VitalSaenz
Lowell, Massachusetts | Theatre
Horror, Drama
VitalSaenz Productions creates inclusive live theater that welcomes all people onstage, backstage, and in the audience. We challenge barriers of privilege and representation by producing work that reflects and engages diverse, underrepresented communities.
4 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$350
Goal: $27,500 for production
VitalSaenz Productions creates inclusive live theater that welcomes all people onstage, backstage, and in the audience. We challenge barriers of privilege and representation by producing work that reflects and engages diverse, underrepresented communities.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Young Louise has been incarcerated in the asylum at Saint Léger, but is now declared well enough to return home. She is set to leave in the morning. But she is terrified to spend one more night there. Her roommates, the woman from Normandy and the hunchback, have been eyeing her strangely. And what have they been planning with the one-eyed invalid who rooms next door? The sister in charge seems unconcerned. The doctor is more interested in Louise for…who knows? What will happen to Louise if she must remain in the madhouse for one. More. Night?
“A Crime in a Madhouse” was one of the original entertainments presented by a theater in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, called The Grand Guignol. Internationally famous for their shows that caused grown men to faint and women to vomit in the aisles, The Grand Guignol thrived for about 50 years and then closed its doors forever. Their shows were salacious and gratuitously violent, but also tense and nerve-jangling. Some of the original scripts they developed, including this one, were co-authored by Alfred Binet, one of the fathers of modern psychology.
VS Short Overview
VitalSaenz Productions is an anti-discrimination organization dedicated to creating live performances for everyone. We recognize that live theater has a reputation for being the realm of the rich, white, privileged and abled few. We would like to work to revitalize live theater as a place where everyone is welcome, both on the stage, behind the scenes and in the audience. We aim to present works that are not only appealing to broader audiences, but that speak directly to underrepresented populations.
Statement of Need
In a world of media, video games, film, virtual reality and other technology-based diversions, live theater is becoming something of a dying art. And even where it thrives, there is the perception (and the reality) that live theater is an experience limited to certain populations, namely the rich, the white and those with advanced educations. The community of Lowell, MA, as well as the North Shore of Boston and the Boston/Vermont/New Hampshire area, are home to a population of great diversity: people of color, people of varying sexual orientations and gender identities, disabled people. Live theater should be an experience for all these people as well. While Lowell is home to a professional theater, the local offerings are not the type that speak directly to these populations or invite them into the experience of live theater. Lowell also has a burgeoning visual arts community and a strong live music scene, but not much to offer in the way of live theater. VitalSaenz Productions is dedicated to creating live performances that are not only created by these populations but that present works about these populations and for them as well.
Description of Project
VitalSaenz would like to produce a new type of Halloween experience in the form of a live theater event. The performance would be short (30-45 minutes) and with a Halloween theme. The intention is to make live theater an entertaining and appealing experience for people who might not usually attend the theater. By presenting a short, fun piece and marketing it as a new type of Halloween experience, we can build an event that would recur annually and help to make Lowell an alternative destination for the growing number of people seeking Halloween fun. VitalSaenz Productions will always be dedicated to employing company members of color, people from the LGBTQ+ community and disabled folx. The performance would be priced affordably, with a range of ticket prices from $10 to $45, so that students and low income patrons would be able to attend.
Financial Wishlist/Budget
Actors: $7000-$10,000 depending on the cast size
Lighting: $4000
Costumes: $1000
Set Materials: $1000
Director: $3000
Design Team: $3000
Publicity/Marketing Materials: $1000
Publicity/Marketing Design: $2000
Stage Management: $2000
Set/House Crew: $500
Total: $27,500
STRETCH!
In the event that funding exceeds our goal, additional funds will be used to:
• Provide supplemental compensation for actors and creative personnel.
• Establish a financial reserve ("nest egg") to help ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of VitalSaenz.
• Expand community outreach and theater education initiatives, bringing arts programming to local schools and young people who may not otherwise have access to theater and arts education.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Actors
Costs $10,000
Paying local actors fairly supports artists, strengthens independent theater, and sustains the local arts community.
Lighting
Costs $4,000
Performance and work lights ensure visibility, safety, and atmosphere, bringing the production to life on and off stage.
Costumes and Set Pieces
Costs $2,000
Costumes and set pieces create an immersive world, enhancing storytelling and bringing characters and scenes to life.
Director
Costs $3,000
A skilled director unifies the cast, story, and design, shaping a compelling and cohesive theatrical experience.
Design Team
Costs $3,000
A strong set design team creates the visual world of the play, supporting storytelling, mood, and audience immersion.
Puiblicity, Advertising and Marketing Design
Costs $3,000
Effective publicity builds awareness, attracts audiences, and helps ensure the success and sustainability of a production.
House Crew and Stage Management
Costs $2,500
A skilled stage crew keeps the production running safely and smoothly, ensuring every performance happens as planned.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Timmy and Michael are a gay married gay couple who have been gay married for fourteen years. Timmy is a visual artist and Michael is a theater artist. They complement each other very well, strengthening each other’s weaknesses and weakening each other’s strengths. After the crying and yelling are over they manage to create some amazing stuff together. Through collaboration and vicious personal attacks come great works of art that reflect their acerbic and fabulous natures.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Young Louise has been incarcerated in the asylum at Saint Léger, but is now declared well enough to return home. She is set to leave in the morning. But she is terrified to spend one more night there. Her roommates, the woman from Normandy and the hunchback, have been eyeing her strangely. And what have they been planning with the one-eyed invalid who rooms next door? The sister in charge seems unconcerned. The doctor is more interested in Louise for…who knows? What will happen to Louise if she must remain in the madhouse for one. More. Night?
“A Crime in a Madhouse” was one of the original entertainments presented by a theater in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, called The Grand Guignol. Internationally famous for their shows that caused grown men to faint and women to vomit in the aisles, The Grand Guignol thrived for about 50 years and then closed its doors forever. Their shows were salacious and gratuitously violent, but also tense and nerve-jangling. Some of the original scripts they developed, including this one, were co-authored by Alfred Binet, one of the fathers of modern psychology.
VS Short Overview
VitalSaenz Productions is an anti-discrimination organization dedicated to creating live performances for everyone. We recognize that live theater has a reputation for being the realm of the rich, white, privileged and abled few. We would like to work to revitalize live theater as a place where everyone is welcome, both on the stage, behind the scenes and in the audience. We aim to present works that are not only appealing to broader audiences, but that speak directly to underrepresented populations.
Statement of Need
In a world of media, video games, film, virtual reality and other technology-based diversions, live theater is becoming something of a dying art. And even where it thrives, there is the perception (and the reality) that live theater is an experience limited to certain populations, namely the rich, the white and those with advanced educations. The community of Lowell, MA, as well as the North Shore of Boston and the Boston/Vermont/New Hampshire area, are home to a population of great diversity: people of color, people of varying sexual orientations and gender identities, disabled people. Live theater should be an experience for all these people as well. While Lowell is home to a professional theater, the local offerings are not the type that speak directly to these populations or invite them into the experience of live theater. Lowell also has a burgeoning visual arts community and a strong live music scene, but not much to offer in the way of live theater. VitalSaenz Productions is dedicated to creating live performances that are not only created by these populations but that present works about these populations and for them as well.
Description of Project
VitalSaenz would like to produce a new type of Halloween experience in the form of a live theater event. The performance would be short (30-45 minutes) and with a Halloween theme. The intention is to make live theater an entertaining and appealing experience for people who might not usually attend the theater. By presenting a short, fun piece and marketing it as a new type of Halloween experience, we can build an event that would recur annually and help to make Lowell an alternative destination for the growing number of people seeking Halloween fun. VitalSaenz Productions will always be dedicated to employing company members of color, people from the LGBTQ+ community and disabled folx. The performance would be priced affordably, with a range of ticket prices from $10 to $45, so that students and low income patrons would be able to attend.
Financial Wishlist/Budget
Actors: $7000-$10,000 depending on the cast size
Lighting: $4000
Costumes: $1000
Set Materials: $1000
Director: $3000
Design Team: $3000
Publicity/Marketing Materials: $1000
Publicity/Marketing Design: $2000
Stage Management: $2000
Set/House Crew: $500
Total: $27,500
STRETCH!
In the event that funding exceeds our goal, additional funds will be used to:
• Provide supplemental compensation for actors and creative personnel.
• Establish a financial reserve ("nest egg") to help ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of VitalSaenz.
• Expand community outreach and theater education initiatives, bringing arts programming to local schools and young people who may not otherwise have access to theater and arts education.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Actors
Costs $10,000
Paying local actors fairly supports artists, strengthens independent theater, and sustains the local arts community.
Lighting
Costs $4,000
Performance and work lights ensure visibility, safety, and atmosphere, bringing the production to life on and off stage.
Costumes and Set Pieces
Costs $2,000
Costumes and set pieces create an immersive world, enhancing storytelling and bringing characters and scenes to life.
Director
Costs $3,000
A skilled director unifies the cast, story, and design, shaping a compelling and cohesive theatrical experience.
Design Team
Costs $3,000
A strong set design team creates the visual world of the play, supporting storytelling, mood, and audience immersion.
Puiblicity, Advertising and Marketing Design
Costs $3,000
Effective publicity builds awareness, attracts audiences, and helps ensure the success and sustainability of a production.
House Crew and Stage Management
Costs $2,500
A skilled stage crew keeps the production running safely and smoothly, ensuring every performance happens as planned.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Timmy and Michael are a gay married gay couple who have been gay married for fourteen years. Timmy is a visual artist and Michael is a theater artist. They complement each other very well, strengthening each other’s weaknesses and weakening each other’s strengths. After the crying and yelling are over they manage to create some amazing stuff together. Through collaboration and vicious personal attacks come great works of art that reflect their acerbic and fabulous natures.