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Tickets to BUZZER: https//Buzzer.Brownpapertickets.com

Synopsis

Jackson is a young, successful African American attorney determined to build a life in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of his youth. When he returns “home” with his girlfriend, a teacher named Suzy, and best friend fresh out of rehab, Don—both white, the trio are soon forced to confront the simmering racial and sexual tensions that exist both inside their home, and outside their apartment.

Salted Lemon's inaugural production "BUZZER"

Buzzer’s strength as a low budget production is also its strength as a story– it is profoundly intimate, offering an awkward, hilarious, and heartbreaking view of the costs of modern life. Salted Lemon is thrilled to team with Court Square Theater to bring Buzzer to life in Long Island City, a major center of New York City’s housing and gentrification crisis.

Actors Gloria Bangiola, Langston Reese and Vincent Van der Velde, wonderful director, Toni Kwadzogah and stage manager as well as jack of all trades Aryn Geier will produce this play as an 8 show run this May at Court Square Theater.

Co-founder and producer Gloria Bangiola on why she chose the play

Before I became an actor, I taught music in elementary schools in the Bronx for two years and then ran an after school program for four years in Washington Heights. It was the first time in my life I was the minority— the only white teacher in a school of mostly black and brown children and teachers. After my first week, one of my colleagues advised me that I needed to yell at the students or they wouldn’t respect me, a comment that definitely reflected my being a short blonde woman. I didn’t know whether or not to take that advice. In a way, she was right. The kids took advantage of me because they thought there would be no consequences— normal kid behavior. Yet I was also keenly aware that my yelling would carry a different weight than when other teachers yelled. It would feel more dangerous to them, because it is more dangerous.

Buzzer is the first play I’ve ever read that captures in hilarious, tragic, and above all, cringey relief the way that advice turned my stomach.

Salted Lemon's mission statement

We brought together a very competent, diverse, and passionate team of artists who not only view Buzzer as a story worth telling - one we can all relate to - but one that NEEDS telling.

Salted Lemon aims to create and produce work that always originates from a personal trigger, focusing on social issues and what binds us as human beings in our needs, desires, aspirations, and mistakes. The beauty is in the flaw. 

About the Playwright

Tracey Scott Wilson is an American playwright, television writer, television producer, and screenwriter. She graduated from Rutgers University, with a BA in English and from Temple University with an MA in English Literature. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Wilson began writing fiction after graduating from Temple University. Finding herself unable to finish a novel, she decided to take a playwriting class. "I didn't see much theater as a kid, so I had no expectations....It just took me over." Wilson soon realized that she had found her métier and wrote a number of short plays. At the encouragement of her mentor, playwright Chiori Miyagawa, Wilson applied for and won a New York Theatre Workshop fellowship in 1998.

Wilson's first major Manhattan production was in 2003 with The Story at the Public Theater. The Good Negro was produced at The Public and then at the Goodman Theater in 2010. Wilson's Buzzer was produced as part of the Goodman's 2013–14 season and was added to the Public Theater's 2014–15 season in October 2014. She has taught and guest lectured at Brown University, Yale University, Rutgers University and New York University.

Wilson was nominated for a Writer's Guild of America Award and received an Emmy nomination for her work on the FX drama series The Americans. She also credited as the screenwriter for Respect, the 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic.

What We Need

In order to honor the play and the playwright, a quality production is key. A really good story deserves to look like something and an excellent crew deserves to be paid.

With your help we can aim to:

• Expand our overall production budget.
• Cover the cost of our theater venue.
• Pay the fantastic cast & crew what they deserve, even the ones who volunteered.
• Provide a rental space for rehearsals leading up to performances.
• Expand our design and marketing budget.
• Reach out to possible investors.
• Help us cover transaction fees, legal fees, insurance fees, you get the gist.

What You Get

You will be donating to a group of highly talented and dedicated industry professionals who are eager to make their mark in a competitive industry economically struggling to stay afloat. Storytelling is in our blood. We talk it, walk it, ... and you are giving us a proper platform.

We have several fantastic incentives for you - from a personalized video or audio message to two free tickets for opening night and even a producer credit in the playbill itself.

Go check it out!

What if we exceed our goal?

Exceeding our goal means 2 things.

Firstly, it would mean that we could extend our run. Yay!

Secondly, after covering all of our bases, paying everyone on this team what they deserve, and paying our investors, we will use what is left towards our second production. Exciting!

What if we don't reach our goal?

Not to worry, we have different scenarios in place depending on the budget available to us. 

This production will happen.

Of course we'd love to be able to work with a budget that can help us obtain the goals we have set for this wonderful project. A professional project with similar ambitions simply can't run on empty.

Other Ways You Can Help

Sometimes you just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean you can't help:

• SPREAD THE WORD!
• Come see our show: https://buzzer.brownpapertickets.com
• Follow us on IG & FB @saltedlemonprod
• Like and comment on our posts
• Share our content on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Threads and any other platform you can think of
• Tell everyone you know
• If you can find someone to donate $250 (verified by their reference) then you have earned yourself a shoutout on our socials!

Key dates

• March- May 5th: Pre-production and rehearsals
• April 10th - May 20th: Crowdfunding campaign
• May 10th - May 18th: BUZZER goes live!

A big thank you & lots of love,

Salted Lemon