260326-FailureTheater-UnderstudyVanya.jpeg348.18 KB UNDERSTUDY VANYA is a devised work, that follows the rehearsal process of an understudy cast for a production of 'Uncle Vanya.' This weeklong developmental workshop will take place May 18th-22nd in Charlottesville, VA. A collaboration between local and NYC-based theater artists, the workshop will be directed by Caitlin Ryan O'Connell and feature Joe Curnutte, Bill LeSueur, Sallie Merkel, Boomie Pedersen and Ezra Rose, with design and dramaturgy by Ásta Bennie Hostetter.
Over the summer Caitlin Ryan O'Connell and Sallie Merkel will develop a script based on the material generated during the May workshop, and a full production will follow in the fall.
UNDERSTUDY VANYA is the inaugural production of new theater company FAILURE THEATER. Here is their mission:
FAILURE.* We are proud losers, flops and disappointments in a world made sick by the drive to win. We create work about failure and we hold failure as a core ethical and aesthetic value. We are grateful for our past and future failures. We devote ourselves to:
Failure as antidote to perfectionism
Failure as anti-capitalist practice
Failure as shadow work
Failure as a way of attempting the impossible
Failure as freedom
We know that Failure Theater will eventually fail, and yet we devote ourselves to this project anyway. PRAISE FAILURE!
THEATER. As more and more forces (governmental, technological, cosmetic, military) seek to strip us of our humanity, we can think of nothing better to do than to be in a room with real humans, embodying stories in real time.
*We recognize that in order to fail, we must aspire to something, and that the fear of failure can limit aspirations to conventional definitions of success. Embracing failure allows us to imagine wildly towards more equitable and accessible practices as success. For example, if we are not afraid of failing to meet a fundraising goal, we can build a budget that includes paying artists a living wage and providing childcare.
Rewards
Public Appreciation
Donate $25.00 or more
Amount is fully tax-deductible.
When you give at this level you will receive a social media shoutout (in @failuretheater 's instagram stories) and your name as a donor in the program for both the workshop and the full production of UNDERSTUDY VANYA.
Sticker & Love Letter
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount over $2.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above, PLUS a FAILURE THEATER sticker and a handwritten thank-you note.
T-Shirt
Donate $75.00 or more
Amount over $22.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above, PLUS a FAILURE THEATER t-shirt
Invitation to Workshop Presentation
Donate $100.00 or more
Amount over $22.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above, PLUS an invitation to the UNDERSTUDY VANYA workshop presentation (on May 22nd in Charlottesville, VA).
Sweatshirt
Donate $150.00 or more
Amount over $52.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above, PLUS a FAILURE THEATER sweatshirt.
Divine Loser Baseball Hat
Donate $250.00 or more
Amount over $85.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above, PLUS a "DIVINE LOSER" baseball cap, designed by Yumi Sakugawa.(Hat will be embroidered with the following image. We have yet to determine the colorway(s), but we're thinking weird, like a chartreuse cap with orange embroidery.) divine loser.jpg38.12 KB
Skincare Secrets
Donate $350.00 or more
Amount over $90.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above, PLUS a 3oz container of Merkel's proprietary "skincare oil," (which can be used as both a cleanser and a moisturizer) and a written list of Merkel's other skincare secrets.
Artist Session: Artist Marketing Consultation with Ezra Rose
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $90.00 is tax-deductible.
Spend less time marketing your art and more time making art! Over a gentle and structured hour-long Zoom call, we will go over your current self-marketing systems (you don't need to have one of these) and make a simple plan to follow going forward.
Artist Session: Tarot Reading with Teddy Bear Oracle (Annie Connole)
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $90.00 is tax-deductible.
A tarot reading can offer a bird’s-eye view of the forces at play in our lives, as well as opportunities for movement and fulfillment. In this 45-min remote tarot reading on Zoom, we’ll uncover insights into your most pressing questions.
Artist Session: Wardrobe Consultation with Ásta Bennie Hostetter
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $90.00 is tax-deductible.
One hour of real advice (over zoom or in person in NYC) from a USA 829 accredited costume designer.
Ask the questions you want to ask.
Your mom is not objective, don't ask her if it’s suitable for a job interview, ask me!
Artist Session: Manuscript Consultation with Henry Hoke
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $90.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above, PLUS Henry Hoke (author of critically acclaimed novel "Open Throat") will read your manuscript and give feedback (either written or via zoom).
Artist Session: Tarot Reading with Sallie Merkel
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $90.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above, PLUS an hour-long tarot reading (via zoom) with the Artistic Director of Failure Theater (Sallie Merkel). These are difficult appointments to get these days
Artist Session: Budget Review with Sophie Blumberg
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $90.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above, PLUS a one-hour Zoom session with award-winning producer Sophie Blumberg to walk through your project budget. She'll break down how to use your budget as a communications tool, values statement, and provide key financial insights
Artist Session: Audition/Acting Coaching with Caitlin Ryan O'Connell
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $90.00 is tax-deductible.
A 60 minute coaching session (zoom or in-person in NYC) with Caitlin (director, teacher, & acting coach). This supportive, energizing, detailed & generous session will help you take your work to the next level (whether you're a pro or newcomer)
Artist Session: Manuscript Feedback with Rachel Kauder Nalebuff
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $90.00 is tax-deductible.
Critically-acclaimed writer and editor, Rachel Kauder Nalebuff, will read up to 100 pages of your manuscript and give feedback in a 30-minute Zoom session.
Artist Session: Script Feedback with Lisa Sanaye Dring
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $90.00 is tax-deductible.
Award-winning playwright Lisa Sanaye Dring will read your draft (or half draft, or loosely related scenes that don't make sense yet, or outline) and then have a conversation with you about the work via a 45-minute Zoom.
Co-Producer Credit & Premier Tix
Donate $1,000.00 or more
Amount over $140.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above (including your choice of artist session) PLUS a credit as Co-Producer in the program for both workshop and production of "Understudy Vanya" (& any subsequent production of the play by Failure Theater) AND 2 tickets to the premier.
