A tape recorder, two of Shakespeare’s most underestimated female characters and… a kitten puzzle.
“Best Intentions” is a play written by Catie O’Keefe, conceived by Courtney Brown and Amy Fritsche, and devised through a partnership of all three artists. This two-woman play stars Amy Fritsche and Jess Tanner, and they want to go to the UK.
“Last summer I wrote a play – the idea for the play came from one of the actors and the director of the show and it became a very personal piece to me. On July 31st, the actors and the tech director will travel to London to premier the show and then Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This is my first play in the UK in 5 years and my second play in the Fringe Festival since 2008,” says O’Keefe.
O’Keefe (whose Clark Kent persona by day is Catie Dargue), hopes the success of “Best Intentions” abroad will lead to further productions (perhaps in a city near you), and will help Shark Eat Muffin grow its reputation as a company that is known for bringing excellent theatre to all corners of the world.
Shark does what??? According to their website, “Through a cross-cultural lens, Shark Eat Muffin Theatre Company professionally explores new works of theatre as well as modern and Classic plays with fresh and Innovative Initiatives.”
O’Keefe further explains on the site that “The company’s original name was Muffin Top Theatre Company, but the name didn’t stick.” So after four years in London, and then a move to Cincinnati, Ohio, she became a part of a number of theatre communities, and finally, Shark Eat Muffin was ready. Eight years after the idea, the company was born.
The goal? “We hope to present a number of Dangerous yet Savory pieces that will include, new writing, classics, International works, and local works in a wide range of venues and geographic locations.”
But there are costs to creativity, and the story of Emilia (played by Fritsche) and Angelica (played by Tanner) can’t make it to the Fringe Festival stage without some help.
The Shakespeare-inspired characters find themselves trapped in the same space, unable to escape and unaware of how they’ve ended up there. At first they are unsure of each other but soon find that they’re going to have to work together if they want to figure out their mystery.
And “Best Intentions” is hopeful about raising funds to share that story with the world, so they’ve launched a campaign to help pay for marking, transportation, insurance, set pieces, venues and paying the talented actors and crew.
“Please consider a donation in the next week or two to help our show be a huge success. You can learn more about how to give a tax deductible gift below. Please consider making a donation of ANY size before July 31st.”
The campaign site states they are “set on the ambitious but achievable goal of $5,000 which will help pay for travel within the UK, the crew while in London, pay for set upgrades (all of which fit in a suitcase), costumes, pay actor and creative team stipends and any Fringe Fees or venues costs.”
The story: Emilia, a well to do Army wife, and Angelica, a live-in nanny, have never met, or have they? Their situations seem extremely familiar to one another the more they begin to explore the moments leading up to their meeting. Both spirited, A- personality women, they find themselves stuck (both physically and mentally). As their individual stories creep out , they find that they have more than a few secrets to share. Racked by guilt, confusion and even suffering from disillusion, they explore the nature of their captivity as well as a shared personality flaw which seems to have landed them in this situation. Based upon significant, but often overlooked, female characters from Othello and Romeo and Juliet, these two women breathe new light and darkness into what they thought were their Best Intentions.
Watch the “Best Intentions” video promo on Vimeo HERE.
Check out the Sponsorship page and donate HERE.
Find out more about Shark Eat Muffin Theatre Company HERE.
Prefer the snail mail way? You can send a check payable to “Fractured Atlas” – write on the memo line: Best Intentions. Send checks to 3538 Daleford Rd. Shaker Heights, OH 44120. Best Intentions is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Best Intentions must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
So put YOUR best intentions forth by supporting our local artists – soon to come to a stage near you!
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Kate Klotzbach 