It’s a difficult time for Americans.  The economic news is dour (the political situation might actually be worse).  Naturally, the  fate of the American theatre doesn’t weigh heavily on the mind of the average citizen.  Nevertheless, the current frustrations, and privations do open up avenues for small companies like Imperfect People.   For those of us in the arts aspiring to do something new, or, at the very least, to do something that hasn’t been done in a long time, the moment could be right for expansion.  It’s the behemoths of past eras that stand to lose something in this climate.  I sincerely wish them the best of luck.  But smaller companies can theoretically benefit from the  a leveling of the playing field.  Fans of the type of character-driven work we produce are running low on alternatives.  Therefore, we should, and will, reach them with greater frequency in the coming years.

We have reached them before.  I recently received a warm email from four students who were assigned THE BOOKS as part of a script analysis course at Cornell College.  The questions were fairly straightforward.  They wanted to know about my personal intentions, about any themes that might not be readily apparent to someone who hadn’t spent years with the project, etc., and I answered as best as I could.  I’ve received other emails recently from friends, as well as strangers, interested in learning more about that play.  Such conversations can be humbling, but also inspiring.   There was a time when it looked as if THE BOOKS was dead.  It had done the submission rounds professionally, and then independently, and it failed to penetrate for reasons I won’t speculate here.  So, when we did our small production at Cherry Pit last summer, my expectations were low.  But the play was subsequently published, and contracted for a screen adaptation.   The play had a life, and still does, in my opinion, because of its ability to connect with readers, and viewers on an emotional level.   It succeeded through word of mouth.  And that gives us faith to carry on.

We recently had the first in what we hope to be a series of organizational meetings to discuss how, over the next ten years, we can slowly expand this small company into something larger.  When Americans return to the arts, we want to be there.   So, we’re currently drafting a new mission statement.   And we’re about to begin the very difficult work of raising money, and planning seasons.  One way we intend to achieve our goal of expansion is to begin incorporating some of the people who have reached out to us over the last decade with respect, and mutual interest.  We are looking for playwrights, directors, designers, grant writers, stage managers, and even people to serve on a board of directors.  If you have an interest in being part of the future of Imperfect People, please email us:  info@imperfectpeople.com.

Thanks so much for visiting us on the web, and see you at the theatre!

Imperfect People would like to thank you for all your support in 2009!

Here’s wishing you and yours a happy and healthy New Year!

We open this Friday night.  Join us for the performance:

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THE BOOKS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 14TH @ 10 PM.

(*Click here for directions)

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Then join us for a midnight drink after the performance:

WXOU Radio Bar 558 Hudson St.

We’ve been receiving requests for Industry or Press comps … so we wanted to let you know how these can be obtained. Please note: all comps for performances of  ”The Books” are subject to approval by FringeNYC.

Please send an email to: comprequests@imperfectpeople.com with the following information:

First Name
Last Name
Title
Organization / Affiliation / Company
Address
City
State
Zip
Phone
Number of tickets (1 or 2)
Which Performance You’d Like to Attend

Thanks for your interest in Imperfect People and “The Books”!

We are pleased to inform you that Michael Edison Hayden’s play The Books has been selected for the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival. Many of you are familiar with the play, having either seen our staged reading at Cherry Lane last September, or having participated in one of the play’s various workshops over the past two years.  A final draft is nearing completion, and a staff of artists, collaborators, and designers are currently being assembled. Our performances will be held at The Cherry Pit, an exciting new venue belonging to The Cherry Lane Theater.

Our goal is to raise $8,000 for The Books by August 1st. The budget is extremely modest by today’s production standards.  $8,000 will help us mount a stylish and exciting production.  It will showcase what we believe to be an important new play, about characters that often go unrepresented on today’s stage.  Most significantly, it will offer us the chance to hopefully move the play forward after the festival has ended.

The Books, directed by Matt Urban, will star Aadya Bedi as Mistress Chimera (Betrayed, Culture Project, Scorched, The Wilma, Law & Order: CI), and Scott David Nogi as Mark O’Connor (Elizabeth Rex, Richard III, Nicu’s Spoon, Godot Has Left the Building, Culture Project).

Your donation will be TAX DEDUCTIBLE to the extent allowed by law, thanks to the 501 (c) (3) status offered to us through our fiscal sponsor company, THE FIELD. In this difficult economic time, emerging theatre artists need your support. A donation of only $15, roughly the price of a movie ticket, will make a tremendous difference.  There is no limit as to how much you can give, and those who can afford to make larger contributions are encouraged to do so.  Click the link below to make your donation.

Click here to make your donation to Imperfect People
Please carefully follow the instructions on the sidebar to avoid any confusion

Thank you very much for your contribution and we look forward to seeing you this August at the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival.

We’re gearing up for the Fringe show this summer, so we’re trying to spruce the place up a bit.

We hope you enjoy. If you see any errors, or have a suggestion, please feel free to make a comment below.

More soon … stay tuned!