Give to Theater This Holiday Season

As with last year, I'm suggesting several theater-related organizations that I'm sure would benefit from your financial support and generosity. Remember, there's no such thing as a small gift... even $25 from several donors will mean a lot to most of these companies. If you've given before, think about giving just a little more.

I'd also suggest spreading out your giving. Give yourself a budget ($100? $200?) and spread your giving out among the various companies that you feel strongly about up to that budget.

I'd also love to leave my comments section for this post open for those who are in the midst of fund-drive, or know of a company they would like to see supported, to provide links and information.

Ticket sales serve primarily, for most companies, to recoup investment. Grant writing is costly and often tied to specific mission-driven projects (marketing, administrative costs, eduction). Your un-restricted gifts provide smaller, passionate companies with the means to make the artistic decisions, to take risks, and to continue to expand their audiences. It's vital that we, as a community, show our peers that we support them with more than just our words. Giving is a form of political speech and action. Take action and be generous.

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Blue Coyote Theater Group - Blue Coyote Theater Group has produced five of my plays. They work with wonderful writers like David Johnston, Kristen Palmer and David Foley. Their Standards of Decency Project, last year at this time, put 23 actors, four directors and nine authors to work. If you want to support me, this is the way to do it. If you want to support wonderful and aggressive plays, that are produced, not developed, I'd urge you to donate here.

Nosedive Productions - James Comtois makes his home here. They're wonderful. Suburban Peepshow, Blood Brothers: Pulp, Adventures of Nervous Boy; all joyfully perverse. They're in the midst of a fund-drive (read all about it on their website.) Support this crew here.

New York Theatre Experience - They publish books, they publish nytheatre.com, they publish indietheatre.org, and they produce podcasts. They're the most active and vocal advocates for Indie Theatre in New York City. Your dollars help everyone if they go here. Read Martin Denton's fundraising letter for this year here, and find out how to support them.

Vampire Cowboys - On the up-and-up, these guys kick serious ass and are all over the downtown scene. Send a spinning side kick of death to the establishment with your donation to them here.

The Brick Theater - Vibrant, active, exciting, independent, edgy, blah blah blah. This company produces more than one festival per year (so far), fantastic new works, and is one of the few places you'll find the true spirit of anarchist fun in the New York metropolitan area. They've been heralded as one of the best venues for Off-Off in New York. There's a reason for that, crew. They are. Support them here.

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That's just a few thoughts. I may add as the spirit moves me. Feel free to comment and share your suggestions.