Take THE KIDS MIGHT DIE to Edinburgh!

HELLO!

I am so excited to be sharing this fundraising campaign with you. This show was developed farm-to-table directly from the oozing viscera of my still-beating heart, and it has been an honor to display it for you time and again, to bare my soul like a patient etherized upon a table. Now it is time to wheel that table across the pond, and for that, I need your help.

WHAT:

THE KIDS MIGHT DIE (a tale told by an idiot) is a metatheatrical marriage of slapstick comedy and queer existential angst. As an audience member, you walk into what is supposedly a children's production of The Scottish Play. But when an emergency broadcast announces the incoming end of the world, the kids of the cast evacuate, leaving only their director, Jill, behind. The show must go on…right? This comedic solo piece seeks to answer the question: why do we make art when the world feels like it’s falling apart all around us? As Jill attempts to save the show, it devolves into an anxiety spiral on death and identity, featuring audience interaction, an epic guitar solo, and Heely’s.

Under the direction of my dear friend & brilliant director/artist Calliope Weisman, I’ve drawn from my training in improv and clowning to create a show that repeatedly dissolves and rebuilds the fourth wall, utilizing the audience as an essential facet in the storytelling experience— creating a uniquely immersive performance.

I premiered this show under the title Little Stars Youth Theatre presents: MACBETH (a solo show) to a sold-out run at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival, where it won the Best of the Broadwater Award, Producer’s Encore Award, and the 2Cents’ Immersive Worlds Award, as well as nominations for Best Comedy and World Premiere.

In February of this year, we brought the show to San Francisco for the Playground SoloFest, and back to LA for the Whitefire Theatre Solofest. We plan to take it to fringe festivals in San Diego, CA and Denver, CO before Edinburgh this summer.

This show has been described as “Hilarious in both concept and execution, with a light dusting of existential dread” (Drew Petriellio) and “Well-directed and seamless! Energetic, absurdist, silly, and fun!” (Bonnie He).

WHY:

As surprising as it might seem, touring a theatre production internationally is not exactly financially easy— hence this fundraiser. So, besides the adventure of it all, why are we doing this?

First, a bit of background on the festival— The Edinburgh Fringe is the biggest theater festival in the world, known to many as the launching pad for famous pieces such as Fleabag and Six. Last year, there were upwards of 3,500 shows (!). Performing at Edinburgh is a way for artists to expand their networks, form relationships with venues all over the world, and garner media attention and reviews.

As a writer, actor, and comedian, I am looking to establish myself professionally. I want to share my work with diverse audiences and amplify my creative voice. Edinburgh Fringe not only offers a major international stage for me to perform, but also a unique opportunity to strengthen my artistic practice over a rigorous month of 20+ performances. Our ultimate goal would be, of course, to gain representation and career momentum from this festival. Our more immediate goals are to share a show that we have spent years developing and refining, and connect with theater makers worldwide. Your support can make this possible.

TIMELINE:

March-April: Secure funding, visas, contracts, tech, travel, and accommodations for the festival. Work on PR/Marketing Plan. Update cues, graphics, and budget.

May-June: Travel to San Diego and Denver for respective fringe festivals. Prepare travel/marketing plans for both. Continue preparing for Edinburgh! Potentially travel to NYC for Queerly Theatre Festival. Develop new show merchandise (sneak peek: shirts, pins, hats, stickers!!)

July: Get our personal lives/jobs/pets/prescriptions ready to live internationally for a month. Order posters and flyers. Pack. Try not to panic. Reach out to media contacts and get the word out about the show.

August: Perform 22 times in one month. Pass out thousands of flyers. Meet thousands of people. Try really hard not to lose my voice. Put blood, sweat, and tears into performing the best show possible, and then do it again, and again, and again. Turn 26.

COST BREAKDOWN:

Housing: $5,000 - We’re both staying in dorms/student housing, but festival prices are inflated to a sickening degree. For context, the cheapest hotel or vacation rental currently available is 3x this price.

Travel: Roughly $1,200 airfare (each)

Marketing: $2,000

Local Edinburgh Producer: $2,500

Registration: $400

Venue: $2,500

You may notice that this adds up to more than $12,000. Both of us have been saving for this for over a year. We are also using all proceeds from merch sales and other festival performances towards this trip.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE:

What if you make more than $12,000?

Then we will cry tears of joy. Also, we will be able to put those funds toward any number of things— marketing, not destroying our savings accounts to afford this, flying out other members of our creative team, and continuing to produce theatre in LA and beyond.

Truly any amount here makes a difference. $1 can print four flyers that wouldn’t exist without you!

What are other ways I can help?

INCENTIVES:

Thank you endlessly for your support— it is because of an amazing community of friends, family, and fellow creatives that I am able to put time and money toward creating art, and that is the greatest gift I could ask for.

Much love,

Jill Young