About Me

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Matthew Freeman is a Brooklyn based playwright with a BFA from Emerson College. His plays include THE DEATH OF KING ARTHUR, REASONS FOR MOVING, THE GREAT ESCAPE, THE AMERICANS, THE WHITE SWALLOW, AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR, THE MOST WONDERFUL LOVE, WHEN IS A CLOCK, GLEE CLUB, THAT OLD SOFT SHOE and BRANDYWINE DISTILLERY FIRE. He served as Assistant Producer and Senior Writer for the live webcast from Times Square on New Year's Eve 2010-2012. As a freelance writer, he has contributed to Gamespy, Premiere, Complex Magazine, Maxim Online, and MTV Magazine. His plays have been published by Playscripts, Inc., New York Theatre Experience, and Samuel French.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Save Under St. Marks

Listen up! Theaters are going belly up by the truckload. Small and large. Don't let another space, an active and open and vibrant one, go away.

Under St. Marks is in trouble. They need to raise $50,000. They are at, as of this writing, just about $13,000. That means you, yes you, must donate as much as you can to this cause. I'm serious. You know how you're thinking about spending $50 this weekend to see a movie and then get some beers? Spend exactly that amount right now to save this theater space. Contribute here.

I mean it. Contribute. Do something today you'll feel proud of.

The Pitch:

Our Story

Horse Trade has been producing theater in the East Village since 1998. We offer inexpensive space rental for self-producing artists; we produce with guest artists, resident artists, and our veteran resident artists. Horse Trade hosts FRIGID New York, a festival that gives 100% of the box office back to the artists, The Fire This Time, a festival that gives voices to emerging African American Playwrights and Imbewu, a contemporary South African theater festival. We bring performers from Canada, South Africa, and all over the United States. We have sent our local New York talent to share their work in Indianapolis, Orlando, San Francisco, New Orleans, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Edmonton; and the list keeps growing.

Over the past 13 years we have painstakingly created a home for a community of varied voices which values and displays a vast amount of collaboration, resourcefulness, and innovation. We view ourselves as the research and development wing of American theater. We are proud to provide a training ground for Broadway’s future stars, writers, technicians, designers and other artistic and management personal.

We have been called "A mecca for teriffic off- off Broadway theater," by Martin Denton of NYTheatre.com and “the epicenter of the independent theater world in New York," By Leonard Jacobs Director of the Cultural Institutions Unit at NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Rachel Chavkin of the TEAM has written that "Companies tend to establish a reputation around the Horse Trade Theaters."

The Impact

The building that houses our UNDER St Marks Theater, one of our three theater spaces, is now up for sale. We hope to purchase 94 St. Marks Place and make a permanent space where artists can create, learn, grow and share. The amount of money we are attempting to raise in this fundraising drive is not enough to buy the building, but it will be enough to launch a capitol campaign that will allow us to do so.

What We Need & What You Get

We will use the funds we raise to draw up architectural plans, create legal documents, and put together a professional business and marketing packet. These things cost money and this is why we are asking for your help. What you will get in return, aside from the trinkets associated with your donation amount, is a permanent home for artists to come and express themselves in front of a live theater audience. You will have a hand in creating a place for people to share their work, get inspired or just be entertained in the company of others. If you have seen a show at UNDER St. Marks you understand; if you have not, then help us insure that you get that opportunity.

Other Ways You Can Help

Please pass word about this campaign to everyone you know, the NYC real estate market is tough to beat but our work goes out to people all over the North America and there is real power in numbers, help us reach those numbers and increase our power.

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