Help Us Premiere TELL ME I'M PRETTY
Help us pull together the funds needed to premiere TELL ME I'M PRETTY at Bootleg Theater this April. 
For just over one year, we (Joshua Silverstein & Diana Wyenn) have been working on a solo show of epic proportions... and now, we are ready to unleash this beast on the world!!!
Can you help us? Donations large and small are greatly appreciated. We know how to stretch $5—and if enough people give up one latte this year, we will make our goal!
To express our gratitude for your support, we will thank you on the show's website, in the program, and at the actual live performance!
What is Tell Me I'm Pretty?
A hilarious and poignant solo show with live music starring Joshua Silverstein... a.k.a. the guy in the photo about to bite his director Diana's face.
Our fancy marketing copy says:
With side-splitting humor and raw power, comedic actor and beatboxer Joshua Silverstein delivers an explosive mix of storytelling, spoken word, vocal percussion, and hip hop. Backed by a live three-piece band, Silverstein layers playful and riveting narratives grounded in personal experience, and nuanced by the complexities and contradictions surrounding race, gender and, poverty in America. Plus, he reveals what it would have been like if Buster Keaton could beatbox!
Sounds fun, but is it relevant? Is it any good?
Last April we shared 3 workshop performances and received standing ovations every night. The overwhelming and humbling response of these audiences showed us that we have something special—a show with relevance and hilarity which the world needs to see.
And you don't have to take our word for it. Scroll further down and you can hear it from the audience members themselves. There's also a review by Culture Spot LA of an excerpt we performed at REDCAT's Studio Series back in November...
“Silverstein set the bar high by opening the show with this high-octane one-man-show... He quickly builds upon the gimmick of entertainment by transfusing an emotionally charged narrative with captivating confessionals and spot-on cultural commentary.”
Sounds like a show I want to see! But what do you need the money for?
We want to finish building the evening-length show and premiere it in all its entire glorious splendor at Bootleg Theater for a five-week run this April! But we need your help.
Our full production budget is larger than what we hope to raise here, but we'll make that up in ticket sales. However, since we want to keep ticket prices affordable AND compensate the artists involved, we are hoping you will see this as an opportunity to support us, to support theater that makes you laugh and makes you think, and to facilitate a robust, open, and nuanced dialogue about race, gender and poverty in America.
Your generousity will help us cover things like the theater rental, promotion, set design, paying the crew and the talent. A happy production is a paid one, and we are dedicated to covering at least minumum wage for our beautiful team.
Who is your beautiful team?
Joshua Silverstein (writer & performer)
Diana Wyenn (director, dramaturg & production designer)
Gerry Doot (drums)
Damian Curry (guitar)
Erik Hallsey (bass)
Joey Guthman (lighting designer)
Mark Holden (sound designer)
Matt Hill (video design)
Aaron Saldaña (stage management)
—and there are more awesome people onboard!
They are pretty! Where are those audience responses you mentioned earlier?
Here you go! Pulled straight from the book of faces...
“I saw this show on opening night and it was FANTASTIC! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Joshua Silverstein blew us away.”
—John Hensley, Flypoet Showcase
“That show was one of the best shows I've seen in my life.”
—Kristina Wong, Performance Artist
“For anyone who has ever struggled with money, art, self-esteem, jealousy, race, anger, or basically just existing, I promise you it is not to be missed.”
—Lauren Flans
“Joshua killed it!!! Funny, transparent, touching, entertaining, impactful, moving… I laughed so hard and cried like 3 times.”
—Malaika Darling
“You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll squirm, you'll feel kinda sexy. See Joshua Silverstein's wonderful show!”
—Danielle Furman
“Brilliant. I can't think of another performer who can take an audience zigzagging through his own psyche using music, beatboxing, poetry *and* comedy, then keep them absolutely engaged through every turn. Watching, you feel happily entertained, thinking each vignette to be random fun or maybe just a touch of biography. Joshua paints his picture layer by layer with finesse, leading us on, until the final acts pull everything into perfect focus. The end result is a thought-provoking look at what it means to be human.”
—A.M. McQueen
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GOT QUESTIONS FOR US?
Send us a message!
CAN'T DONATE BUT WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
Amazing! There is a lot to do and we would love your help. Email us at the addresses above.
Much love & cheers,
Joshua & Diana
