Synopsis

In the early 21st century, in a western Canadian city, ICBA is one of the most successful insurance firms at a great time for the industry. Before people flee the frigid confines of their wintry locale, they rush to buy travel insurance. More homes are purchased in the month of February than in any other month. Motor vehicle accidents are through the roof! What does it all mean? More clients, more business, and more money for ICBA!

What’s good for business is good for the employees of that business. The manager of ICBA – a handsome, dashing, charismatic Adonis of a man – knows that better than anyone. His office is a model for insurance firms everywhere: hard working, dedicated, ambitious employees who love their jobs and, more importantly, have the utmost respect for their boss.

Ah, yes. Money is good. Business is good. Life is good.

Today, Horace Porridge goes to work.

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Blue Sky Theatre Emporium presents

Horace Porridge Goes to Work

written by Jake Prins

directed by Katie Hudson

featuring Brennan Campbell, Mary Hulbert, Colin Matty, Tim Mikula, Will Mitchell, Anna Paquin, Jessica Peverett, Kevin Pinkoski, Cody Porter, Morgan Smith, Lindsey Walker

playing at the Azimuth Theatre/Living Room Playhouse - 11315 106 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta

Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 7:30 pm

Friday, February 17, 2012 - 7:30 pm

Saturday, February 18, 2012 - 7:30 pm

Sunday, February 19, 2012 - 2:00 pm

Sunday, February 19, 2012 - 7:30 pm

Tickets: $10 at the door

(to reserve tickets, e-mail horace.porridge@gmail.com or track down Katie or Jake)

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What You Get For Donating

We’re using this website not only to provide information about the show, but also to raise money to fund the production. In return for a donation, we have a variety of gifts and perks to say thank you for your help with this project. These perks include homemade banana bread, homemade cards, homemade hugs, tickets to the show, a thank you in the program, and having your name bellowed respectfully at the conclusion of a performance. A full list of perks can be found on the right hand side of the website.

If there is a gift you do not wish to accept for any reason (perhaps you are allergic to bananas, perhaps you are allergic to hugs, etc.), please do not feel obliged to claim all of the perks for which you’ve donated.

What We Need

We've budgeted about $4 000 worth of expenses, broken down as follows:

~ $1 650 for artist fees (includes performers and designer)

~ $1 900 for production expenses (includes space rental, technician, rehearsal space, set, props, costume)

~ $400 for marketing expenses (includes printing of posters, handbills, programs, and other promotional material)

We’re funding this production primarily through ticket sales and through this website, as well as minor fundraisers in Edmonton during the weeks leading up to the production. We’re hoping to break even on the project and to be able to pay the actors honorariums for their time.

A moderately successful run (in terms of ticket sales) and smaller fundraisers around Edmonton (stay tuned) should cover the majority of the cost of production and marketing expenses. If this works out, it means that the majority of the money raised on this website would go to compensating the actors.

Why You Should Give Your Money to Actors

Often in independent theatre productions, the last people to get paid are the artists. The performers in this show have been kind enough to donate a month and half's worth of their evenings and weekends to working on this show with the promise of little to no money in return. Most are already working or in school full time. We'd like to be able to repay them as fairly as possible. After paying off the production and marketing costs, any additional money we can raise will go towards paying the performers, and even $5 would go a long way towards paying the people on stage.

If That Hasn’t Convinced You…

In total, we're asking the actors for roughly 1200 hours of their time (about 700 hours of rehearsal plus another 500 hours in show week). If we are able to raise $1650 to pay the artists, that works out to an average rate of $1.38/hr.

The minimum wage in Alberta is $9.40/hour. Section 130 of the Alberta Employment Standards Code states that if "an employee works for less than the minimum wage prescribed by the regulations, both the employer and the employee are guilty of an offence" and could face prosecution and/or a fine of up to $50 000.

Please help keep Katie, Jake, and the entire cast out of jail.

Other Ways You Can Help

The biggest way you can help is by coming to see the show! If that's not possible, or if you want to help more, the second biggest way you can help is by telling your friends to come and see this show. Send them to this website, invite them to the Facebook event, drive to their house and yell in their windows. The most important thing for us is that people come out to see the show and that we start to spread the word about our work as Blue Sky Theatre Emporium.

Another way to help is by coming to (or, again, telling your friends about) any of the various fundraisers and events that will happen throughout January and early February. (Check back here in the coming weeks for more information on those!) Most of these events will be free or by donation.

An Entirely Accurate Prediction of the Future, Depending on Your Choice

We’re not saying we can predict the future, but…we’re not saying we can’t, either.

A) You decide to support the show and make a donation. Your donation is divvied up between the actors who receive a share proportionate to their rehearsal time.

- The extra $4 that Jessica Peverett receives allows her the financial flexibility to take that show next June instead of taking a part-time job. The show goes on to become a critical and commercial success, touring across North America. Jess is noticed by a talent agent during the show's off-Broadway run and is encouraged to audition for her favorite musical. She never looks back.

- The extra $2 that Colin Matty receives goes into his rainy day savings account. One rainy day, he empties the savings account and buys a guitar. 3 months later, he releases an EP entitled "Love Parade." It is fairly good. Colin becomes Sonic's band of the month and his lead single "Beautiful Within" receives moderate play. The positive message of the song is broadcast across the airwaves, preventing a 12 car pile-up and road rage all across the city. 10 years later, Colin's daughter asks him to sing her a lullaby. He sings “Beautiful Within”. She smiles as she sleeps.

- The extra $0.50 that Tim Mikula receives is given to him at rehearsal one day. He puts it in his pocket and forgets about it until going to Second Cup for a coffee that evening on his way home. As he pulls the 2 quarters from his pocket to put in the tip jar, his hand slips, one coin falling to the floor. Both Tim and the lady cashier behind the till reach down to pick up the quarter. Their hands brush. 6 months later, Kevin Pinkoski is the best man at their wedding. Tim and the cashier live happily ever after.

B) You decide not to support the show and to keep your money.

- Jess does not take the show in June, instead taking a part-time job to pay her rent. The role goes to Jess's arch-nemesis, a woman who parks diagonally across 4 parking spaces and throws pop cans in the garbage. Jess is employee of the month 3 consecutive months at her new job, but there is a longing in her heart she can never quite put her finger on.

- Colin does not buy the guitar. The music store he would have purchased it from goes out of business. The hit song "Beautiful Within" continues floating through the ether, eternally waiting for Colin to snatch it and jot it down. 10 years later, Colin's daughter asks him to sing her a lullaby. He doesn't know what to sing. She sleeps fitfully.

- Tim still goes for coffee after rehearsal, but has no money with which to tip the cashier. They smile at each other and wish each other good night. The cashier at Second Cup never finds true love.