Help Bring Gilgamesh to Life: A Myth for the Modern Stage

Hello!

My name is Peter James Schafer. I’m a 22-year-old director, actor, and storyteller in my final stretch of earning a BFA in Theatre from Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University. I'm currently on an official leave of absence with just half a semester left, and I'm using this time to develop my senior thesis project: GILGAMESH.

Mythology has always been a source of deep inspiration for me. Ancient myth holds transcendent, relevant truths about the human search for a felt sense of meaning in our pursuit of power, belonging, progress, and so much more. With this project, I’m reimagining the ancient heroic epic not simply as a distant artifact, but also as living myth for right now. In a time of mass confusion, inequality, and reckless injustice, I believe we could all use a mirror through which to see and experience ourselves, a vessel for our collective awakenings, and most of all a pathway to reconnect to our shared humanity through our connection to the oldest recorded mythology we have as a species.

Why I’m Fundraising

This GoFundMe campaign will help me take the first vital steps in bringing this vision to life. My goal is to raise $3,000+ to cover the costs of:

Renting rehearsal space in Portland, OR (where I currently live) at Performance Works NW

Basic props, costumes, and scenic elements to build the world of the play

Stipends for collaborators, if funds allow

Printing scripts, promotional materials, and related workshop costs

Because I'm not currently enrolled at school, I'm developing the piece independently here in Portland... workshopping scenes, exploring the material with actors, and evolving the concept in real time. Public performances will be held December 11th, 12th, and 13th at 7pm at Performance Works NW in Portland, OR (see poster for details).

When I return to Cornish in January 2026 to complete my degree, I’ll present a more developed, grounded, and compelling version of the show as my final thesis.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just a student project. It’s the first full expression of the kind of theatre I want to make in the world: ambitious, ancient, queer, spiritual, visceral, and alive. Your support helps me build a bridge between now and that dream, and gives this story the chance to breathe and grow on stage in the way it deserves.

If you’re able to contribute, thank you. If you can’t give right now, sharing this page with friends or fellow lovers of theatre and myth would also mean the world.

With gratitude and creative fire,

Peter James Schafer