Please donate to support puppeteer Jeffery Zwartjes’ upcoming Atlanta Fringe production WILDLY BELOVED, which will honor pets and their people.

My pal Jeffery Zwartjes, the talented puppeteer, actor, singer, clown, artist, designer and writer, issued himself a personal creative challenge earlier this year: the creation of a solo show that will showcase all of his unique talents. To push himself to action, he took another bold step forward and applied to the Atlanta Fringe Festival lottery. This week, Jeffery learned that his show WILDLY BELOVED was selected for Fringe, and a production will take place in May and June.

WILDLY BELOVED promises to be a daring, inventive, heartwarming and emotional series of vignettes exploring the special bond between people and their animals, a loving kind of relationship that transcends loss and affects us all profoundly. They trust us to take care of them, feed them and shelter them, and they give us warmth, companionship and devotion in return. (Except hamsters, who honestly could care less whether humans survive.)

Jeffery wants to pay tribute to them with a truly wild show, an entertainment unlike anything you’ve seen featuring both new characters and old favorites like Refuse the Rat.

You’re probably thinking, “Oh my gosh! I love Jeffery!!! He’s such a special talent! That show sounds like the greatest thing since sliced bread! I LOVE ATLANTA FRINGE!!! How can I help make this happen?”

So glad you asked!

This show will be produced by Jeffery himself, which means that all of the costs to build, stage and promote WILDLY BELOVED will require crowdfunding and your kind generosity.

He would never dare ask. I believe in him. And I know he has lots of love in Atlanta and beyond. So I’m reaching out on his behalf.

If you want to support Jeffery’s work, if you want to pay tribute to your own special pet or if you just want a gangbusters show at this year’s festival, please give!

(Photos by Scottie Rowell)