Theatre Valentine could use your help!

My husband, Val Hendrickson, and I have mounted Tongues/The War in Heaven by Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin and are out of pocket for $2,500 thus far. We hope to recoup that amount plus another $2,500 to take the show to the next level.

We began to investigate this challenging material in 2019. The process culminated in a staged reading of all four Shepard-Chaikin one acts in late February 2020 (yup, just prior to lockdown) at Judson Memorial Church in New York City with actors Maggie Low, John Newcott, Rob Neukirch, and Aevita Nalian.

We reconvened in Spring 2023 in San Francisco, pairing the material to its present two-person form and resolved to meet self-imposed deadlines to get it memorized and on its feet. We extended offers to perform gratis as a service to community organizations.

With the sponsorship of the late Carlin Holden, we gave our initial performance for the "Page to the Stage" group at San Francisco Village this September. The post-show conversation was electrifying as topics such as aging and mortality are often considered taboo. Our "speculative fantasia of the afterlife" played well with that group as it did for a subsequent Berkeley audience for a Day of the Dead celebration.

Work begets work and suddenly we had offers to move the show into theaters in both San Francisco and New York City in February-March 2024. To accomplish this in such a short time, we need to upgrade our set pieces and costuming, add staffing for lighting and sound, plus all the attendant costs of travel, shipping, and lodging. And MOST importantly, to pay the royalties to the estates of our revered authors.

Your consideration of sponsorship for Tongues/The War in Heaven is greatly appreciated.

For more information on the plays, the authors, upcoming performances and our social service offer, please visit www.theatrevalentine.com