Imagine that you are a beggar; cold and lonely, living in your hut with no one to talk to. One night you are awakened by a crash. And that crash turns out not to be someone in your house, but something: a talking puppet. Or better yet, a child and a companion. It might be just the thing to save you from the gnawing emptiness inside you. But when you return from the market where you went to spend your last pennies on a celebratory breakfast, the puppet is nowhere to be seen. Now comes the choice. You must decide if you return to your solitary existence or do you go after the puppet and bring him home?
Short Summary
Geppetto is a retelling of classic tale The Adventures of Pinocchio told from the point of view of the father who is left behind. It is a journey of self-discovery and redemption brought to life in a new adaptation for the theater using clowning, acrobatics, puppetry, and masks and interwoven with other old stories such as The Odyssey, the Bible, and other folktales.
Ghostlight Productions has been granted the opportunity to develop this script as part of an In the Works Residency sponsored by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. For the whole month of February 2014, we will be work-shopping the new play at the Chicago Cultural Center. At the end of our time in residency at the Cultural Center, there will be a showcase performance where we will present our work and ask for feedback from the audience. The time to play and evaluate the script and story is an invaluable resource for creating new work, but having the chance to also hear how an audience responds will allow us to take this project to the next step in its development.
The Impact
At Ghostlight Productions we believe that theater should be more than just entertainment. We believe that it is a place where audience and performers come together to tell our common stories and contemplate the issues of our daily lives. Geppetto contains themes of loneliness and longing we can all understand, and explores the personal journeys we sometimes have to go though to be reunited with the ones we love.
By having the resources to explore every aspect and every possible twist and turn of this story, we hope to create a play that will resonate strongly with all who experience it and offer not only a meaningful experience, but also the possibility of some healing for those who need it.
What We Need
While the In the Works residency provides an excellent opportunity to grow a new production, it only provides the rehearsal space for the workshop. We have to raise the rest of the funds for things such as costumes, masks, props, and insurance.
This is where you come in. We need to raise $2,500 in order to complete this project and we are looking to you for help.
To produce Geppetto, we will need:
- Costumes: $252
- Props: $200
- Masks: $260
- Liability Insurance: $400
- Rental (for Auditions): $200
- Actor Stipends (7 actors @ $50): $350
- Production Team Stipends: $600
- Administrative Costs (website, programs, Indie GoGo’s cut, etc.): $238
The money raised for direct production needs like costumes, masks, and props is an investment in the future of this project, as these items will be reused after the residency when the play is ready for a full production.
If we exceed our fundraising goal, the additional money will be split between production costs for future performances of Geppetto and compensating the artists
for the time they’ve invested on this project.
In the case that our goal is not met, we will have to scale back on production costs, putting the money towards essentials like insurance and audition rentals.
What You Get
You will be making an investment in the life of this new play. Your contribution will help us make the most of our residency at the Cultural Center and drive the development of this project to the next level. To show our gratitude for your support, we are offering the following thank you gifts for your involvement.
- $25: Red Clown Nose: To share in our love of clowning, we are offering a red,
foam-rubber, clown nose. You can wear it proudly to show that you are a
supporter of our production.
- $50: Sock Puppet: At this level, you will be sponsoring one of the actors in the
production and in return we will create for you a custom sock puppet. These
make excellent holiday gifts and will be available in time for Christmas.
- $100: Attend an Open Rehearsal: At this level, you will be sponsoring one of the designers and in thanks for doing so, you will be invited to attend an open
rehearsal (before the showcase performance) at the Cultural Center.
- $500: Handmade Mask: At this level we will create for you a handmade mask in the style of the masks we will be using for our production.
Other Ways to Get Involved
If you cannot support our production at this time you can still:
