Our Goal

Work Is Cheap is a new play about retail and the troubling life of its minimum wage employees. Work on this play began nearly 15 years ago, and continues due to the enduring and ever increasing relevance of its subject. A previous workshop successfully sold out multiple performances and earned coverage in The Gainesville Sun. A recent reading event at Broken Shelves prompted extremely positive audience responses. The resulting talk back lasted nearly two hours. We therefore believe that this is a commercially viable project with potential to reach a wide audiences. Our intention is to fully produce the latest draft of the script, conclude the development process, and enter the theatrical market as a quality production for theater companies, colleges, producers, and/or as a touring show. Help us put together a validating, funny, thought provoking show and bring it to theaters across the country. 

Our Needs

We are seeking $8,000 to help cover nuts and bolts production costs (fees, materials, admin costs, ect.), and more importantly, to help pay the incredible actors, artists, and technicians who are all lending their own gifts, passion, and spirit to this project. This is a large group and they are the best kept secret can of whoop ass in town. Please help us give them all the recognition and rewards that they deserve for their amazing work.

What You Get

Our perks are as follows:

$10 - Good for a ticket to the show, a signed program, and a thank you sent across all our social sites. (***Non-local contributors can donate the tickets they earned to a local patron or request an item used in the show as an alternative reward.***)

$30 - Good for a ticket, a T-shirt, a signed program, and a thank you sent across our social sites. 

$50 - Good for a ticket, T-shirt, signed program, thank yous, and an item used in the show.

$100 - Good for a ticket, T-shirt, signed program, thank yous, an item from the show, and an ad placed in our program on your behalf.

$500 - Get credit as a co-producer! Plus all other rewards.

$1,000 - Your name above the title on the marquee! As in: "John Doe Presents: Work Is Cheap"!!! (To prevent name rediculosity, this is only available to four contributors.) Plus all other rewards.

How You Will Help

The success of this test run provides an important proof of concept to anyone else interested in mounting this production. This will go a long way toward removing the risk of what is, admittedly, a challenging, creatively risky production.

Also, as stated above, your contributions will be used to provide the best wages possible for the incredible cast and crew. They deserve a pay rate commensurate with their dedication, skill, and professionalism. And, given the subject of this show, it would be frankly hypocritical and dishonest to expect such fine people to give so much of themselves and their talents for free. As a company, we believe in paying people what they are worth, and this group is worth their weight in gold (and platinum).

Risks

As with all show business, nothing is certain, and all investment is highly speculative. Theater in particular is an extremely challenging business. Our company, also, is relatively young.

However, its members are highly experienced. Also, our business plan for this show does not rely on "tried and true", because there is no longer any such thing, even on Broadway. Instead, we have devised a plan that embraces and relies upon our modern interconnected world. We know, specifically, who wants to see this show, and we have built a strategy and promotional plan based on the diffusion of innovation theory. This show may reach people in atypical ways, but those ways will be sustainable, easy for participants, and most importantly, profitable for all doing business.

Other Ways You Can Help

While all contributions are appreciated, our main goal is to introduce this show to as many people as possible. Sharing this link helps us celebrate our performers, and also promotes what we believe is an important work on an important issue. If you cannot contribute, please follow our links, see what we are about, and share all of this with other people.

Thank you for your time. We are all immensely proud and happy to bring this project to you.