Hello Esteemed Friends, Family, and Stuffed Animals I’ve Lined Up Along The Floor To Recite This To,
It is I, your curly-headed friend, here to tell you the latest and greatest!
As you may be aware, I’ll be headed “over the pond” in August to premiere my brand new one-woman stage adaptation of my book “I’ll Be OK” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!
Pip-pip-cheerio!
I don’t actually know if they say that there, please forgive me kilt-clad people of Scotland.
Anyway! Like I did with my book launch, I’ll be raising funds to accomplish this spectacular undertaking. Except unlike the launch, you won’t be funding a mac and cheese food truck this time but rather a full stage production created by and starring yours truly.
This will be way fun and also way expensive, but the universe has spoken and I plan on following its instructions.
For those of you that don’t know, the Fringe Festival is the largest theater festival in the world. The world’s greatest comedians, playwrights, cabaret performers, you name it, they’re there. Hannah Gadsby, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Daniel Sloss, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and a ton of other people I admire all got their “start” at Edinburgh. It’s where dreams get made.
And you know me! I’m a dreamer!
This truly is the next step in my career.
And because I’m what you call “extra” I’m also challenging myself to complete my TV pilot at the same time in the random chance that I meet someone at Fringe who is like “have you thought about adapting this for TV?” and I’ll be like “yuppppp” and then it would end up on Netflix or some shit a few years later.
You know, weirder things have happened.
But Netflix or no Netflix, I’m going to challenge myself to be the best performer I can be this year. I’m going to put my comedy chops to the test and do things on that stage I’ve never had the guts to do before.
Shit, I might even have to wear a helmet, it’s going to get crazy up there.
But I’m ready for it.
Or at least I will be…once you donate!
Hey there it is! The plug! Yes, it’s unfortunate! I have to ask for money. I really hate doing that. But honestly wouldn’t you rather me ask for this than show up at your door demanding drugs or something?
Anyway, the point is: I need your help.
Here’s specifically what I’ve budgeted for:
A flight to Edinburgh, Scotland ($704.88 USD)
Accommodations July 27-Sept 2 ($200 Euro staying with friend +$238 Euro Hostels = $438 WOW I AM RESOURCEFUL)
Venue (FREE)
Inclusion in Program ($328 Euro)
Fringe Society Registration ($10 Euro)
Flyer and Poster Design (~$100 USD)
Flyer and Poster Printing ($300 Euro, OK this one I have no idea because I could print a lot or a little, it really depends!)
Flyer and Poster Distribution (This will be me, probably in my brain costume to attract attention so totally FREE)
Production Photos (already have some nice ones but if anyone is offering $150 USD)
Tech Hire ($50, I basically just need someone to hit a light switch a few times)
Set (A chair and a microphone, wow so meta)
Props (Probably shipping my brain costume across the country, how much do you think that will cost or should I just try to bring it with me on the plane and see what they think about stashing my brain in the overhead bins? ~LOL~)
Rehearsal space (I'll probably just find a quiet corner to practice in on the street?)
Food (Oh yeah! Haggis and crisps ~$20+/day for 37 days = $740)
Director (I'd like to hire one, ~$500)
Insurance (What?)
Contingency (Had to Google this, but it's advised that you add 10% of your sum budget to the total just in case like you get hit by a bus or something terrible, please see "Insurance,” ~$332)
Total: $3,652.96 (daaaaaang, gurl!)
Art may sometimes feel like a private activity, but it is really the community that makes or breaks creative projects like this. After all, I’m a comedian. I at least need an audience member… or two (one time there was just one and his name was Steve and he was really lovely and we both felt bad but I did make him laugh a few times so I guess it wasn’t totally a failure).
This Kickstarter has fun levels of “Rewards” that you get for donating as well. They are as follows:
$1: Special Thank You Video
I’ll shoot you a personalized video with a thank you as well as progress updates on the show!
$10: Social Media Shout Out
I’ll blow up your social media with awesome things about you or if you’re “off the grid” I’ll send you a nice postcard!
$15: Exclusive E-Books
I’ll throw you some awesome e-books: “Mimi’s Memoir Tips” and “Mimi’s Comedy Tricks” from the classes I teach in NYC!
$20: Signed copy of “I’ll Be OK”
I’ll send you a personalized copy of my book right to your door!
$50: Exclusive First Look Video + Signed Copy
I’ll shoot you a special rehearsal video of my show along with a personalized copy of the book!
$100: You’re Awesome Brain Box
I’ll send you a lovely box of goodies including Brain Swag, book, and more!
$200: Guest on Mimi and The Brain Podcast
I’ll schedule a Skype call with you for your very own guest spot on Mimi and The Brain!
And who doesn’t love prizes, amiright?
Once I hit my $1,000 goal I plan on kicking off another Kickstarter, possibly with new and improved Rewards for my donors. The closer I can get to my projected ~$3,600 the better. At the end of the summer I’ll have one more attempt to make my goal with a ticketed performance in NYC to debut the show.
And then from there it’s off to Edinburgh we go!
In addition to performing and running around a foreign city handing out flyers like a decapitated chicken in a giant brain costume, I’ll also be helping run a few other shows, picking up nanny shifts when I can, and touring up Scotland and through London for some possible speaking gigs when I’m all done.
*tribal yelling*
My chances of surviving this epic endeavor drastically improve with each dollar you donate!
And don’t worry, if you can’t donate this first round, please re-post it on your social media channels, or send it to a friend you think would be interested.
How cool would it be for you if I suddenly blew up and got that Netflix deal and you could be like “Hey I know that chick! I donated $3 to her Kickstarter! I MADE THAT SHIT POSSIBLE.”
Very cool, my friend. Very cool.
To check out the first round of my Kickstarter, please click here and feel free to share, re-post, and spread this shit like wildfire!
“Ah dinnae ken fer sure, but whit's fur ye'll no go past ye!”
Translation: “I don’t know for sure, but what is meant to happen, will happen!”