Fractured Atlas Sign in/up

Unexpected Theatre

Changing attitudes by showing the world differently

This campaign has ended, but you can still make donations by visiting this fundraiser's general support page.

Donate Now

"7 Minutes to Live" World Premiere Production

Support audacious new theatre in Chicago by contributing to the world premiere of a wickedly funny social satire, this August at Chicago Dramatists.

 Chicago, IL, US
  • $2,053 raised of $17,500 goal
  • 26 donations
  • -110000 minutes left
This is a Fiscally-Sponsored Project

Fiscally Sponsored by Fractured Atlas

The Play:
Intense, profane, and wickedly funny,
7 Minutes to Live has 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.”        
            -- David Barr III, Jeff-winning playwright of
               “
The Death of the Black JesusandMiddle Passage
 
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:

image.png 5.42 KB
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 – expose his prejudices and insecurities 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.”
             -- TJ Young, Professor of Dramaturgy, Carnegie Mellon University
 
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.