Entitlement goes crowd funding

The actors, director and stage manager, (and me, the playwright) are all rehearsing and will perform my play Entitlement at the Summerworks Theatre Festival gratis.  They show up every day for rehearsals without being paid or any promise of pay--other than a share of the box office for our show at the Festival, less all the expenses to put on the show are paid.  They are all award-winning professionals, members of Canadian Actors Equity, the stage performer and directors' union.  Normally they'd be getting a living wage, based on the minimums provided by the collective agreement.  But we are doing Entitlement under a festival agreement with Equity.  As producer, I have to pay for their insurance coverage for the month before the festival concludes.  In return, they get to work on my show for free.

Even if we had 100% sold out houses during the festival, an artist's share of the box office would net about $550.  That's for a month of full time rehearsals and the ten days of performances during the festival.

I think they're worth more than that.

So I've gone to crowd funding to try and raise support for their efforts so they won't be as dependent on the box office for some income.

The goal is $3000 and as of today we're almost 50% funded with 35 days to go!  That's fantastic!  I have to thank all my friends and family members who've decided to contribute.  And not only do they get to support these artists, I've come up with some cool and fun perks to go along with contributions at all levels.  There's something for $1 all the way to $500.

There's even a cool video pitch.




Please check it out!