“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
(Last line from the play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams.)
Once again, not for the first time since 1999, Thespo found itself struggling to make ends meet. Team Thespo knocked on many doors and waited in numerous swanky corporate reception lobbies. We were offered a variety of items from a cup of coffee to 4,000 packets of potato chips! But no cash.
So we took a desperate leap of faith and turned to the world at large with our FRIENDS OF THESPO initiative. We first approached ex-participants, ex-volunteers and the ever dependable theatre community with a unique proposition. We offered them part ownership of Thespo for a nominal amount in exchange for a t-shirt, magazine and 2 free tickets to one of the shows. The response was reassuring. But what was overwhelming was the outpouring of support – from strangers, from one time audience members, from musicians, from theatre practitioners in foreign lands. It has been a truly humbling and energising two weeks. We are still far from the target amount. But the clock has been re-wound and we are ready to strike Twelve!
