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed, and suddenly, every woman in the room with us visibly diminished. All of us knew what it felt like to be the woman who wasn’t believed.
However, being women, we dusted ourselves off and got on with it. To paraphrase many wise people: In every disaster lies opportunity. Our idea for a theatre company suddenly had a clear direction for our first production: An all-female Measure for Measure.
“Who Will Believe Thee…?”
In the second act there is a scene where the heroine, Isabella, is being coerced by Angelo, a powerful city official, into giving up her virginity to save her brother’s life. When she threatens to expose him his response is, “Who will believe thee, Isabel?” Although written 400 years ago, this still hits home for too many people today.
Simply put, this is a woman’s story, and we believe women need to tell it.
This Part is Numbers, But There are Cookies at the End
Our fundraising goal is $4,000. This amount will help us pay for a venue for auditions, rehearsals, and two weeks of performances. It will also provide a budget for set design, costumes, sound, and lighting.
Finally, and most importantly, we want to pay our artists!
With an acting cast of at least eight, and various designers and technicians, we want to ensure everyone is compensated fairly for their time and effort.
Obviously, we don’t expect something for nothing, so we have a lot of great perks for you! They include everything from discounts on tickets to homemade cookies to a stellar thank you gift when all is said and done.
What’s The Point?
So what are we really trying to do?
We want to provide a side of a narrative that often goes unheard. We are hoping that anyone of any gender or identity who sees themselves in Isabella’s story feels less alone and more empowered. For those who don’t relate to Isabella, all we hope is that this story will help them consider what side of this power equation they are on, and how they can help balance it in the future.
Eventually, we plan for this company to grow into a space for people whose stories and viewpoints are often overlooked in film, television, on stage, and in the national conversation as a whole. A place for anyone regardless of race, gender, ability, or orientation can create both a mirror and a window where their community can see themselves represented and where others can see their point of view.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you’re saying to yourself “This sounds incredible, and I really want to help, but I have no money.” Thank you, you sound incredible too! And guess what: We would still love you to be involved in any way you can. If you’re in the Chicago area, or are just incredibly enthusiastic, email us to volunteer your time and abilities.
If you’re not in Chicago, or are and just don’t want to lift heavy things, feel free to share our campaign on social media(s) and let other people know about our work here.