What Is Brushstroke?

• Brushstroke is a dark comedic thriller in the vein of plays like "Deathtrap" or films like "Klute" based on the totally true but mostly unknown story of how the CIA infiltrated the New York City art world in the mid 50s. Via the "Congress for Cultural Freedom" the American government covertly funded painters such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko under the guise of anti-comunism and  a way to support American expression as a counterpoint to the Soviet Union. Yes this is 100% something that happened and was not declassified until nearly 15 years later. (Read More by checking out this article daily.jstor.org/was-modern-art-really-a-cia-psy-op)

Who Are We And What Are We Doing?

• My name is Jeremy Wein, I am the lead producer of this project and the artistic director of Play-PerView a theater company started during the COVID pandemic to create virtual oppritunities for artists when in person theater wasn't possible as a way to raise money for those in need. I am currently a producer on the Broadway production of "Gutenberg! The Musical!" starring Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad and a producer on the upcoming Broadway musical "How To Dance In Ohio".
• This campaign seeks to fund the world premiere in person production of "Brushstroke" a new dark comedic thrilled by John Ross Bowie (The Big Bang Theory, Speechless) directed by Casey Stangl starring James Urbaniak (The Venture Brothers, Difficult People, Oppenheimer) and Malcolm Barrett (Timeless, Better Off Ted, The Boys). Set to take place from January 23rd, 2024-February 26th, 2024 at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in West Hollywood. By achieving this goal we will be able to offer a high quality world premiere production and provide work opportunities to creatives while the film and television industry is at a stand still.

What We Need & What You Get

• We are hoping to raise the entire budget of the production through this campaign, which will cover our pre-production costs, rehearsal, tech, and a six-week run. This funding will go to pay our team a fair wage, rent our space, and create the show. We have also accounted for the cost to ship rewards and taxes into this amount.
• For Your Contribution Rewards Include
  -$1+ Our Appreciation For Your Support!
  -$25+ Thank You In Our Program
  -$50+ Social Media Shoutouts from Malcolm Barrett  OR John Ross Bowie
  -$75+ Signed Limited Edition Show Poster
  -$100+ Perks Include
   *A Pair of Tickets To Any Performance (excluding opening night)
   *A Signed Copy of John Ross Bowie Memoir "No Job for a Man"  
   *A Copy of "Thom Pain (based on nothing)" signed by James Urbaniak
  -$150+ Signed Show Poster by Full Cast and John Ross Bowie
  -$250+ Perks Include 
  *Attend our invited dress rehearsal
  *Have your voicemail done by James Urbaniak as Dr. Venutre
  *Have your Voicemail Done by John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke  
  *Receive a signed replica copy of a script from one of your favorite past projects from the career of Malcolm Barrett (The Boys, Better Off Ted, Timeless), James Urbaniak (The Venture Brothers, Difficult People) or John Ross Bowie (The Big Bang Theory, Speechless).-$500+ An Invitation To A Special Zoom Hangout w/ James Urbaniak, Malcolm Barrett and John Ross Bowie
  -$1000+ Attend Our Invited Star-Studded Opening Night Performance and Enjoy A Special Post-Show Toast with our cast and crew!
  -$2500+ Be a Co-Producer on The Show, get credited in our program, attended our invited dress and opening night, plus take a photo with our cast onstage! 

The Impact

• At a time when creative opportunities in Los Angeles are limited due to the ongoing strikes, this project is a chance to give over 20 people a much-needed work opportunity and support a new American play.
• Now more than ever live theater needs support, particularly live theater in Los Angeles.

Risks & Challenges

• We recognize that now is a strange time to be seeking funding in this manor with the ongoing actor and writer strike. However we know that the creative community is stronger than ever and believe a project like this can be successfully funded by those that love theater and the arts.

Other Ways You Can Help

• If you can't contribute financially, we would love if you could post about our campaign on your social media and let your friends and followers know.