Help Us Bring The Roman to the Stage

Hi! My name is Tyler Angier, and I’m a writer based in Los Angeles. I’m partnering with Theatre Source Los Angeles (TSLA) to present my original play:

The Roman

Genre: Political Thriller

Logline: 27 BC. When a man is arrested for his written rebellion against someone who just declared themselves King, he is instead offered a secret position of power on the Emperor’s counsel.

Let me be absolutely clear: this play is an allegory for our current administration. On top of a few other things.

This is More Than a Historical Drama.

2000 years ago, Augustus Caesar rose to power and formed The Roman Empire, one of the most destructive civilizations known to man. Millions of lives were lost in the name of expansion. This civilization, which lasted 500 years, eventually collapsed from the inside, thanks to a cracked foundation of exploitation, inequality, and genocide. Today, we see echoes of that same foundation in exploitative labor systems, the erosion of the middle class, and a culture that glorifies war and conquest.

Our Politicians Today Lie Without Consequence, and Their Followers Cheer Anyway.

Rome Teaches Us How That Story Ends.

The Roman Empire was founded on lies; Augustus used religion to manipulate the populace into thinking he was a god, and he created his throne with no issue.

And before this story begins, our fictional protagonist has become a voice against Augustus’ new authoritarian state, writing a series of letters under a pseudonym: “The Roman”.

He represents all of us who see what's happening today and feel powerless to stop it. And once he is face to face with Augustus, he struggles with the imposter syndrome that comes with becoming someone with a voice. His journey is a call for courage, integrity, and real action in the face of fear and control.

Religion, and its Consequences.

This play also confronts one of history’s oldest weapons: religion used as justification for genocide.

That’s right, I’m talking about Israel. The genocide of Gaza under the delusion of religious promises, is a repetition of the barbaric patterns of humanity. There are characters in this play that are reflective of Palestinian refugees, and I am not shying away from what I am trying to say through them:

Religion is a tool that has been used to take countless lives over the history of time, and we should have been past that in 27 BC, let alone 2025. The freedom of religion, while necessary, is also a slippery slope that allows people to justify oppressive actions. And I am not arguing against that freedom. In fact, even as an atheist, I am defending it, because I believe religion is also the victim here.

The innate desire to understand our world is a part of life, and yet it has been weaponized against itself and the people of Earth for so long. So we need to free it from its oppressors.

Free. Religion.

Religion at its core is not to blame for these horrors, it is the people who use religion. And it is my goal to educate towards a world that allows religion to stand for what it really wants to stand for.

If these are things that you feel passionate about as well, then I strongly urge you to help us produce this play. Whether that’s by donating yourself, or by sharing this to get as many eyes on it as possible. Both are immensely helpful.

Why I’m Asking for Your Support

We’re raising money to produce The Roman in Los Angeles this fall. This covers:

-Fair pay for the artists that make up this cast and crew

-Venue & equipment rentals

-Set, sound, costume, and lighting design

Additionally, since our goal with this production is to turn a profit, 50% of all profits will be donated to Palestinian relief funds:

-UNRWA

-Rescue.org

-And directly to individuals currently displaced and in danger

This play stands as a political statement, and if you believe in its message, please consider:

-Donating what you can

-Sharing this campaign with friends, artists, or producers

-Connecting me with anyone who might want to help amplify this story

Producers, I have a dedicated pitch deck ready to share. Please reach out, I’d love to speak with you directly.

Reward Tiers

$50 - Roman Citizen

-Name in the program

-Digital thank you card from the creative team

$100 - Historian

-The Roman’s Journal: Behind-the-scenes footage detailing our journey from rehearsals to opening night

$250 - Senator

-One show ticket

-One drink ticket

-Invitation to the final dress rehearsal

$500 - Consul

-One Golden Eagle pin of the Proconsulate (a prop from the show)

-Signed poster from the cast

-One more drink ticket

$1,000 - Emperor

-Reserved VIP couch (up to three tickets) for the night of your choosing

-Exclusive pre-show meet and greet with the cast on opening night

-Commemorative hard copy of The Roman script

-One more drink ticket

$5,000 - Demi-God

-Producer credit in the program and all marketing materials

-Five more tickets to The Roman, redeemable any show

-Personalized thank-you note and picture featured on the on-stage screen during the pre-show

-Option for logo/brand marketing at the theater (if applicable)

$10,000 - King of the Gods

-Executive Producer credit in the program and all marketing materials

-Legacy credit and personalized thank-you on TSLA website

-Four comp tickets to every TSLA show for the next year

-Commemorative script of The Roman, bound and signed, with notes from the writer and editor

-Personalized musical theme (in the shows style), written by our composer

Final Thoughts

I deeply respect every artist on this project, and no AI of any kind will be used in its production. The pieces have somehow fallen into place for me to try and make this happen, so I'll be giving it my all.

On top of that, this isn’t just a passion piece—I felt called to bring this project back, because I thought it was more relevant now than ever.

Help us amplify it :)

You can follow this production on Instagram: @theroman_play

And thank you for reading.

– Tyler Angier