44 Plays for 44 Presidents really, really needs to exhibit at  a national conference of theater departments from universities around the country.

Yes, we’re talking a booth, flyers, cute little buttons  and everything. Even bunting.

And our target is AATE: American Alliance for Theatre and Education. They may never forgive us.

Once we can get into a conference, set up a table and sick Dr. Chloe Johnston on them to talk up this exciting national festival (dare I say “movement”), we will be in a position to rope in a whole bunch a’ college productions.

Our goal is to have at least 44 productions in total in 2012, and if we’re lucky, we may have 44 school productions as well as 44 professional ones.

But not if we do nothing.

Here’s the catch.  It will cost us about $600 to send Chloe to this event.

All of the time being dedicated to this national endeavor (by lots of people, not just me) is being donated–lots of pro bono effort and expertise.  We’ve also been covering operating costs (like the website) out of our own pockets.

This conference represents our best opportunity to connect with college and university theater departments in time to get them into our Festival.   If we miss this year’s conference, next year’s will be too late.

We’ve already missed one and this one is our last shot.

So the time is now.

Can you help the movement by donating any amount you’re able to give? Ten bucks?  Fifty bucks?  Ten thousand and then we’ll send you an $9,400 refund?  I mean, unless you really don’t want the change.

I hope you’ll agree to help. This is an amazing opportunity to do something really meaningful.  And we need your help to make it possible.

How you can donate:

The nonprofit theatre organization Ten Chimneys Foundation has graciously offered to collect the money for us.  So that means YES, it will be tax deductable!

GO TO THIS URL, RIGHT NOW, TO DONATE

and write “44 Plays…” on the designation line.

Or you can mail a check to: Ten Chimneys Foundation; PO Box 225; Genesee Depot, WI  53127

And write “44 Plays…” on the memo line.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Every dollar really does make a profound impact.

And, as Grover Cleveland once said, “if this doesn’t work, I’m gonna crawl up in a little ball and…nah, you know what…I’ll just try again.”

xo,

Andy Bayiates
Founding Father and Festival Co-Chair
44 Plays for 44 Presidents

p.s.  If you’ve been following our efforts and wondering what’s going on with professional theatres doing the production, I’ll say only this: there are more than twice as many producers on board as there are those who have gone public. So we’re in excellent shape before the fall, when the real season planning begins.

Welcome Concordia College!!!

It’s nice to have an institute of higher learning finally on board to make us look legit. And their contribution to our video project will be…William Henry Harrison!…a president who died 31 days after assuming office. (How do historians rank that guy by the way?)

Why Harrison? Because they know the show and they LOVE that play. I do too. And I love the woman who wrote it, who happens to be my wife.

But did they know that William Henry Harrison was once Secretary of the Northwest Territory, which included Minnesota, wherein one can find picturesque Concordia College in a town called Moorhead?

Or did they just get lucky?

Concordia Theatre  is about life experiences and learning how to apply learning to everyday life. Students are constantly engaged in hands-on experiences in theatre classes, applying each concept on and off the stage. Concordia Theatre students are involved in every production facet so that students are able to practice what they have learned in a fun and exciting environment.

Well that rocks.  We can’t wait to see your work!