The Big Orange Sitcom Fundraiser

The Big Orange is a one-camera sitcom created by Finn Patrick Clisham, about a group of three friends living a half hour outside of L.A., hoping to be actors as they work lowly, rent-paying food service jobs. But less important than their career ambitions are the wacky hijinks they get into on their days off of work, ranging from run-ins with the church of Scientology, to elaborate re-enactments of Ryan Gosling movies, to an unfortunate incident involving one of the guys pissing on their own hand. It’s crass and absurdist, a cross between I Think You Should Leave, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Workaholics. The Big Orange has only one mantra: as long as it’s funny, put it in the show. It’s a passion project for its creator and his collaborators, and a vehicle through which they hope to channel their comedic voices and exercise their chops. If you like laughing, you’ll love The Big Orange.

Meet the Characters:

Aidan is the smartest and most talented of the roommates. He has a sarcastic edge, and often acts as the voice of reason when his friends descend into wild antics; these attempts at reasoning fail more often than not.

Derek is the dumb one. A hopeless romantic, in love with his longtime girlfriend Hazel, who pays him absolutely no attention and even actively dislikes being around him. Derek is an unabashedly confident method actor who goes all in on even the worst ideas.

Zack is tall, hot, and not very good at anything at all. He’s a nervous guy who can’t keep a job or a girlfriend, and frequently lucks into incredibly fortunate situations (or incredibly unfortunate) only to luck his way right back to wherever he was before.

Meet the Cast and Crew:

Finn Patrick Clisham is the creator of The Big Orange, having written or co-written 7 of the 13 first-season episodes while attending NYU Tisch as a Film & Television major. His background is primarily in theater, having directed multiple stage productions in Phoenix, AZ. These include Assassins, Merrily We Roll Along, and Reservoir Dogs. In New York, he directed the one-act A Girl Walks Into a Genius Bar for NYU’s Knife Dog Play Festival. He also wrote and directed the short films Buds and Down for Whatever, and co-wrote Sullivan Clisham’s Practice Makes Perfect. Many of these projects, on stage and screen, were collaborations with members of the cast and crew of The Big Orange. As mentioned above, some of his favorite comedy series include It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I Think You Should Leave, and Middleditch and Schwartz.

Sullivan Clisham is a writer, director, cinematographer, and editor attending Loyola Marymount University as a Film Production major. He will act as The Big Orange’s primary director of photography and editor for all 13 first-season episodes. Some of his previous work with his brother, Finn, includes as the DP and editor of both Buds and Down for Whatever. He has also directed, shot, and edited several shorts of his own, including Touchdown, Dear Grandpa, and Horologe. Some of his comedy inspirations include Bill Murray, Jim Carrey, Airplaine!, and Stripes.

Alec Pursell is a writer, director, and actor playing the role of Aidan in The Big Orange. Alec’s fortes are sarcasm and improvisation, as evidenced by his roles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bottom), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (William Barfee), and Finn Patrick Clisham’s productions of Merrily We Roll Along (Joe Josephson) and Reservoir Dogs (Mr. Brown), all on the amateur level. He’s also collaborated with Finn and Sullivan on several of their short films, including Buds, Practice Makes Perfect, and Down for Whatever, and with Dean Mitchell Kelldorf as co-directors of The Pickpocket’s Lament as part of Spotlight Youth Theater’s annual Playfest. His comedic inspirations include Steve Carrell, Bill Hader, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Dean Mitchell Kelldorf is a writer, director, and actor playing the role of Derek in The Big Orange. Dean is primarily a dramatic actor, having portrayed Franklin Shepard in Merrily We Roll Along, Mr. White in Reservoir Dogs, and John Wilkes Booth in Assassins, all under the direction of Finn Patrick Clisham, as well as Isaac Jaggard/Ed Knight in Phoenix Theater’s production of The Book of Will. But he also has a knack for comedy; some of his comedic roles include Oberron and Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gomez Addams in The Addams Family, and roles in Finn and Sullivan’s Practice Makes Perfect. He has also directed The Pickpocket’s Lament, alongside Alec Pursell, for Spotlight Youth Theater’s annual Playfest in Phoenix, AZ. His comedy takes cues from performers like Gene Wilder and Steve Martin.

Zolton Bonnenfant is a writer and actor playing the role of Zack in The Big Orange. He has played a myriad of roles in theater, including Jack in Into the Woods, Lurch in The Addams Family, and Chip in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and has been seen in the short film Influence and in the upcoming Amazon Prime original New World Order: Rise of the Dark Prince. His comedic roots derive from the likes of Jim Carrey, Will Ferell, and Norm Macdonald.

How Will The Funds Be Used?

The Big Orange is an ambitious production. Due to the majority of shooting being out in the city of Los Angeles, permits, lighting rigs, and durable lenses are pertinent. With your help, we're looking to invest in a line of Rokinon cinema lenses (24mm, 35mm, and 50mm). Permits vary in cost based on location, but we're hoping to be able to work with around $2,000 for shooting around LA. Any additional money raised will be put towards extra lighting equipment (you can never have enough) and durable C-stands and tripods.

ATTENTION!!! *No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to my GoFundMe*