Bring Dave Maher's new show to life!

I'm Dave Maher. You may know me from "The Bear" Season 1, my podcast This Is Your Afterlife, or political organizing around Chicago. Before COVID, I wrote and performed critically acclaimed one-man comedy/theater shows. My new show, Here to Make Friends, is about alienation in a worldwide pandemic and watching 40 seasons of Survivor in 4 months.

I haven't performed live in 3 years because of a lack of COVID precautions at shows. Despite the "new normal," many of us insist on community care and disability justice. Unfortunately, these priorities add difficulty to self-producing, already a necessity for independent artists like me.

Fortunately, I have help. Here to Make Friends: Season 1 will debut September 28-October 1 at my literal favorite theater in the world, the Neo-Futurists' theater in Chicago. Masks are required at each of the 4 performances, and I'm looking into other measures that will make the show maximally accessible for disabled and immunocompromised folks (like me).

Here's where you come in.

Producing a live show costs money. $4000 will give me the final resources I need to bring this show to life. This money will eliminate my anxiety about healthcare (I'm type 1 diabetic), plus food and housing (I'm unemployed and applying for full-time work in addition to my work on the show). It will ensure a modest marketing budget to help the show reach the audience it deserves. It will provide compensation to my fantastic director (Mary Williamson from The Fly Honey Show) and other collaborators.

$4000 is a lot of money to me, and I'm afraid to ask for it. I hate that we live in a system so hostile to the arts, where independent performers have to tap their personal networks for the funds to bring their work into the world. I hate being so broke I can't fund my work myself. I hate having to ask for financial help.

But over the years, I've learned I'm surrounded by people who want to support me. You are the people who've instilled in me the value of community care that inspired Here to Make Friends. So to bring this show into the world, I'm moving past my fear and asking for what I need.

Thank you for reading and donating if you can. If you can share this fundraiser, I am massively grateful. And at the very least, mark your calendar for September 28-October 1, and stay tuned for more info about Here to Make Friends.