We jumped past $1600 in 48 minutes (thank you, Emily Penick! ).

This photo is from a 2010 Mortar Theatre fundraiser in Chicago—our first year as a company. 

Meghann’s in there, some dear friends too, and none of us ever figured out what was said that made us all look like this.

Help me look just as surprised again: donate to St. Louis artists and new plays: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/con.../campaigns/6383

 #50thBirthday #ProfessorHouse #ContrabandTheatre #StLouisTheatre #Fundraiser #MortarTheatre #ChicagoTheatre #MFAplaywriting #TheatreLife #BehindTheScenes #EmbarrassingPhotos"

Back in 2011, I posted this photo of me in a Burger King crown during grad school theatre days.

My friend and mentor Rob Koon immediately commented:

‘So, that’s a Whopper (no cheese), fries, and a Medium Coke. Yes I do have multiple graduate degrees… why do you ask?’

I replied: ‘That is correct, Rob. That is correct.’

And in the perfect full-circle twist, it was Rob’s donation that unlocked this photo for the campaign.

Thank you, Rob — for the gift, the joke, and the mentorship.

#TheatreHashtags (because this is technically a fundraiser):

#TheatreLife #Playwright #Fundraiser #BirthdayFundraiser #STLmade #ContrabandTheatre #ProfessorHouse

#RidiculousHashtags (because… the crown):

#KingForADay #MultipleGraduateDegrees #WhopperWisdom #CrownMe #FastFoodRoyalty #TheatreNerdKing #BurgerKingChic #thatiscorrect 

Support St. Louis theatre and new plays: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/con.../campaigns/6383

Photo by Hannah Lee Duncan, visual archiver extraordinaire of Ohio University theatre.

2012, age 37.

Taken by Joe Mazza of Brave Lux—back when Brave Lux was just a year old, and I was one of Joe’s first clients. Now he’s one of Chicago theatre’s premiere photographers… and I’m still making questionable pose choices.

Huge thanks to Pete Moore for the $100 donation that unlocked this photo! Onward to 2011… where I promise you a truly regal (and truly ridiculous) “king” shot.

Donate here to support St. Louis artists and new plays: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/con.../campaigns/6383

At $1,300, here’s 38-year-old me (2013) with a smug cat and a truly terrible angle.

You asked for it, you got it.

Every $100 unlocks another year/photo all the way back to my childhood — while helping fund Contraband Theatre’s world premiere of Professor House this fall.

Support St. Louis artists and new plays here: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/con.../campaigns/6383

Dreams do come true.

39-year-old me with a capybara statue in Atlanta.

We just hit $1,200 in the birthday fundraiser — thank you!! Want to unlock the next year/photo?

 Every $100 gets us one step closer… 

Donate here! https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/con.../campaigns/6383

#STLmade #ContrabandTheatre #ProfessorHouse #BirthdayFundraiser #Capybara #TheatreLife #StLouisTheatre #50for50 #PlaywrightLife

Jacob age 41: Babies + bad selfies forgive everything. Poland, my daughter’s first trip at 6 months. I can’t take a decent photo, but at least I had good company.

This unlock marks the $1,000 milestone!  Thank you to everyone who got us here—every spark builds the bonfire.

Next up: Jacob age 40. Spoiler: it involves me kissing my dog on the lips.

Unlock it at $1,100.

#STLmade #ContrabandTheatre #50thBirthdayFundraiser Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis

Jacob age 40: Yikes! Apparently everyone really wanted to see me kiss my dog on the lips, because we flew to $1,100.

 

Huge thanks for keeping this Time Warp spinning — every spark adds up. Only $30 more to $1,200, and who knows what that will unlock?!

Donate here to support STL artists and independent theatre: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/con.../campaigns/6383

#STLmade #ContrabandTheatre #50thBirthdayFundraiser #doglover #goldenretriever #goldenretrieverlife #newplays

Jacob age 41: Babies + bad selfies forgive everything. Poland, my daughter’s first trip at 6 months. I can’t take a decent photo, but at least I had good company.

This unlock marks the $1,000 milestone!

Thank you to everyone who got us here—every spark builds the bonfire.

Next up: Jacob age 40. Spoiler: it involves me kissing my dog on the lips.

Unlock it at $1,100.

#STLmade #ContrabandTheatre #50thBirthdayFundraiser Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis

 Jump to the left… step to the riiiiight…
 

44: Outside the Chicago premiere of Vanya on the Plains by Jason Hedrick (first workshopped in my classes). Jason was also the first donor. Proof that one molehill can grow into a mountain of embarrassing birthday photos. And there are two more on this post! Are you shivering with antici—(SAY IT!)—pation?

43: My kid’s 3rd birthday. Toddler glasses, ridiculous hat. Move over, Dr. Frank-N-Furter—birthday couture is the new corset. Thanks to Kate Piatt-Eckert for the $100 unlock.

42: All Saints Day in Poland at Tadeusz Kantor’s grave. I lit a candle; Wielopole, Wielopole shaped how memory/time move in Professor House. Thanks to Jenn Remke, who once played Kantor in my short Kantor! Kantor! (review: “about something… not sure what”—perfect). Jenn even made theatre with Contraband—see her in our 2020 online play 18 Months After November on YouTube. Weirdly timely. Almost campy. Basically, Rocky Horror with current events.

Also: we jumped from $670 → $942. You animals. Every unlock helps pay STL artists and keeps new theatre alive.

Donate here: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/con.../campaigns/6383

#STLmade #ContrabandTheatre #50thBirthdayFundraiser #rockyhorrorpictureshow #newplays

We hit $500… and then immediately blew past it to $600. You’re amazing. Thank you.
 

So here’s me at 46 (2021) — featuring my cat, a terrible angle, and zero selfie skills.

And me at 45 (2020), when even in the dumpster fire year we still went outside for sunflowers. 

Special shout out to Richard O'Shaughnessy & Sarah Artman for their $100 gift that brings you the cat selfie.

Want to unlock the next embarrassing photo? Just $41 more gets us there. (Or hey, round it up to $50 — every bit helps Contraband Theatre get Professor House onstage this fall.)

Donate here: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/con.../campaigns/6383

#STLmade #SupportTheArts #NewPlay

Here I am at 47 — styled by my kid. (Yes, that’s a bow. Yes, that’s my actual hair.)

Photo Credit: Again, my kid.

Huge thanks to Kalon and Karen Kelley for hitting the time travel button with their $100 donation. This photo is public joy… but also their fault.

 

We’re now at $496 total — only $4 away from unlocking Age 46.

If you’ve been waiting to jump in, now’s the time. Your $4 could be the one that tips us over. Every bit helps Contraband Theatre bring Professor House to life this fall. Donate here: 

#STLmade #StLouisTheatre #TheatreLife #Crowdfunding #50for50 #PlaywrightLife #ContrabandTheatre #RadicalHospitality #BirthdayFundraiser Fractured Atlas Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis

This photo of 48-year-old me with my pup in Tower Grove Park (snapped by my daughter) just got unlocked by a $2 gift. Tower Grove isn’t just one of my favorite places — it was also the h of my 2023 play See You in a Minute.

We’re at $300 toward our $5000 goal, with just over a week to go. Even the smallest gift helps unlock more memories — and makes the next play possible. Thank you!

Polish grandpa vibes. $2 unlocks the next look!

 #PolishGrandpaVibes #NextLookUnlocked #STLmade #SupportTheArts #New Plays

50 today and already $100 raised — apparently I age and fundraise fast. 😉 

Huge thanks to those who’ve kicked things off. Every bit adds up — come celebrate with me!