Gissel and I were ranting, borderline haters, at the industry and the movement of our careers. Where was the work for us? For two young people. Both children of immigrants. Graduates of an excellent acting school. Searching for Roles not just about people of color, but for them. We wanted a very human story that wasn't necessarily about our struggles as people of color, immigrants or children of immigrants. You can tell what has informed someones life just by reading what they’ve written and we weren’t hearing our backgrounds or our voices unless it was screamed at us.

I realized then that my play needed to be as honest as the life I have lived since the pandemic, my dad passing, my mom's struggles, and leaving Michigan to come to NYC. I would not be gentle about telling this story because the story wasn't just for me. It was for Gissel and all the other people who were stuck where I was stuck. - DAVID NAJAM LISKOW

David told me he had a draft for a play and I was excited to work together again, so I told him to send it to me so we could get started on trying to make it come to life. But when I read the play I left with so much more clarity on my own past. This play healed something in my broken heart and gave me clarity about a situation I felt I would never understand. It gave me hope for my own healing and made me confront the ways I experience loss and heartbreak. The story and world we plan to create we’re hoping will help people who are lost find their way back home.  - GISSEL VILLANUEVA

We are all young hungry artists who have been grinding to perfect our craft so we can start taking on New York City theatre. The core team are all recent graduates of the Atlantic acting school and have put in the hours outside of school. This play takes our control back. We are able to secure a product that is allowed to grow and ground itself through our first hand experiences. In a world of A.I. and quick videos we want to make you sit with yourself and our characters for a moment. We have spent the last year preparing this project. As rehearsals near we need this funding to secure talent, pay our crew, and pay for rehearsal space. The festival is in early February and there is no turning back now. Our dream is to share this cathartic story. 

A quick synposis: Do Not Go Gentle is a journey that goes through the stages of grief leading to acceptance. In a Detroit parking lot, Nicole and Mark, a couple from Ohio, have just enjoyed a lovely night out at a Strokes concert. They discover their car is missing. As the night unfolds, we learn why it was so important for them to have a night out together and to return to Ohio. They encounter two locals, Jillyan and Darien, who work in the Coney Island diner by the parking lot. They offer help that goes beyond the search for a missing car. Mark and Darien find support with each other as Darien offers wisdom and advice to an indecisive Mark. Meanwhile, Nicole and Jillyan grow closer as they discover how their lives have intersected.

My name is Orson Ansari-Cox, and I have the honor and privilege of directing this play. A story that explores grief and the strain it can have on a relationship is something I’ve always been drawn to. I’m incredibly excited to share this play with you, and I hope you take away what I did when I first read it: a show that wants its viewer to consider their own relationship with grief and how one must mitigate the self-destructive tendencies that arise.

David Liskow has been a friend for years and a joy to collaborate with on this production. I know how much this show has meant to him, and with that, I deeply ask for your support to make this show a reality. We already have dates set, but we always need help getting the message out and ensuring artists are compensated for their hard work." - ORSON ANASARI-COX

This money will go immdieatley and directly to paying for everything on our wishlist which includes our great talent, amazing crew, and the all the little things that make a theatre production something great and powerful. This play became near and dear to my heart and I believe anyone that gets to watch this story unfold will leave transformed with different perspectives about life, grief, forgiveness, and trust. Come so you can be a part of something with us! Experience your own catharsis, your own healing, or maybe even your own acceptance. But before we can make any of that happen for an audience we need help from you. So join us! Pretty please ;) - GISSEL VILLANUEVA