The Play: Intense, profane, and wickedly funny, 7 Minutes to Livehas been described as a gothic comedy about urban angst, patriarchal privilege, caste warfare, incendiary literature, and true love. Somehow, it manages to be just plain fun, too.
“Serious Hitchcockian mastery . . . pitch-dark guttural humor, romance, and cynicism mixed into a lethal strychnine concoction.”
-- DavidBarrIII, Jeff-winningplaywrightof “TheDeathoftheBlackJesus” and “MiddlePassage”
Scan for Tickets! We believe in the Pay-What-You-Can ticketing model to help remove the financial barrier that prevents so many from experiencing live theatre. Go to https://buytickets.at/unexpectedtheatrecompany or scan this code:
Synopsis: No metaphor. No joke. Child of privilege Henry Crawford has exactly seven minutes to live and he's dying to tell us all the whole sad, twisted tale of how he ended up handcuffed to a dumpster in his underwear – with broken nose, bloodied shirt, and 420 seconds left of life. We see how his wild-child girlfriend Vanessa and her erratic, fast-talking brother Luke – along with nonbinary, weed-farming neighbor Eddy – exposehisprejudicesandinsecurities during a bewildering evening of physical, mental, sexual, and literary intimidation, setting into motion the forces which now leave Henry with mere minutes to live.
“Unabashed fun – like you want the best rollercoasters to feel. Characters that are damn fun to watch.”
History: This play has been workshopped in theatres and festivals across the country and the U.K. and has placed as finalist or semi-finalist in several competitions, including the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. It’s primed for production!
"Entertaining and unpredictable, a delightfully dark comedy to read that I cannot wait to see staged.”
-- Austin Film Festival Play Competition
Why we’re asking for help: Today, it’s nearly impossible to get a new play produced. That’s what the Unexpected Theatre Company is all about – to create the impossible, or at least, the unexpected. “7 Minutes to Live” is a D.I.Y. production in the best tradition of Chicago Theatre:“Let’s just find a way to f-ing do it!” (See Mark Larson’s amazing oral history of Chicago theatre: “Ensemble" for myriad examples.)
"Vicious and uncompromising, yet thoroughly entertaining.”
-- Elizabeth Dinklova, Director and Writer,
Yale Directing Fellow
But we can’t do this alone: It takes a community, it takes help, it takes a champion (or many champions). And it costs a good chunk of change – especially since Unexpected Theatre is committed to paying all its artists a fair wage. We’re looking for champions of audacious, unexpected new theatre art.
So that’s why we’re asking for anything you can spare: From small donations to large, it all helps! And, it’s all tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law, thanks to our fiscal sponsorship by Fractured Atlas.
Thank you so much!
THE "7 MINUTES TO LIVE" TEAM:
Rewards
Supporter
Donate $10.00 or more
Amount is fully tax-deductible.
As a thank you for contributing to our campaign, you'll receive our heartfelt thanks in a shout-out on social media!
Partner
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount over $5.00 is tax-deductible.
Enjoy a thank you shout-out and one free beverage (wine, beer or a celebratory N/A option) when you come to see the show!
Patron
Donate $100.00 or more
Amount over $10.00 is tax-deductible.
Enjoy a thank you shout-out and two free beverages (wine, beer or a celebratory N/A option) when you come to see the show!
Champion
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $50.00 is tax-deductible.
All of the above, plus a limited-edition poster signed by the cast and creative team.