The show, which has been described as “The Vagina Monologues for Chronic Illness” is a partially devised, partially scripted piece in development. The script will feature a series of letters that members of the chronic illness community wrote between themselves and their illness, a medical professional, a caregiver, or a loved one. The letters give raw, unfiltered insight into the impact these illnesses have on the people who live with them and bring representation to a community often forgotten about. Featuring an entirely chronically ill cast, the play will showcase authentic stories for the community, by the community.

First, and foremost, we need to pay our cast and crew for their time, provide food meeting all dietary restrictions, and provide transportation to the theater. We will also be using funding to cover production costs such as printing scripts, wardrobes, and marketing. Another portion of funding will go towards meeting the cast and crew’s access needs. In order to cast authentically, and make the production accessible for chronically ill actors, we need to provide accommodations such as ASL interpretation, audio description, frequent breaks, low lighting and sounds, fidget and sensory objects, ear plugs, sunglasses, fragrant-free spaces, heating pads, ice packs, air conditioning, blankets, meeting dietary accommodation, and any others needs the team may have. 

Our short term plan for this project is to produce two shows on August 10th and 11th, 2024. In addition to the live performance, we will be live streaming the event so that as many people from the community can access the show as possible. We will be featuring talk blacks with the cast and crew, and showcasing tips on our social media pages about producing a show that is inclusive and accessible for chronically ill actors.

Our long term goals for this project would be to continue collecting letters and produce more versions of the piece, in as many places as possible. Some may be longer than this original show, some may be entirely virtual, and some may take place in a rural area or non-traditional theater space. The most important thing with this project is to continue telling the stories from this community honestly and authentically.

Cast and crew announcements, ticket information, exciting announcements, and more can be found on our social media pages and website. Follow along at www.recklesstheatrics.com or @recklessthtr