Anima Theater of the Feminine Underground needs to raise $8365 by October 23, 2026.
Mother Earth poem
Who we are and how we support the community… Anima is a women-centric, ritual theater collective. Our intention is to inspire individual and collective transformation through creative expression and to amplify the voice of the feminine spirit in all beings.
A mother's ritual prayer to help her daughter break free from an abusive relationship We perform bi-annually (two shows per run) at Center Stage Theater downtown Santa Barbara, California. Our core team consists of actresses, dancers, singers, poets, musicians and storytellers. Every show we also make space for a few women to courageously step onto the stage for the very first time. There are ten different performances per show, including solo and ensemble pieces.
Shifting from auto-pilot to self agency Beyond entertainment, Anima takes the audience on an emotional and psychological journey. Every piece has some aspect of ritual, whether it's personal or invitational, and includes the audience. We curate multi-disciplinary performances that weave together dance, music, film and spoken word. Our aim isn’t just for applause. We are here for the healing, inquiry, emotional release, truth recognition, initiation, integration and renewal that happens in ritual theater.
Claiming inner, divine law
Anima creates containers for collective feeling. We metabolize cultural shadow through story. We restore the ancient practice of communal witnessing. We protect mystery and depth in a world that has become fragmented, overstimulated and spiritually malnourished. In every performance, we make space for grief, joy, tenderness, humor, rage and beauty to exist side by side.
Feeling all of our feelings
Since its beginning in 2017 Anima Theater of the Feminine Underground has been a labor of love. The artists of Anima are not paid for their time or performances. Nor has its founder and producer, Lisa Citore, ever profited from Anima. Artists spend their own money on all of the costumes, props and audio/visuals, often going into debt creating their pieces. Every show they must scramble to find free rehearsal spaces or pay for them out of pocket. Every artist spends dozens of unpaid hours (every show) creating, shaping, choreographing and rehearsing their pieces without financial compensation. No one is reimbursed after a show.
Healing the feminine bloodline
Theater is expensive. It costs us approximately $8365 to put on a two-show-run at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara, CA. (See cost breakdown below). This means after theater and equipment rentals, tech labor and production costs, not to mention the additional admin and credit card fees per ticket, if Anima sells out for two nights, we basically break even.
Crossing from girl to woman What your donation helps pay for:
Rehearsal space rental: $300 Theater rental: $1315 Tech labor: $1534.38 Director: $600 Stage Manager: $300 Box office and HM labor: $450 Production rentals (sound board, cyc lights, moving lights, side light trees, video projector, wireless mics, dance floor) : $680 Center Stage Admin Fee: $1346.30 Credit card fees (on average per show run): $415 Programs: $200
Remembering who we come from and are always connected to
We want to be able to pay our director and stage manager. We want to reimburse artists for their expenses, so they don't have to pay out of pocket and lose money by being in a show. Ideally, we'd love to pay each of the ten signature artists in the show $100, which is just a small token of appreciation for their time, energy and talent. We rehearse four months out of every year and facilitate four communal creative labs per year in between performances. We'd love to have our own, permanent rehearsal space.
Metabolizing our trash Worth is a wound many of us carry, especially women. Anima is one of the few female-identified, ritual theater collectives of its kind. We believe that the work of awakening and uplifting the feminine spirit in all beings has worth. We believe in the power of creativity to transform culture. We also believe that healing the wound of worth begins by each of us choosing to value what we want to see grow.
The fragmentation and uniting of the Feminine
The artists of Anima have carried this work for nearly a decade. Now we need our community to help us carry it forward.
Midlife Revival We are excited to be fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, so all donations are tax-deductible.
Can we count on your support?
Rewards
Community Tender
Donate $25.00 or more
Amount is fully tax-deductible.
You'll receive a personal thank you from us on Instagram.
Patron of Beauty
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount is fully tax-deductible.
You'll receive a personal thank you from us on Instagram and your name listed in our October 2026 show program.
Guardian of Mystery
Donate $100.00 or more
Amount is fully tax-deductible.
You'll receive a personal thank you from us on Instagram, your name in the October 2026 show program and you'll be permanently listed under Friends of Anima on our website.
Ritual Keeper
Donate $200.00 or more
Amount is fully tax-deductible.
You'll receive all of the above, plus honorable mention at our fundraising party.that's going to be AMAZING! As soon as we set the date, you'll be the first to know.
Culture Whisperer
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $5.00 is tax-deductible.
You'll receive all of the above, along with a personal, handwritten love letter from the artists of Anima, plus a virtual photo album of our October show.
Feminine Flame Bearer
Donate $750.00 or more
Amount is fully tax-deductible.
You'll receive all of the above, plus personal thank you videos from each of the Artists of Anima.
Anima Avatar
Donate $1,000.00 or more
Amount over $100.00 is tax-deductible.
You'll receive all of the above, plus complimentary admittance to our fundraising party that's going to be AMAZING! As soon as we set the date, you'll be the first to know.
