My colleague Nick Gereffi and I founded The Indigo Theatre Project in the fall of 2012 when we realized that there were many remarkable pieces of theatre we'd never had the opportunity to see live. We decided to present readings of these pieces, but resolved to do more than simply reproduce them. Combining artistry and advocacy, The Indigo Theatre Project's mission is to produce readings of high-profile plays to benefit specific, related non-profit organizations. We seek to pair our plays with an organization aligned with the play's author or that resonates with the plays' themes.
In 2013, we were fortunate enough to present three sold-out readings with star-studded casts: Lynn Nottage's INTIMATE APPAREL in January 2013, directed by Jade King Carroll as a benefit for Donor Direct Action; Wendy Wasserstein's UNCOMMON WOMEN AND OTHERS in May 2013, directed by Leigh Silverman as a benefit for TDF Open Doors; and Craig Lucas's RECKLESS in October 2013, directed by Kate Whoriskey (starring Golden Globe winner Tina Fey) as a benefit for Safe Horizon. In total, we were able to raise almost $20,000 in our first year.
Audiences have responded positively to our mission and we recognize that we've developed a powerful artistic model. This year we endeavor to produce two benefit readings: Robert Harling's THE FIRST WIVES CLUB screenplay in the summer of 2014 (to aid a women's center, as they do in the script) and Lisa Kron's IN THE WAKE in fall 2014 (to aid an LGBT organization as the play explores the themes of sexuality). However, we still have to cover the costs of space rentals, marketing tools, food for actors, and various other expenses that arise throughout the process. For these reasons, I've decided to apply to Awesome Without Borders.
We believe that with a grant from Awesome Without Borders, we would be able to extend our impact--bringing in more audiences and funds to the nonprofits we support--thus empowering the mission of The Indigo Theatre Project.