The Fleeing Artists

WHO WE ARE         We are the Fleeing Artists: a non-profit theatre company dedicated to fostering artistic expression & theatrical innovation throughout the Kenosha community. The Fleeing Artists are proud to be sponsored by the Kenosha Community Foundation. We look forward to building further partnerships with other organizations in Kenosha.  WHY WE ARE           Over the past five years, our members have been involved behind the scenes of many theatrical productions through Kenosha's top artistic organizations, including Kenosha Public Library, UW-Parkside and Lakeside Players, Inc.          Recently, we have been inspired by the efforts of City Hall and the Kenosha Community Foundation to reinvigorate our city's artistic scene. From the new art sculptures on pristine Lake Michigan, to the grand opening of new art facilities like the Creative Space, it truly is a great time to be an artist in Kenosha.           We want to do our part in contributing our artistry to this new Creative Economy. To this end, we have decided to mobilize and become our own non-profit company: the Fleeing Artists Theatre. With an eye always focused on quality, we will become a Haven for all artists to create the art they are passionate about, right here in Kenosha, WI.  WHAT WE DO          The Fleeing Artists firmly believe in creating quality productions & quality experiences for our audiences and community members. We accomplish this thru our theatrical productions, as well as our community enrichment progams such as the popular Summer Shakespeare Series and our new Playwrighting Workshops.      SUMMER SHAKESPEARE: Working in conjunction with the Kenosha Public Library and Kenosha Parks Dept., for over four years we have produced and performed free outdoor showings of Shakespeare's greatest works for thousands of people in nearly a dozen different parks. We are excited to continue this successful series for its fifth year with performances of Shakespeare's hilarious comedy "Twelfth Night", as well as our first Greek production, the tragedy of Euripedes' "Medea".       OTHER SERIES: In addition to performing Shakespearean classics in the summertime, we also put on Classical and modern pieces thru our LEGACY Series, as well as new, avant-garde and original pieces through our THEATRE NOW Series.        Our Legacy Series sometimes features adaptations of beloved literary works, in addition to famed classics in the vein of Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams. In the past, we have worked with the Kenosha Unifed School District to put on productions based on their curriculum to educate and entertain students. We were involved with productions of "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "Death of a Salesman", for example, which were well-received by over a thousand different students and teachers. We intend to continue working with the local and regional schools, in the hopes of inspiring artistic appreciation in future generations.       PLAYWRIGHTING WORKSHOP: "Plays of Tomorrow", our newest initiative, this program is designed to foster new, original plays from local playwrights. Our panel of professional theatre artists will read the submitted entries, then select several new plays which will be performed as staged readings, allowing for audience feedback to assist the playwright in honing their craft and perfecting their piece. Additionally, one play from the selection will be fully produced the following year as part of our Theatre Now Series. HOW YOU CAN HELP (or, WHAT YOUR DONATIONS MAKE HAPPEN)          The purpose of this GoFundMe campaign is to raise funds so we can fund the budgets and expenses for our three productions of 2018, as well as secure space for rehearsals, auditions and performances.          First up, we're looking to pay our initial expenses (aka the least sexy items on our list, we promise). There are fees associated with incorporating as a non-profit business that already have been taken care of thanks to our being sponsored by the Kenosha Community Foundation. We are looking to pay for the other basics which are required of every successful business: our website, our printed materials, and our advertisements. We are estimating our initial start-up expenses to be around $800. This breaks down to:         +$200 for Website (estimate)         +$600 for Advertising and Printed Materials          Our next set of expenses cover our Summer Shakespeare Series, which feature two theatrical productions performing in July and August. Each production boasts the cost of Costuming, Props, Set Pieces, and Printed Materials (i.e. scripts and advertisement materials). Also, each production includes a small stipend of $200 for each director to help cover their travel expenses.          We are estimating the cost of "Twelfth Night" to be around $700, and the cost of "Medea" to be around $500: in short, $1200, covering $800 in Production Budget and $400 in Stipends.          These productions are free to the public as one of our initiatives to enrich our community; as such, we have arranged for all expenses related to Space Rental, Advertising and Royalties to be taken care of in advance of this GoFundMe campaign, courtesy of our community partnership with the Kenosha Public Library.         Third, our final set of expenses will cover our final production of 2018, which will perform in November as part of our Legacy Series. (The play's title will be announced at a later date.) This production includes the cost of Costuming, Props, Set Pieces, Lighting Equipment, and Printed Materials (i.e. scripts and advertisement materials). Additionally, this production includes the cost of renting a performance space, as well as the cost of Royalties (i.e. the payment involved with every performance, owed to the owners of the play for having their permission to perform the play publically).          We are estimating the final cost of this production to be around $2000. This breaks down to:         +$900 for Royalties (or, $100 per performance, performed over three weekends)         +$600 for Space Rental (estimate)         +$300 for Production Budget (including Costuming, Props, Set Pieces, Lighting, Sound         +$200 for Advertising (estimate)          The total expenses we estimate for 2018 is around $4000. The extra $1000 we are raising for this campaign is to cover miscellaneous and unforseen expenses, including extra Advertising, small cushions for our production budgets, and higher costs associated with space rentals or fees.         Also, we are raising extra funds for the fabulous Rewards being offered thru this GoFundMe campaign. (These Rewards include Memberships, Merchandise, digital shout-outs and opportunities to become a Producer or Sponsor------see the REWARDS section for more details, located on bottom for your convenience). CONCLUSION: LET YOUR ARTISTRY BLOOM WITH US          Between Costuming, Props, Make-up, Set-building, and Advertising, a lot goes into a play's journey from the page to the stage. We are passionate about what we do, and we have the drive to create our small artistic Haven in Kenosha; but, it is only because of you, our donors, that this dream will blossom into something tangible, perhaps even magical. (Such is the power of Theatre.)            Every theatrical journey begins and ends with you, the audience. We hope you will join us in ways beyond this fundraising campaign; we would love you to join our little Haven and cultivate your artistic side alongside us, the Fleeing Artists.  REWARDS (Levels of Donations)         +$10----"Stage Hand", donors receive a shout-out on our Facebook page         +$20----"Crew Head", donors receive the aforementioned Reward, PLUS a handwritten Thank You card AND a Membership (includes 2 tickets to any show)         +$50----"Designer", donors receive the aforementioned Reward, PLUS a shout-out in our season's programs AND an upgraded Seasonal Membership (includes 2 tickets to any show, priority seating, and Buy 3 Get 1 Free tickets)         +$100----"Stage Manager", donors receive the aforementioned Reward, PLUS an extra 2 tickets to any show AND 10% off all products (including Tickets, Concessions and Merchandise)         +$200----"Director", donors receive the aforementioned Reward, PLUS an extra 6 tickets to any show AND either a Fleeing Artists coffee mug or water bottle         +$500----"Producer", donors receive the aforementioned Reward, PLUS an extra 10 tickets to any show AND a Fleeing Artists T-shirt         +$1000 (limited: only 5 Sponsors)----"Sponsor". Sponsors will receive 20 tickets for the season, as well as free advertising in all programs, and prominent logo placement on all programs, posters, and website.