Support ROGUE arts' Fringe Debut

Help ROGUE arts take playwright Ryann Lynn Murphy's original play to the Fringe!!

Grooming My Ass: Go-Fund Me Campaign

This Go-Fund Me is in place to help us put together the funds for a production of Grooming My Ass at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. All donations will go to securing our performance space, lodgings, and marketing. This will be the premiere of the show, with the dedicated ROGUE arts team bringing it to life. It is also a deeply personal project for Ryann Lynn Murphy, marking an important milestone in her artistic career as a playwright and actor.

Synopsis: Picture this. You’re seventeen. You’re a twink. You’re the hottest seventeen year old twink that’s ever existed. And then bam! You get it. A Grindr notification. From a blank profile. A twenty-six year old man… Oh what the universe has in store… Now, four years, copious amounts of weed, and a gender transition later Ryann Lynn Murphy tells a story about a girl who got groomed.

Why This Story?

Grooming My Ass intimately dissects a relationship between a seventeen year old transgender girl and a twenty-six year old man.

Written and performed by Ryann Lynn Murphy, the play is an unflinching, raw, and deeply queer one-woman show about sex, manipulation, and the long shadow of first love.

In a time when trans voices are increasingly under threat, supporting trans art has never been more important.

Ryann started writing this play in 2022, and after years of development and readings, we are ready to bring Grooming My Ass to a live audience—an audience that deserves a story that is messy and challenging.

What We Need:

This year, we’re taking the show to the Edinburgh Fringe, and we’d love your support in making it happen. From performance space to travel and promotion, your contribution helps ensure these essential stories are heard and given the platform they deserve.

Budget Breakdown:

Performance space: $3,500

Lodging: $3,500

Marketing/PR: $2,000

Miscellaneous & contingency fund: $1,000

Total: $10,000 (plus additional fees/taxes from Go-Fund me).

About the Artists:

Ryann Lynn Murphy: Playwright and Actor (she/her) is a playwright and actor living in Manhattan. As a writer, she hopes to create a night of laughing with tears in your eyes while prioritizing queer perspectives. Her passion for acting began in childhood, inspired by the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid, dreaming of performing "Part of Your World" on stage while flipping her mermaid tail. Her work often explores dark themes with comedy to illuminate deeper truths about society.

Asa Nestlehutt is a director based in New York City. As a director Asa has always been drawn to queer themes and stories and is thrilled to be able to take this one to a larger international stage. He is a founding member of ROGUE arts, dedicated to creating queer accessible theatre. Previous directorial credits include M4M, Rhinoceros, and Blood Wedding. asanestlehutt.com

Haley Crawford: Producer and Set Designer (they/them) is a producer and theatre maker based in NYC. As a theatre maker they are dedicated to making an entire vision come to life. With experience from set design to running a show Haley’s goal in theatre is to make a spectacle happen and they love being a part of any production. They’ve been inspired by theatre since 12 years old and have made it their life’s passion to be a part of theatre in anyway. A founding member of ROGUE Haley also works off Broadway as a stage hand

Lee Lillis: Producer and Lighting Designer, is a NYC/DC-based lighting and sound designer with a passion for merging art and technology in order to create new theatrical experiences. A firm believer in the power of collaboration, Lee strives to be an involved member of the artistic process, working with his peers to build worlds that challenge the boundaries of what theatre can become. His designs have been featured at the Edinburgh Fringe, HERE Arts, Theatre Row, Royal Family, Chain Theatre, The Tank, Atlantic Acting School, Fordham University, and more. In the rare moments that he’s not in the theater, he can be found playing the piano, doing the crossword, reading, and playing with his cat, Bibble. lillislighting.com

Risks & Challenges:

If we do not reach our funding goal, the show will still go on—but it will mean personal financial strain to make it happen. Theater is always a labor of love, but your support will make the difference between a scrappy production and a fully realized vision.

This is a chance to be part of something raw, urgent, and necessary. Help us bring Grooming My Ass to the stage.

We are so grateful for all those who have come out to support us in our past work in NYC and hope you can make it to one of our NYC previews, or even better come visit us at the Fringe. Thank you for taking the time to check out our GoFundMe, your support is everything.

Much love

ROGUE arts

Grooming My Ass is Produced by ROGUE arts in collaboration with Lee Lillis and Ryann Murphy.