Help bring Dead Broke back to life this fall!

Hi! I'm Will King! An actor, writer, director, producer, and sound designer from Toronto, Ontario. And... I'm doing it again. I'm trying to make theatre.

You may notice there's a lot less independent theatre in Toronto these days. And maybe just less theatre in general? (Yikes.) But why? Theatre needs space. Space to rehearse. Space to perform. Space to create. And space is waaaaay more expensive than it used to be in Toronto. Almost double the cost. And I am but one human. With limited income.

Rental is our primary expense. Venue and rehearsal space. But we also have to pay for set, costumes, props, SFX, insurance, marketing, and all the little things that add up. While $3000 may seem like a lot, it only covers about one third of our total expenses!

I've been doing this for a while, and the longer I work in this industry, the more pressure I feel to really lead by example, and PAY ARTISTS. So a contribution this campaign goes a long way in making that possible.

But what are you paying for? What's in it for you? Some VERY COOL THEATRE.

The show is called Dead Broke. It is not autobiographical, but it is a kind of love letter to my youth. So what's Dead Broke about?

THE PLOT: Oliver, a university student, is in trouble. After switching majors and losing all financial support, he begins squatting in an abandoned home to reduce costs and save his relationship. But when the house is revealed to have a sinister past, and someone goes missing, Oliver's life spirals desperately out of control. This surreal, thrilling, horror comedy hybrid asks us what we do when we are at a point of identity crisis. How do we take accountability for our life? And what’s the cost of living for nothing?

Dead Broke was originally developed as part of the 2020 Beats + Intentions Playwright’s Unit (Expect Theatre, in partnership with the Playwrights Guild of Canada). The play was further developed for a run at The 2022 Toronto Fringe. And was it any good? Well check out the press...

"A must-see event for any fan of the horror genre.” “King’s script brims with dark comedy and is exhilaratingly taut — the [one act] play is filled with more twists and turns than you can count — without ever compromising character development.” “Top Pick!” 3/4 Stars. Joshua Chong. (Toronto Star)

"A naturalistic Gen Z drama meets a low-budget horror property in Will King’s fresh and inventive new play." "From the start, King and director Calvin Petersen do such a good job setting up Oliver’s situation – and the actors are so fully present in their roles – that you’re drawn in and care about what happens to everyone. The show is so effective that when a character looks out into the audience and mentions something on the wall, you’ll believe it’s there." "This is terrific theatre." “NNNN” - Glenn Sumi. (Now Magazine)

"Dead Broke is a tightly structured, fun horror story with some great plot turns and excellent practical effects." "King’s dedication to genre theatre is always a breath of fresh air and this is his most accessible work yet." - Kelly Bedard. (My Ent World]

So why do it again? Well. We never actually got to do it all... The play itself is about 75 minutes long, and we crammed that into a 60 minute box for the Fringe. Like any living theatre document, I've also had ideas for a gentle expansion of the play. Changes that are worth another run at it. Plus, I get to work with an amazing group of humans...

Have you read this far? YOU'RE THE BEST! SO GUESS WHAT? You get a sneak peek at our full cast and crew!

OUR TEAM:

Charlotte: Kiera Publicover

Oliver: Will King

Irina: Claire Shenstone-Harris

Johnny: Gordon Harper

Laura: Diana Del Rosario

Directed by: Calvin Petersen

Assistant Directed by: Gordon Harper

Stage Manager & Technical Director: Murphy Diggon

Lighting Designer: Chin Palipane

Set & Costume Designer: Julia Kim

Associate Set & Costume Designer: Irene Ly

Fight Director: Nate Bitton

Written, Sound Designed, and Produced by: Will King

This team is working so hard to bring this world to life, and I want to give them a BIG PROPER RUN at the beautiful Theatre Centre Incubator from Oct 31 to Nov 10.

And finally, it should be noted that like many actors, I am OBSESSED with Halloween. And this is a horror show, AT HALLOWEEN. Our first preview is ON HALLOWEEN! We might just even have some late night performances... What's not to love?

This is the journey. It's been almost 5 years in the making. And we're so close to the finish line. If you're able to support us financially, I would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to perform and engage with this community again. And if that's not possible, I'd love if you could share the fundraising campaign! Maybe it will connect with someone who can.

Let's get this corpse on its feet again.