July 2014 – Jennifer Jasper

July 29, 2014

Fundraising goal met!

Fundraising. Yes, fundraising—something I have so many mixed feelings about as an artist. Through four production companies I have yet to have to go on a major fundraising campaign. I have hosted auctions for theaters whose doors remain open due to the generosity of patrons. As a performer and producer I have always self-produced by my own means, knowing that the support asked for was through ticket sales. This is the usual method of support for me. Buy a ticket. Fill a seat. Tell a friend. I try to do the same for my fellow artists as my budget allows. I curate a cabaret that helps support artists in need by passing a bucket and people can toss in whatever they can afford.

A mere 8 weeks ago I found myself confronted with a project, a HUGE opportunity for me and two actors to take my work and voice to NYC to participate in the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival. I knew I couldn’t do it on my savings, I only had air miles (hoarded over the past 6 years) enough for maybe myself and one other person to fly there. I had just spent my funds on the Hollywood Fringe Festival which required me to miss work and was finally catching up from that. So…what to do? Ask for help from those who over the years have shown their support for my work.

In four weeks we were able to raise $9,000 to take Etymology to NYC. Airfare, hotel accommodations, per diem and a stipend for all involved for work that is worth being paid for was raised. I cannot express my thanks enough to all who gave so generously and am buoyed by the support and love I feel for my community which stretches far and wide. I am overwhelmed.

But what I gained from this more than anything else? I finally believe in myself as an artist. That is priceless. And it’s been a long road getting there.

Thank you.

Jennifer

July 21, 2014

AUGUST 20 Family Affair

Jennifer Jasper in association with

the Rendezvous/Jewelbox Theater presents
FAMILY AFFAIR—Cabaret, served up family style.
at the Rendezvous Jewelbox Theater
on Wednesday, August 20, 2014, 7:30 pm

$10 Cash Only at the door—no pre-sales
Doors open at 7pm.

Join us along with the 2014 Jackstraw Writer’s in Residency participants.

Come on down and join us for this monthly cabaret to celebrate the casserole that is our families. Performers from all types of performance disciplines such as storytelling, dance, writing, music, and visual arts will be sharing their family secrets and skeletons.

Created by Seattle storyteller Jennifer Jasper.

Every family has a little crazy in it—some people like to share it with others.

July 18, 2014

Finding my voice

So…there’s a lot of talk going around about me as writer. This is something I have never referred to myself as. And then the bigger question…how do you even write? My writing endeavors have been overnight with a deadline only hours away. My shows are improvised with some ideas forming the week of opening. Writing in a journal has never worked for me, they are boring narratives of my daily routine. So last Sunday I sat down to write after my wife said “You are always saying you have no time to be creative, you have a couple of hours why don’t you write?” Pouting, I stomped to my chair under our Catalpa tree and said “Fine!”.

Conversations with Chloe and Essie:

“Reaching”

Essie: It’s there. Right there. In the pit. Can’t you see it? Beady red eyes? Listen. Chloe, listen.

Chloe: No, I don’t see a thing Essie.

Essie: Can you hear it then? It’s there. I know it. I feel its fur in my mouth.

Chloe: In your mouth? How can that be?

Essie: I just know it’s that thing. Red eyes. Sticky-up fur that’s spikey. Poking at me from the inside.

Chloe: Really Essie? Just have a 7-up.

Essie: You know that’s a myth right? Or an old wives tale.

Chloe: What is?

Essie: That whole 7-up fizzy water for an upset stomach nonsense. The bubbles don’t calm your stomach. You think they do, but they just cause gas. I read it somewhere.

Chloe: Milk then. Maybe it’s an ulcer.

Essie: Milk, that’s another myth. Oh, and sunscreen.

Chloe: Then water, there’s nothing wrong with water.

Essie: Don’t even get me started on that. Maybe I’ll poison it.

Chloe: You’re worried about gas bubbles and now you’re talking poison? I say let it pass. It’s probably nothing.

Essie: But it’s something. Can’t you see it? Really Chloe, I don’t think you are looking hard enough.

Chloe: No. There’s nothing there.

Essie: You didn’t even look.

Chloe: It’s all in your head, or your stomach.

Essie: See, you do know it’s something.

Chloe: Oh, it’s something alright.

Essie: It is. Something big or small. I’m not sure yet. I just have to wait a little and longer and I’ll know what it is.

Chloe: Well, I don’t have all day and I’ve wasted enough time.

Essie: See? What’s wrong with wasted time? How can you waste it? It just passes and passes and keeps on happening and even if you waste it that’s still SOMETHING HAPPENING right? SO it can’t be wasted. It just doesn’t make sense. It happened, it’s not wasted.

Chloe: Ok, Ok. I’m sorry. Time with you definitely is not wasted time.

Essie: I have an.. Yes, here it comes.

Chloe: Well?

Essie: No, it was just an aborted hiccup, almost a burp but no. Nevermind. It was slick, hairless, no spikey fur. An eel that just slid on past. This one, that’s there, it’s got red eyes and fur that sticks and toenails. Painted toenails.

Chloe: Go on. Now you’ve got my interest. I think I see something.

Essie: There’s fighting. Can you hear it? The sound of a couple fighting, and there she is. Sitting at her dressing table, red-eyed from crying, head in her hands, sticky with the hairspray form the Saturday “set” and her toenails peeking from beneath her robe…

Chloe: Ahh, that’s my girl. Just keep on writing.

July 14, 2014

My thing…

So…here’s the thing. In January I was asked to write a little 10 min thingy for this thing called 14/48 – The World’s Quickest Theater Festival. I said sure put me down for that thing. So I wrote this thing which ended up being a really sweet little thing. Then a friend said, “Hey, you should send that thing you wrote to this festival-thing in NYC.” So I did, I mean why not? And I forgot about it. That thing. Then I decided I wanted to do this other thing in August and started making plans, still forgetting about the little thing. Then I remembered that thing and then I forgot about it again. Then I got the email saying that this little thing is now part of this actually pretty big thing and then I started reading about how big this little thing had gotten and I thought “this thing is going to kill me”. Now I need to ask for help which is not my thing. At all.

But here it is. This thing is called Etymology and anything you can do to help would be so appreciated.

Here is where you can go to find out if this is your kind of thing:

http://click4tix.com/Etymology

http://the1448projects.org/etymology/

Thank you so much,

Jennifer

July 2, 2014

the “et•y•mol•o•gy” event

The dinner was a great success! Thank you all for coming and supporting “etymology”!

A special thank you to Vios and Thomas Soukakos, Tangerine Spa, the staff at Vios who volunteered their time, MoZo, the Von Piglets, and our photographer Lauren Max!

We are about 75-80% funded! We still need about $1500 to reach our goal.

If you feel like throwing a few bucks at the project, but dinner wasn’t your thing, you can donate ANY amount by going to http://click4tix.com/Etymology and choosing “Donation Only” and entering the amount you’d like to donate on the checkout page.

About the Project

Jennifer Jasper’s January 2014 14/48 play “et•y•mol•o•gy” was selected as one of 30 plays out of nearly 1,400 submissions to be presented at the 39^th Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival in NYC at Playwrights Horizons this August. “et•y•mol•o•gy”is the only play in the Final 30 from a Northwest-based playwright this year.

The Final 30 playwrights have to present a production of the play for the competition and Jennifer has teamed up with The 14/48 Projects to do just that. We need to send Jennifer and the two actors, Megan Ahiers and Trick Danneker, to NYC for four days to represent Jennifer, 14/48, Seattle, and to win this competition!

We need about $8,000 to fly Jennifer Jasper, Megan Ahiers and Trick Danneker to NYC, give them a place to stay, feed them, and pay them a stipend while they in NY representing Seattle theater.

Many Thanks To These Sponsors for their Support!

1714 N. 45th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
206.790.3846

Vios Cafe & Marketplace
903 19th Ave. E., Seattle
206.329.3236

Month: July 2014