identity crisis theater
What is the value of art in a world that’s collapsing?
Stories Will Not Mend This Broken World
how should we live in a world that's collapsing?
United States
A group of Istanbul theater artists struggles to regain their footing in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria. Alternating between gallows humor and grief, Stories Will Not Mend This Broken World explores the impact of large-scale violence on those who witness it from afar—and the unshakable drive to create new worlds through art, even when that work feels futile.
Rewards
Choose a word!
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount is fully tax-deductible.
Words carry weight—especially in a play like this.
Choose a word (in English, Turkish, or Spanish), and we’ll list your name next to it in the program
Pick one that speaks to you—grief, hope, resistance... or something unexpected.
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Letters From Istanbul
Donate $100.00 or more
Amount over $25.00 is tax-deductible.
Our cast members originally from Istanbul will send you a handwritten postcard, each one carrying a personal memory, a reflection from rehearsal, or a favorite line from the play!
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Pay-it-Forward Ticket Fund
Donate $150.00 or more
Amount over $30.00 is tax-deductible.
You can help someone else take a seat at the show—by sponsoring a ticket for a student, an immigrant, or anyone who wouldn’t be able to attend otherwise.
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A Little Survival Kit (For When the World Can Not Mend The World)
Donate $200.00 or more
Amount over $100.00 is tax-deductible.
As a thank-you, we’ll send you a small, darkly humorous survival kit—perfect for navigating the absurdity of it all:
🔦 Mini flashlight
😢 Tissue pack
🍵 Tea bag –
🎥 Bonus video – a little love from our cast to you
Because when the world breaks, sometimes all you can do is laugh, cry, sip tea, and make art anyway.
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Rock for the play!
Donate $250.00 or more
Amount over $150.00 is tax-deductible.
Receive two tickets to an unforgettable night of music with Necati ve Saykolar, live at Drom NYC!
This beloved Turkish rock band fuses the spirit of 1970s–80s Anatolian Folk Rock with a bold, modern edge. It’s nostalgic, it’s electric, and it’s one night Oct 17 only.
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Pieces of the Broken World
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $250.00 is tax-deductible.
"Istanbul-based sculptor Ebru Zarakolu, whose work is featured as the poster image for Stories Will Not Mend This Broken World, will create a digital art piece made of 'broken' fragments symbolizing trauma and resilience.
Each donor gets a “piece” with their name on it.
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