Lightweight
Los Angeles, California | Theatre
Comedy, Drama
This darkly comedic solo play is the true story of a woman's time in an addiction treatment center to recover from anorexia, and how her wildly dysfunctional family, a seductive cupcake, the ghost of a dead music icon, and an alluring new patient turn an initial 28 day stay into a year-long odyssey.
Lightweight
Los Angeles, California | Theatre
Comedy, Drama
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $29,565 for festivals. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
183 supporters | followers
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This darkly comedic solo play is the true story of a woman's time in an addiction treatment center to recover from anorexia, and how her wildly dysfunctional family, a seductive cupcake, the ghost of a dead music icon, and an alluring new patient turn an initial 28 day stay into a year-long odyssey.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
What Is Lightweight?
Lightweight is the true story of creator and performer Amie Enriquez's year-long stay in a 28 day addiction treatment facility as a last ditch attempt to recover from anorexia. After spending her teenage years obsessing over body image and diets, Amie's relationship with food takes a dramatic and deadly turn after she experiences the trauma of 9/11 while living in New York City. Living in deep denial, Amie maintains a painfully cheerful disposition while navigating the inconvenient side effects of laxative abuse and dodging dinners with her pushy Italian family. When she unwillingly enters rehab, she becomes fixated on being the perfect addict... until a new patient enters treatment and turns her pseudo euphoric world upside down.
What Is Happening With Lightweight?
After two successful sold out runs in Los Angeles at the Second City Hollywood and an award-winning sold out off Broadway run as part of the United Solo Festival in NYC, Lightweight is now heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland for a full run of 26 shows in August 2022! This is the world's largest arts festival, and Lightweight was accepted into the famed Underbelly venue, where iconic shows have previously made their international debut! Lightweight will be in legendary company!
Why This Story? Why Now?
Lightweight is a story about addiction, anorexia, and grappling to survive life after almost death. It is told with humor, heart, and honesty in order to shed a light and lift the stigma on this common yet greatly misunderstood disease. In 2020, Anorexia nervosa had the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric diseases. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, eating disorders rapidly increased at an alarming rate. You don’t have to be familiar with eating disorders in order to relate to this show. Lightweight explores the complex relationships with not only food and our bodies, but also our families, friends, peers, and ourselves. Above all, Amie wants to give her audiences permission to laugh at the difficult, the uncomfortable, and the unknown.
Who Is Lightweight?
Lightweight consists of a small yet mighty team:
Amie Enriquez was born and raised in New Rochelle, NY and came to Los Angeles by way of Hawaii. A graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC, Amie has studied and performed with the Second City Hollywood, The Groundlings, and the Jim Henson Company. If you’ve seen a single episode of Days of our Lives or The Young And The Restless in the last few years, you’ve most likely seen her drifting around as “the waitress”. A lifelong obsession with the paranormal brought her to co-create and co-host the podcast Banshees and Booze. She opened Lightweight in Los Angeles in 2019 and plans to continue touring after Edinburgh.
Lauren Weedman is an award winning actress, playwright and author, and the host of the popular Moth Storytelling series in LA. Her numerous television credits include HBO’s Hacks, Euphoria, and Looking. She also stars in the upcoming comedic powerhouse film Spin Me Round. She is the author of published books A Woman Trapped in a Woman's Body: Tales from a Life of Cringe as well as Miss Fortune: Fresh Perspectives on Having it All From Someone Who Is Not Okay.
What Does Lightweight Need To Succeed?
Producing live theatre is exhilarating and rewarding, but it also comes with high financial costs - costs that have risen tremendously in recent years! As the only producer and cast member of this show, 100% of the financing rests on my shoulders. With your help, here is where the funds will go:
32.8% of budget to travel, lodging, and meals
28.4% to PR and marketing (poster print and design, publicity photo shoots, publicist fees, marketing fees)
17.2% goes to tech and theatre crews to operate lights, sound, video and run theatre operations
17.2% also goes to renting the venue (Wee Coo at Underbelly) and its fees
4.3% of budget goes to additional miscellaneous expenses such as shipping of costumes, props, and merch
We Also Need Likes, Comments, & Shares (it goes a long way)!
You can support this project by spreading awareness! You can do this several ways:
By sharing the campaign link on your Facebook and Twitter accounts, and/or by liking the Facebook Page
If you are inclined - feel free to copy and paste the following to your Twitter account:
- I just contributed to @lightweightshow, a solo play about anorexia and addiction treatment. https://bit.ly/lightweightplay
If you are inclined - feel free to copy and paste the following to your Instagram account:
- I support female storytellers! Join me in funding @lightweight_show, a darkly comedic solo play about anorexia, addiction, and suriving life after almost death. https://bit.ly/lightweightplay
What will happen after the campaign succeeds?
After this campaing successfully closes, all incentives will be delivered to those who have pledged, and then Lightweight is going to Edinburgh Festival Fringe for a full run of shows this August! The goal at Fringe is to receive glowing reviews, a more diverse set of eyes on this show, and to gain enough interest and momentum that a tour of the show will be produced afterwards. Longer term goals are a book and a filmed special so that everyone has access to Lightweight. This campaign is the first and most imortant step in achieving these goals!
S-T-R-E-T-C-H Goals!
Should we surpass the goal for this campaign, the money will go towards showcasing Lightweight at NACA - the National Association for Campus Activities. The goal of showcasing at NACA is to land a college tour. Given the current politcal climate around woman's bodies plus the rising number of eating disorders in young people, the time has never been better for students to view Lightweight on their campus followed by a moderated talk-back. The cost to showcase and pitch the show in front of campus leaders regionally this fall is $2500.
Previous praise for Lightweight
Thank You For Helping Lightweight Go To Edinburgh Festival Fringe!
Edinburgh is only the beginning, but it can’t happen without your support! Thank you for taking this journey with Lightweight. May a successful run at Fringe ensure that you will be able to see this incredible show at a theatre near you in the future!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Travel to Scotland
Costs $2,500
Help pay for a roundtrip ticket plus bringing props, costumes, and Cuppy across the pond!
Living Abroad
Costs $3,000
A girl's gotta eat! And live! In Scotland... for a month.
Production Costs
Costs $3,000
Insurance, licenses, registrations... it all adds up fast for an international production!
Theatre Rental
Costs $2,000
Rental of theatre space at Underbelly!
Publicity
Costs $5,000
Publicist fees, publicity photo shoots, hair/makeup/styling fees.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Lodging
Costs $6,000
This adorable flat that I'm renting for 5 weeks was considered a bargain! Hope it's not haunted!
Tach Crew
Costs $3,000
A strong team to operate the house, sound, lights, and video for a full month of shows at Fringe.
Marketing
Costs $5,000
Poster and flyer printing, distribution, marketing fees, rental of real estate to advertise show.
Share this update!
About This Team
Melissa is an incredible consulting producer who successfully funded her own solo play and has helped so many others succeed!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
What Is Lightweight?
Lightweight is the true story of creator and performer Amie Enriquez's year-long stay in a 28 day addiction treatment facility as a last ditch attempt to recover from anorexia. After spending her teenage years obsessing over body image and diets, Amie's relationship with food takes a dramatic and deadly turn after she experiences the trauma of 9/11 while living in New York City. Living in deep denial, Amie maintains a painfully cheerful disposition while navigating the inconvenient side effects of laxative abuse and dodging dinners with her pushy Italian family. When she unwillingly enters rehab, she becomes fixated on being the perfect addict... until a new patient enters treatment and turns her pseudo euphoric world upside down.
What Is Happening With Lightweight?
After two successful sold out runs in Los Angeles at the Second City Hollywood and an award-winning sold out off Broadway run as part of the United Solo Festival in NYC, Lightweight is now heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland for a full run of 26 shows in August 2022! This is the world's largest arts festival, and Lightweight was accepted into the famed Underbelly venue, where iconic shows have previously made their international debut! Lightweight will be in legendary company!
Why This Story? Why Now?
Lightweight is a story about addiction, anorexia, and grappling to survive life after almost death. It is told with humor, heart, and honesty in order to shed a light and lift the stigma on this common yet greatly misunderstood disease. In 2020, Anorexia nervosa had the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric diseases. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, eating disorders rapidly increased at an alarming rate. You don’t have to be familiar with eating disorders in order to relate to this show. Lightweight explores the complex relationships with not only food and our bodies, but also our families, friends, peers, and ourselves. Above all, Amie wants to give her audiences permission to laugh at the difficult, the uncomfortable, and the unknown.
Who Is Lightweight?
Lightweight consists of a small yet mighty team:
Amie Enriquez was born and raised in New Rochelle, NY and came to Los Angeles by way of Hawaii. A graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC, Amie has studied and performed with the Second City Hollywood, The Groundlings, and the Jim Henson Company. If you’ve seen a single episode of Days of our Lives or The Young And The Restless in the last few years, you’ve most likely seen her drifting around as “the waitress”. A lifelong obsession with the paranormal brought her to co-create and co-host the podcast Banshees and Booze. She opened Lightweight in Los Angeles in 2019 and plans to continue touring after Edinburgh.
Lauren Weedman is an award winning actress, playwright and author, and the host of the popular Moth Storytelling series in LA. Her numerous television credits include HBO’s Hacks, Euphoria, and Looking. She also stars in the upcoming comedic powerhouse film Spin Me Round. She is the author of published books A Woman Trapped in a Woman's Body: Tales from a Life of Cringe as well as Miss Fortune: Fresh Perspectives on Having it All From Someone Who Is Not Okay.
What Does Lightweight Need To Succeed?
Producing live theatre is exhilarating and rewarding, but it also comes with high financial costs - costs that have risen tremendously in recent years! As the only producer and cast member of this show, 100% of the financing rests on my shoulders. With your help, here is where the funds will go:
32.8% of budget to travel, lodging, and meals
28.4% to PR and marketing (poster print and design, publicity photo shoots, publicist fees, marketing fees)
17.2% goes to tech and theatre crews to operate lights, sound, video and run theatre operations
17.2% also goes to renting the venue (Wee Coo at Underbelly) and its fees
4.3% of budget goes to additional miscellaneous expenses such as shipping of costumes, props, and merch
We Also Need Likes, Comments, & Shares (it goes a long way)!
You can support this project by spreading awareness! You can do this several ways:
By sharing the campaign link on your Facebook and Twitter accounts, and/or by liking the Facebook Page
If you are inclined - feel free to copy and paste the following to your Twitter account:
- I just contributed to @lightweightshow, a solo play about anorexia and addiction treatment. https://bit.ly/lightweightplay
If you are inclined - feel free to copy and paste the following to your Instagram account:
- I support female storytellers! Join me in funding @lightweight_show, a darkly comedic solo play about anorexia, addiction, and suriving life after almost death. https://bit.ly/lightweightplay
What will happen after the campaign succeeds?
After this campaing successfully closes, all incentives will be delivered to those who have pledged, and then Lightweight is going to Edinburgh Festival Fringe for a full run of shows this August! The goal at Fringe is to receive glowing reviews, a more diverse set of eyes on this show, and to gain enough interest and momentum that a tour of the show will be produced afterwards. Longer term goals are a book and a filmed special so that everyone has access to Lightweight. This campaign is the first and most imortant step in achieving these goals!
S-T-R-E-T-C-H Goals!
Should we surpass the goal for this campaign, the money will go towards showcasing Lightweight at NACA - the National Association for Campus Activities. The goal of showcasing at NACA is to land a college tour. Given the current politcal climate around woman's bodies plus the rising number of eating disorders in young people, the time has never been better for students to view Lightweight on their campus followed by a moderated talk-back. The cost to showcase and pitch the show in front of campus leaders regionally this fall is $2500.
Previous praise for Lightweight
Thank You For Helping Lightweight Go To Edinburgh Festival Fringe!
Edinburgh is only the beginning, but it can’t happen without your support! Thank you for taking this journey with Lightweight. May a successful run at Fringe ensure that you will be able to see this incredible show at a theatre near you in the future!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Travel to Scotland
Costs $2,500
Help pay for a roundtrip ticket plus bringing props, costumes, and Cuppy across the pond!
Living Abroad
Costs $3,000
A girl's gotta eat! And live! In Scotland... for a month.
Production Costs
Costs $3,000
Insurance, licenses, registrations... it all adds up fast for an international production!
Theatre Rental
Costs $2,000
Rental of theatre space at Underbelly!
Publicity
Costs $5,000
Publicist fees, publicity photo shoots, hair/makeup/styling fees.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Lodging
Costs $6,000
This adorable flat that I'm renting for 5 weeks was considered a bargain! Hope it's not haunted!
Tach Crew
Costs $3,000
A strong team to operate the house, sound, lights, and video for a full month of shows at Fringe.
Marketing
Costs $5,000
Poster and flyer printing, distribution, marketing fees, rental of real estate to advertise show.
Share this update!
About This Team
Melissa is an incredible consulting producer who successfully funded her own solo play and has helped so many others succeed!