Short Summary
My name is Michael C. O'Day. I'm an actor and
playwright here in New York, who's recently had a piece of wonderful
news. My play Dragon's Breath has been accepted into the New
York International Fringe Festival, this August 8th thru the 24th. Now,
I need to raise the necessary funds to actually produce the play.
The play is about an aspiring YA paranormal romance writer named Justine Drake, author of the Dragon's Breath
series. As she tries to get her books into print, navigating the
worlds of e-publishing and public readings and fending off angry
Internet trolls, she accidentally creates an evil cult. The play is
therefore not only a spoof of the contemporary publishing scene, but a
satire on religious fanaticism - the dragon cult, after all, doesn't
preach anything THAT different from what some folks preach today. I
think it's a potent mix, and the people at FringeNYC seem to agree! Even
with their support, providing a performing venue and lighting
equipment, it still costs a sizable amount of money to produce a play in
New York. That's where, hopefully, all of you good people come in!
What We Need & What You Get
The
$7500 I'm trying to raise here is needed to cover the artist's fees for a
cast of seven, as well as our director, stage manager, and designers.
They're making a tremendous investment of their time and energies, and I
need to be able to honor that. I also need to be able to cover the costs of rehearsal spaces, program printing, and all the other things needed to put up a show in not-exactly-inexpensive New York City.
Donors will be honored with a thank you in the Dragon's Breath
program, as well as a signed poster for the particularly generous. And
for those who can give $250 or more, my friends at the Big Quiz Thing
have graciously offered to provide a pair of complementary tickets to an
installment of America's premier live game show event!
The Impact
As
cliched as it may sound, theater is important. It's important to me
personally, of course - I've worked in it my entire adult life, and I
eagerly await this chance to let my voice as a playwright be heard. But
beyond that, it provides an unparalleled opportunity for people to come
together and consider the world in which they live, hopefully see it in
a new way. That's exactly what I'm trying to accomplish with
Dragon's Breath,
as I ask people to consider the role of the creative process, the state
of publishing today, and the forces that can drive some people towards
fanaticism. In ninety minutes. With jokes.
Other Ways You Can Help
Even
if you can't donate, there's nothing as important as word of mouth.
Please let people know about this wonderful new play that's going to be
produced this summer. Spread the word about our website,
www.dragonsbreathplay.com.
Find us on Facebook, and check out our Twitter feed at @Drag0nsBreath.
Use the Indiegogo share tools, too! Word of mouth in the digital age
is an important plot point in the play - it's every bit as important in
real life.
Thank you all so very much for your help!
