The Curious Theatre Branch

The Curious Theatre Branch is celebrating its 35th season of original shows and needs your help. We want to pay our performers and production staff for their work on our season’s first show, “Moon at the Bottom of the Ocean” by Bryn Magnus.

How do we aim to do this?

By diversifying the way we fund our work, as sources we have relied on for years are drying up. Curious has survived 35 seasons by the sweat of our brow and the skin of our teeth, making mostly original works by several generations of writers and an ever-shifting set of performers and collaborators. The hard work pays off in artistic dividends, but often there is very little financial return for the people who make it all happen. When artists sign up to work on a Curious show, they are not doing it for the money. Many of our performers and staff are willing to donate their time, talent, and resources to a production, but that is not a sustainable practice. As a company, we are evolving to more fairly compensate the people who make the work, while we continue to produce challenging and rewarding theatrical experiences, such as “Moon at the Bottom of the Ocean '', which opens at Chicago Dramatists in September.

So what are you asking here?

We are asking our community to assist us in paying our small crew of performers and staff a more reasonable stipend for their time and contributions.

Where will this money go?

All proceeds from this Go Fund Me will go to the performers and production staff of “Moon at the Bottom of the Ocean”.

How much money are you trying to raise?

Our goal for this campaign is to raise $3000, all of which will be used to compensate the performers and production staff of “Moon at the Bottom of the Ocean.”

Are you only going to pay the performers and production staff a total of $3000?

No. Our goal is to pay each performer and member of the production staff a total of $1000 each and we will use a combination of our box office, grants/foundation money, and this fundraiser to make this happen.

Is $1000 really a reasonable amount of money to be paid for 10 weeks of work, the bare minimum amount of time that it takes to produce an original play?

Not even close, but we are trying to get closer to what might reasonably be called reasonable. Outside of the writing and designing of the play/production, putting up an original show involves countless hours of meetings, rehearsals and individual preparation time.

Why don’t you just charge more for your shows?

For the first time in over 20 years, Curious has increased the suggested ticket price from $15 to $20. However, all Curious shows have and will continue to have a pay-what-you-can policy, so audience members will always have an option of what they can pay for each show. Curious is dedicated to this philosophy of audience accessibility. We want people to see the work and know that not every potential audience member has the financial resources to pay,

How much should I donate to this fundraiser?

If you are able to donate, please give within your means, and know that this money will be used to directly pay the performers of this individual Curious production

What will I get for my donation to this production?

Beyond the satisfaction of increasing the viability of your local theater community, The Curious Theatre Branch is going to invite all contributors to this fundraiser to an open rehearsal of “Moon at the Bottom of the Ocean” so we can personally show what we do and how we do it.

Can I write off my donation?

The Curious Theatre Branch is a not-for-profit, 501-C3, and any contributions can be written off from one's taxes. We greatly appreciate any contribution you are able to make at this time.