The San Francisco Olympians Festival is half way through it’s indiegogo fundraiser today, and we still have a little over $5,000 to go. Sounds like a big number, doesn’t it? It’s not that big though, not really. Not if we get a little here and there from a lot of different folks, and that is where you come in!
The San Francisco Olympians Festival is different from a lot of theatre festivals around and here are a few reasons why:
They are a commissioned based festival, so the writers who wish to be involved send in proposals instead of full scripts. There are not of other places that say, “Hey, tell us your idea, and we’ll give you a year to write it.” Most places seeking submissions want scripts that are already ready to go. Maybe you don’t have a Greek God themed play, and in that case you’re out of luck, and no matter how talented you are, or how badly you want to be involved you can’t. You don’t have what they want, on to the next writer. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing like finding an opp that happens to perfectly match a piece that you have already written, but those are few and far between. This festival gives you a space to create something new, and gives it a home a year out. If you’re not in the business of making theatre you should know that that is very rare, and it is incredibly special.
This is not just a festival for writers! Yes, it’s a festival of new plays, and that takes writers, but it’s also a fine arts festival. The art director, Cody Rishell matches a fine artist with each new play being developed. For the kick off party each year, Cafe Royale displays all of the art, and there it remains for the entirety of the festival. You should go through some of last year’s plays on the San Francisco Olympians Festival website for examples, here’s one of my favorites from last year.
In addition to fine artists, the festival also uses actors and directors! So far 36 directors and 181 actors have worked on this festival.
Your donations go towards paying for our space at The Exit, stipends for all artists involved, and so much more!
I put in $25, and I hope you can throw in what you can afford as well. Seriously, every last $1 helps us get to the big scary $10,000 mark. Please contribute today, and then tell everyone you know to do the same. We can’t do it with out you!
Thank you!