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Mage Lynn the Changeling: An Absurd Fairy Fail
Help me take my solo show to festivals and bring more narratives in the world about women who don’t conform and don’t fit in.
United States
$3,010
raised of
$3,000 goal
81 donations
-965540minutes left
Fiscally Sponsored by Fractured Atlas
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We hit our goal! Thanks to each and everyone of you!
We did it! We made our very own happy ending! We reached our goal!
Thank you!! Without you, this wouldn't have been possible. This is all of our victory.
Thank you for your support and for believing in me and my work. Words honestly can't express my gratitude and I can't wait for you to see this new show! It's looking incredible!
I'll be performing in LA on Feb 22nd at the Whitefire, The LA Fringe this Summer, And hopefully, if all goes as planned, I'll be bringing it to the Philly Fringe this September and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August of 2025!
If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive updates on performances, new satire, discount ticket codes, and even merch (coming soon) please sign up for my newsletter. Go to -> https://www.susansassi.com/ Then, scroll to the bottom of the page where you see the prompt to sign up for my newsletter.
Fondly, and with unending gratitude,
Susan Sassi
Just 7 hours left and only $225 away from our goal!
This is it. The end of a long journey of fundraising. And we are so close!
Susan Sassi here! Just 40 hours & $425 left. Just need 14 people to give $30
I can't believe it! Where has the time gone? With just 40 hours left we are only $425 from our goal. If 14 people give $30 we can get there!
Last year was really tough for me. It brought up a ton of issues I hadn't realized I needed to deal with. Writing and creating this show has brought so much healing. And those who have come to the staged readings have told me it has given them some much needed healing as well. I truly believe this is an important piece to get out into the world.
Don't forget, your donations not only go to a great cause but are 100% tax deductible! Fractured Atlas is a 501c3 organization that acts as an umbrella non-profit for me, allowing you to claim your donation on your taxes.
If you don't have the money to give, maybe you have a friend or art lover that can help out. Please tell them about the show! And if not, kind supportive words are just as helpful.
Thank you to everyone for your kind supportive words and generous support thus far. I couldn't do it without you!
Warmest wishes, Susan
3 Days & $750 to go! New Show title and Artwork!
Nefairyous_Poster_v02.jpg5.87 MBThe Solo Show Formerly known as Mage Lynn The Changeling (an absurd Fairy Fail) IS NOW: "ne-Fairy-ous." The Best Revenge Is a Happy Ending.
Artwork by the amazingly talented badass woman, Bailee Desrocher. She used to work at NASA! And is a huge supporter of Female voices. Contact her for all your graphic design needs! www.beautifulcritters.com
TWO-FOR-ONE FAIRY SPECIAL is good until Feb 10th! Get your tickets now!
Buy a ticket to see Laura Scruggs's Punk Grandpa THIS SATURDAY Feb 10th at 8pm and you'll get to see my show on Feb 22nd for free.
How it works: Buy both tickets, Email both of us (susansassii@gmail.com & laura.e.scruggs@gmail.com) and we will each Venmo/Zelle, etc. back half of the cost of one ticket (we will each send you $12.50 which is the cost of one whole ticket)!
4 Days Left! Imma gonna do something crazy if we hit the goal!!
4 DAYS LEFT & $781 to go!
My CEO just stepped on my calculator before I could write out that number! He is getting very scared that we won't make our goal. Can we do it?! Can we get the remaining 26% in 4 days!?
*** If we hit our goal I will take a video of me having gone full fairy visiting the local taverns in the village of Encinoshire. ***
That's right. How is that for an incentive? So if you want to see me making a fool of myself in a very funny way, please share this campaign with your friends and help me get to the goal in 4 days!
Thank you for all your generosity and support this far. We have come so far and I couldn't have done it without you.
7 DAYS! Just 7 days and 850 dollars left to raise.
7 DAYS! Just 7 days and 850 dollars left to raise!
This $850 can make the difference in whether or not I can afford to buy props and apply to the Hollywood Fringe.
This show is so important for so many reasons, but let me tell you what others have told me after just the readings:
"Ever since I have seen your show, I have been feeling good about myself. Like really happy with who I am."
"I've been needing to spend time with my family more and I think it's because of your show."
Art is so powerful. Think of how many lives can be influenced positively if we can get this out in the world.
Please help spread the word (Emailing one friend can make a difference) and/or consider another $25 donation to help get me to my crowdfunding goal and help get me to the Hollywood Fringe!
11 days left - looking for 37 twenty-five dollar donors!
Exciting news!
I am just $940 away from hitting the campaign goal! If everyone on my outreach list just donated $25 I can finally be out of your inbox bugging you for money!
Here are some things you can do with $25:
Blow it all at the slots.
Buy your cat a toy it will never use (or your dog a toy it will destroy in under one minute)
Make one payment on a new outfit from QVC
or
You can donate to my project with a wonderful cause to create more opportunities for women who don't fit societal expectations.
(Joking aside, I know times are tough, but I can't stress enough even just $5 is wonderful, OR emailing friends and posting about this on Facebook is a huge help!)
Since I was young, I dreamed of being an artist performing at prestigious theatre festivals such as the Edinburgh Theatre Festival.
This year I promised myself I wouldn't allow myself to take "no" for an answer, and I'd finally do it. Your donation to this show empowers me to keep this promise to myself. Thank you.
Amazing! Just $106 from Breaking $2,000!! & Announcing New Perk!
We are just $106 from breaking $2,000! This is huge and I'm so excited!
We are so close. Let's break $2,000 by the weekend. If just four or five people got one friend to donate just $25, we can get there! And now, I have a new perk to make giving even more fun than it already is.
Introducting...
ADOPT A DAY
Pick a day next week, commit to raising $75, and I’ll spend the day posting wonderful things about you and/or promoting your work.
Already Donated? Just get one friend to donate $25
If you haven't donated yet, you could donate $25 and get two friends to donate $25, or get three friends to donate $25.
That's all it takes and I will shower you with social media love for the day of your choice!
As always, thank you to everyone for your support and generous donations. We can't do this without you. Your emotional and financial support has meant the world to me.
Exciting news! We are Just $161 from $2,000. Please help spread the word!
Exciting news! we are just $161 from $2,000! Yay! This is thanks to all who have donated so far. Thank you again for your support.
I still need help building a crowd. So, if you wouldn't mind posting on social media OR (and this is even more effective) emailing 2 friends who you think might also be interested in supporting this kind of work ... I really would just be so grateful.
Thank you SO MUCH for donating to support the production of my one-woman show!
Your donation goes a long way to show that there are people out there who care about making sure funny and honest narratives about women over 40 make it to the stage.
I've got 18 days left to raise $1,286 to meet this campaign's goal. We're so close!
But, I really need help spreading the word. Crowdfunding doesn’t work without (you guessed it...) a crowd.
So, if you wouldn't mind posting on social media OR (and this is even more effective) emailing 2 friends who you think might also be interested in supporting this kind of work ... I really would just be so grateful.
If your friend donates $25 or more, I will make a silly video with my cats thanking both of you. (How's that for a fun perk? Who doesn't love a funny cat video?)
Thank you so much for taking a stand and helping me make sure that women over 40 can be center stage, and not hidden away behind the curtain. It means so much
(Sample to post or email - feel free to use your own words): My talented friend is making an amazing show and launching her production company! Please help support making more content for women over 40! She needs help and I can't endorse her enough. If you donate $25 or more she'll thank us with a silly cat video. It'll be fun, I promise and you'll feel good about yourself for helping an important cause. https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/when-susan-calls-productions/campaigns/5986)
Warm Regards
Susan
Just $325 away from $2,000!
Exciting news!
We are just $325 away from breaking $2,000
which will put me at 2/3rds of my goal for this campaign.
If 16 people give $20 or 20 people give $16, we'll get there!
For all those who have donated, thank you so much. I am truly grateful!!
Now I would like to ask, if you would be so kind as to post about this campaign on social media. It's a free and easy way to help. Crowdfunding doesn't work without the crowd. So I need help spreading the word. And remember if you get someone to donate at least $25, I'll make you a funny video!
She is also a woman over 40 who does not fit social norms and is also a proud cat mom! She not only has experience with award-winning solo shows and developing new plays with her theatre company, but also she is a huge fan of fairies. So much so, that she has made a career out of stealing human children and swapping them with changelings. She is responsible for at least 147 faeries taking the place of human infants.
As a result, she is the perfect choice to direct this piece about Mage Lynn the Changling. I'm beyond thrilled to announce Kate Huffman will be directing. She's so excited for you to see the show! But it might be best to leave human infants at home.
Kate Huffman is an actor, writer, director, and body positivity activist most well-known for her award-winning, world-toured solo show I'm Too Fat for This Show, which explores her decades OCD and eating disorders through an accessible and comedic lens. She has performed and directed sketch and improv comedy at venues around the country, and her theatre career has won her an LA Weekly Theatre Award and several LADCC and Ovation Award nominations (100 Saints You Should Know - The Elephant Theatre Company; Friends with Gun, The Road Theatre Company).
TV credits include Physical, Fresh Off the Boat, Castle, and, Rutherford Falls. She was a series regular in the Emmy-nominated series, The New 30, for which she was also nominated for Best Actress at the Indie Spirit Awards.
She is a mom to two cats and loves shoujo anime, both of which, prior to the pandemic, she would have thought unfathomable. 2020 did weird things to people. KateHuffman.com ; @KateHuffwoman
This Stage Of the Campaign is 50% Funded! YAY Let's keep the party rolling!
Thank you everyone for all you have done! Because of you, this Crowdfunding campaign is over 50% funded in less than halfway to the campaign deadline! This is huge! And I'm so unbelievably grateful to every one of you!
Let's keep the party rolling and push this over the finish line!
Crowdfunding is successful when we can get a crowd. So, let's get a crown. If you can share this campaign on Facebook or Instagram and say some nice inspiring words, that would be wonderful! And it's a free easy way to help.
Don't forget, if you get someone to donate $25 or more I'll make a silly video thanking both of you and post it on social media.
But also, I want to assure you that even if they can only donate $5 it is a huge help and it really adds up quickly. If everyone on my distribution lists donated just $5 I would exceed my goal. Can you imagine how much I could raise if everyone had just one friend donate $5?!
Mark your calendars. I have my first show Thurs Feb. 22nd at 8 pm at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks!
And to celebrate I HAVE AN EXCITING OFFER! I am partnering with another fabulous woman over forty who doesn't fit societal expectations (and believes in fairies) to OFFER YOU A HUGE DISCOUNT.
GET TWO FAIRIES FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!
If you buy a ticket to both of our shows, we'll each reimburse you $12.50 (So you'll get two shows at The Whitefire Theatre Fest for the price of 1)
After you buy your tickets, email both of us (susansassii@gmail.com & laura.e.scruggs@gmail.com) and we will each Venmo/Zelle, etc. back half of the cost of your ticket (we will each send you $12.50!)!
"Punk Grandpa" is like a modern-day Auntie Mame, with genders reversed. It’s all about being a freak and the value of the grandparent/grandchild relationship. The show is portrayed through storytelling, dance, music, a little bit of puppetry, and vintage family movies and photos. Grandpa was the free-est, most inappropriate person Laura ever knew and this show demonstrates how he set Laura free to be herself through his humor and unpredictable, wild ways. It also touches on the topics of Alzheimer's (as Laura's grandpa passed away due to Alzheimer's and the show has been used as a fund-raiser for various Alzheimer's Associations)and Big Band/Jazz music. It'll put hair on your chest.
"I saw Punk Grandpa performed by Laura Scruggs, and it is simply put, perfect beauty. Intersections of identity and vulnerability and honesty and history and family, executed by a very talented and special performer, coming together in a way that touched everyone's hearts. If you've ever felt different and admired the freedom that comes with just being true to that difference, no matter what other people think or say, go see it! Really."
- Chicago audience member Aaron S.
"While its psychedelic trappings and goofy humor delight, it’s Punk Grandpa’s honest simplicity which gives the play its real beauty...As in love and memory, Punk Grandpa magnifies and celebrates the little moments with those we cherish, honoring the idiosyncrasies that define a person and the relationships that define our lives."
In 2016 FRIGID NYC, it received the Sold Out and Hangover (one of the top-selling shows in the venue, so it received an additional performance) Awards. At the 2015 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity in NYC, it won The Outstanding Performance in a Solo Show Award and I also won the Congeniality Award. "Punk Grandpa" was a Quarterfinalist in the 2020 Screencraft Stage Play Contest as well.
We're Just $120 Away from 50% of our Goal!
Thank you to everyone who donated so far! I can't tell you enough how much this means to me! It is not just financial but emotional support you are giving and it means the world to me.
We are just $120 away from being at 50% of this Crowdfunding Goal. That means if just 5 people give $25 in the next couple of days we will be halfway there!
Is there anyone out there you know who wants to see more narratives about women over 40 and women who don't fit societal expectations?
If they donate $25 - I'll make a special silly video just for you and your friend with a few members of my male Board of Directors (spoiler alert they are all animals)
Already donated? First of all - thank you (!!) and please know that you can donate just an additional $5 now, and get your video.
I feel bad for all the emails. It's not easy asking for money. I get it is tough, especially after the holidays, but sending this is still a good exercise in self-confidence.
I want to assure you that even $5 is a huge help and so very much appreciated. If everyone on my distribution lists donated just $5 I would exceed my goal.
I hope you are well and your new year is off to a great start.
Warmest wishes
We're Killing it! & Limited Time Offer!
Hooray!!! We raised over $1,000 in one week! Just $2,000 more to go!
Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far! It means the world to me, and I couldn't do this without you!
I'm so excited that I decided to offer a special limited-time offer!!!
If you or someone you know donates $25 - I'll make a special video just for you and your friend with a few members of my male Board of Directors (spoiler alert they are all animals)
Already donated? First of all - thank you (!!) and please know that you can donate just an additional $5 now, and get your video.
Why am I doing this? Well, I want to make this process FUN. Fundraising is daunting, and I am trying to keep things interesting. Also? I need your help to make this a CROWDfunding campaign. The "crowd" is not something I can build on my own - I depend on you, my friends, and family, to help me get the word out!
You get a silly video with pets and the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing you are supporting more narratives about women who don't fit social norms!
I hope we can count on you! I am excited to make these ridiculous videos.
I have always believed in the power of theater. It is an art form that is very important to me. It is a proven tool for childhood development, therapy, education, and documenting history. It helps us connect, empathize, and heal communities. But most importantly, it is super-duper fun!
I love writing and performing. Making theater is how I express myself artistically and it’s also how I give back to the world. Over twenty years ago, when I began pursuing my passion professionally, I found the lack of quality female roles and the low pay that went along with so many projects, made it impossible to survive with the current cost of living. On top of that, there are even fewer opportunities for actresses older than 30 who don’t meet the industry’s unrealistic beauty standards.
WHAT IS IT I’M WORKING ON?
My one-woman show, Mage Lynn the Changeling: An Absurd Fairy Fail, is about a misfit fairy child with big feelings and an extraordinary imagination. After becoming shunned and outcast for being different, she is left alone with no friends, no talents, and no control over her emotions (or bodily secretions). Desperate to find joy and acceptance, she embarks on an absurd quest through movie musicals, game shows, and even cartoons to win her happy ending.
WHY AM I DOING THIS?
My show empowers women to do what they love now instead of waiting for acceptance or permission. It will help them accept themselves as they are instead of killing themselves to fit into a rigged game.
WHERE WILL I BE PERFORMING?
I will take my show to various theatre festivals, leading up to a run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Edinburgh is the biggest theater festival in the world with the largest market to get your show bought and produced. I want my piece to reach the dreamers, perfectionists, and women who feel too run down to pursue their passion.
To take Mage Lynn The Changeling on the road, I need to raise $25,000. This will cover a myriad of production costs including but not limited to festival fees, rehearsal space, insurance, marketing, photography, venue fees, wardrobe and design, travel, housing, etc., etc.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
This campaign is part of a larger fundraising initiative. I'm breaking down my full fundraising goal into more manageable “chunks”. Thanks to a group of amazing people I have already raised $3,000. My next benchmark goal is to raise another $3,000 by the end of January.
I hope you will consider donating to Mage Lynn The Changeling: An Abusrd A Fairy Fail. As I said earlier,my show is not going to change the world, but it will inspire thought and conversation - and hey, maybe that IS how we “change the world”, one person at a time. I’d like to approach my fundraising with the same “one person at a time” mentality. So, if you - like me - think that we need more narratives about women who don’t conform and don’t fit in … told by women who don’t conform and don’t fit in, then I sincerely hope you will join this campaign.
Hi! I'm Susan Sassi, producer, comedy writer, and professional Cathy impersonator living in Los Angeles.
I have been producing theatre and short independent films for over twenty years. This experience makes me highly qualified as found of When Susan Calls, to produce Mage Lynn the Changeling: An Absurd Fairy Fail
My comedy scripts have received recognition from Austin Film Fest, Women In Film, Emerging Writers, CineStory, Fresh Voices, The 'Breakk', Stage 32, Genre Screenwriting Contest, and ScreenCraft TV Writing Contest.
My web series, I wrote, produced, and starred in, Cathy In Real Life, a parody of the lovable chocoholic Cathy Comic strip, was an official selection of multiple film festivals, including Dances with Films, CineFest, IFS, WRPN, LA Comedy Fest, and Etheria Film Night.
My musical, for which I wrote the book and produced, Victorian Courting and Zombies, sold out at the 2014 Hollywood Fringe Fest and got a shout-out from NPR.
For full details on past productions please review the When Susan Calls Website.
