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Unexpected Theatre

Changing attitudes by showing the world differently

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"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
  • -11201 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:

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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.