We are Patricia Cardona Roca, actress and singer,  and Kendra Augustin, actress and writer,  the co-Founders of Leela NYC Theatre Festival. 

We created this festival because we want to give actors a chance to play roles that go beyond their type: accent, age, skin color, size, gender and sexual orientation to show the audience a reality that is not always portrayed in the media, theatre or film.  We aim to turn casting on its ear. We want to acknowledge that people look and speak differently, but allow those lines to be blurred within the plays. Art is supposed to paint the colors of humanity. We believe with love, respect, and education we can be at peace with each other.

We want to support and give courage to those who feel they can identify with our festival to get out of their own closet and lead them and others to a more respectful and peaceful life. Maybe influence other productions to open the doors to the diverse reality we are living in. With your help we will show that this is possible, that non-traditional casting works, and that we are more than our looks! Something we already know but, let's put it on stage!

The inspiration came after Patricia went to a reading of 5 10min plays by The 365 Women a Year NYC Group which Kendra was involved in. She felt something had to be done with the stories of all those women forgotten by history. We thought they had to be heard and seen in a full production. As the project started developing it became influenced by our own experiences as working actresses. We realized that there were so many other people that weren't well represented in the media and therefore ultimately stereotyped, forgotten or delegated as part of the background. That is when we decided to produce an internationally inclusive project that welcomes and celebrates the reality we are living. One where people of all sizes, colors, cultures, and accents exist and live wholly and fully.

Some of our great supporters speaking after 43sec.

Let's start with what you get!

All your perks are tax deductable! See them on the side!

The costs of producing 2 shows including a stipend for cast, directors and crew are:

Artistic team 20 actors, 7 writers, 7 directors, musical director $3100

Professional fees stage manager, lighting and sound: $405

Remainder of rent utilities: $885

PR: $600

Marketing: $400

Graphic designer, website and general administration costs: $278

Fundraising costs Indiegogo campaign and Fractured Atlas comission: $625

Total 1 : $6293 minimum required to provide a stipend to the artistic team. This is the bare minimum we need!

Total 2: $10,589 to provide a complete salary to the artistic team

Total 3: $20,643 to prolong the festival to 5 days in Manhattan for a week and considering additional technical and artistic fees

Total 4: $45,043 for the above and to provide a basic salary to the production team and volunteers involved 

If we don't reach the entire goal we will not print fliers, we will rehearse in our homes, we will still produce a show! We will shorten it or ask people to donate their time but we really hope to not have to do that! 

If the world is a stage, the mainstream media is holding a spotlight on very specific types portraying them, sometimes, as an ideal and also a tradition. It´s easy (in most cases) to welcome them at home. We are not against it, but we want to use more lights, change the color of their lenses, to show that the same lives can be led by other types,  Your contribution can make a difference!

Our final challenge is to get the budget. We already have 35 artists, one stage manager,  PR and Marketing, an accent coach, a video editor on board, so we strongly believe that by sharing our campaign amongst all our friends and family we will reach people that identify with Leela and we can achieve the minimum goal of $6293

Look at our program in www.leelanycfestival.org 

Our plan is a strong marketing campaign. We've already been on 2 radio shows and one podcast. As soon as we get the recordings we will upload them. We have 2 blogs that will publish our story and we will have at least one other radio show!

Shout out our campaign! on your Facebook page, Twitter, via email to your friends, colleagues, family, anyone you can think of.

Can you provide us with?

1. Rehearsal space with piano

2. Choreography services

3. Free use of keyboard

4. Free printing of posters/cards

5. Costumes

6. Props

7. Set design/decoration

8. Volunteers (ushers, photographer, box office and more)

If you can provide any of these please contact us @ leelanycfestival@gmail.com