YOU ARE INVITED TO
VIRTUALLY UNUSUAL CREATE-A-THON
STARTING AUGUST 10, 2020 Hosted by Melissa Peterman #UnUSualCreateAThon THANK YOU TO OUR 2020 OUR MISSION
VIRTUALLY UNUSUSAL “I come here becuase it makes me feel better about myself CREATE-A-THON becuase usually I don’t have enough self-confidence.” SPONSORS+DONORS Participant and Middle School Student
ENCORE Nancy and Steve Carell The mission of The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company is to mentor, educate, and enrich underserved youth through the creation of collaborative, original theatre.
CENTER STAGE The vision of The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company is a world where all youth are given the opportunities and support they need to succeed. LIGHTS UP Dave and Pamela Peterman
CREATIVE SPARK Lynn and Sam Scott IN-KIND SPONSORS WHO WHY WHAT
We are a group of In collaborative Every child from dedicated educators, workshop settings, we every neighborhood STAR PERFORMER DONORS writers, actors, mentor youth to write deserves a place to Amy Aquino & Drew McCoy Argyros Family Foundation directors, mentors and perform their belong, the freedom Stephen & Sherie Carroll and volunteers who stories, using theater to safely express Ed Coghlan transform hearts, to champion those themselves, an Bruce Greenwood & Susan Devlin minds, lives and most desperate to be opportunity to be Jimmy & Joi Horowitz Dan Lin communities by heard and toughest seen, heard, and The Lynch Foundation empowering young to reach. We teach known, and the Annie & Scott Lukowski people to own and confidence, choice, chance to dream and Netflix share their stories. hope, and empathy. achieve beyond their Kit Pongetti & Mark Stegemann Kirsten Vangsness circumstance. HISTORY
In 1992, called to action by the the reach of typical arts education As we, once again, provide an LA Uprising, founder Laura Leigh workshops to empower vulnerable artistic lifeline to those feeling Hughes created The Unusual youth with lifelong skills, hope, injustice, our team at The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company (US) and confidence to overcome their Suspects is more committed to our to give strength to vulnerable difficult surroundings. mission than ever before. youth, and provide them a safe outlet and platform for self- Decades later, US has developed Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, expression. To do 7 complementary, place-based staff made it their number one so, she and a group programs that of volunteer film/ provide well- theatre professionals rounded benefits “Honestly, it’s been a really fun program. The program has helped me provided for approximately improve my mood, and it has given me a place to express myself during disadvantaged teens 1,600 underserved in foster care and individuals each quarantine. It’s helped me with my confidence… let’s say I’m in class and juvenile detention year all through the teacher asks a question. Before I was in the program, I wouldn’t answer with a powerful tool the theatre it, even though I had the answer. After joining, I’m usually the first one to for communication stage— including raise my hand and answer the question. It’s helped me a lot...” via the creation underperforming Adrian, age 16, San Fernando High School & performance of students, students their own original with special needs, plays. US has foster youth, English priority to continue reaching and services such as ZOOM, Google since grown from Language Learners, serving our youth and families by Classroom, and various other that small youth- adolescents any means necessary. We quickly means. This year alone we have intervention suffering from pivoted to offering programming already served close to 500 program into a leader in the PTSD, incarcerated minors, and virtually to help mitigate the participants, offering over 100 fields of arts education, youth members of rival gangs. US has disproportionate impact of the remote sessions to our most development, mentorship, and received several accolades for our pandemic on our under-resourced vulnerable youth. Now more than community building, with a work, including The National Youth communities. In the midst of ever, we need your help to continue presence in underserved schools, Arts and Humanities Program the global crisis, US successfully this vital work with Los Angeles’ community centers, and juvenile Award (our nation’s highest honor developed and launched distance most vulnerable youth and families detention camps throughout LA for after-school arts and humanities learning alternatives, which now helping to reconcile history County. Our participant-driven programs), The National Juvenile include live and pre-recorded and re-envision futures full of joy, theatre-arts programs go beyond Justice Award, and more. lessons that are delivered via opportunity, and expectation. VOICES FOR ARTS & SOCIAL THEATRE PROGRAM (VAST)
PROGRAMS VAST adapts our successful after- school curriculum to provide in- class arts education to improve BUILDING PLAYS, BUILDING CHARACTER. students’ language, communication and teamwork skills.
YOUTH THEATRE to decrease truant behavior, stay RESIDENCY PROGRAM in school, complete community (YTRP) service hours, and avoid gang BUILDING COMMUNITIES involvement. YTRP’s experiential theatre-arts education and mentoring improves VOICES FROM INSIDE THEATRE & CULTURE PARENT PRACTICA the well-being of disadvantaged PROGRAM (VIP) ACCESS PROGRAM (TCAP) PROGRAM (PPP) and incarcerated youth via a series of two sequential 10-week after- VIP is an outgrowth of our 20+ TCAP reduces disparities in arts This parenting-focused program school workshops, where youth years of experience working with access by introducing low-income tailors our core curriculum collaborate to create and perform incarcerated & system-engaged youth and adults to professional to a series of therapeutic an original play. The YTRP’s youth. Through in-class and/ theatre for free. workshops designed to enhance ultimate goal is to empower or after-school workshops, VIP communication skills and underserved youth with the skills to combines standards-based theatre- NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES strengthen the bond between maintain a healthy mental outlook arts education with trauma- PROGRAM (NV) struggling parents and their and pursue a positive path forward, informed healing practices to children. making them more likely deeply reach incarcerated, system- Designed to decrease social engaged, and high-risk minors. isolation and increase protective ALUMNI PROGRAM While guiding participants in the factors for reducing child collaborative creation of original, maltreatment, NV engages Our new multi-week playwriting socially relevant, uncensored intergenerational community & performance-based residency theatrical material, the cutting- residents (ages 11-65+) in for opportunity youth (ages 16- edge program works to stem creating and performing an 26) is open to alumni from all minors’ harmful tendencies original modernized fable/morality US programs — including youth and provides a positive, safe play through an intensive returning from incarceration — and environment where high-risk 12-week workshop. will incorporate our unique, core youth can learn to trust others, theatre-arts curriculum to young which becomes a gateway to other adults, with continued engagement accomplishments. and mentorship as they consider the next stage of their lives. FPO VIRTUALLY Cant seem to see a photo BOARD named UNUSUAL SARA SCOTT OF DIRECTORS in the shared folder unless i CREATE-A-THON am missing it? Sara Scott Decker Sadowski HOST Board Chair, Senior Vice President Actor Production Development Universal Pictures Kristina Segesvary COMMITTEE David Borsari Private Wealth Management Shawn Amos Attorney, Law Offices of David S. Borsari Goldman Sachs Bradford Bancroft SUPPORTERS Rachel Bloom Russ Cashdan Alison Sternberg Nancy & Steve Carell Supporters of The Unusual Board Treasurer, Attorney Vice President, Investor Relations, Stephen & Sherie Carroll Suspects include: The Annenberg Foundation, The Cashdan Law SmileDirectClub Tameka Carter Arygros Family Foundation, Karen Chou Albert G. Chou Joe Weil California Arts Council, Ed Coghlan Carl and Roberta Deutsch Wealth Manager, Goldman Sachs President & Founder, Psycho Films Mo Collins & Alex Skuby Foundation, Dwight Stuart Youth Victoria Dummer Foundation, Green Foundation, Herb Alpert Foundation, Johnny Annie Deng Charlotte White Sally Fairman Realtor, COMPASS Realty Board Vice Chair, Program Manager for Carson Foundation, The Lynch Maile Flanagan Family Foundation, National Economic Development, Accelerator for Markese Freeman Endowment for the Arts, Ralph Ryan Jones America Annabeth Gish M. Parsons Foundation, S. Mark VP of Development & Production Rachel Goldberg Taper Foundation, Weingart Allspark Pictures, Hasbro Studios Foundation, Will & Jada Smith Laura Leigh Hughes Family Foundation Bank of David Henry Hwang America, FX Networks, HBO, Melissa Peterman Sydney Kamlager-Dove Mark Gordon Company, Michael Actor Deborah Lintz De Luca Productions, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Sony Annie Lukowski Julio Quijada Pictures Entertainment, TrueCar, Lara Magnusen Universal Pictures, Vanishing Unusual Suspects Alumni, Reba McEntire Point Media, Walt Disney Post-Production Coordinator, Johnny Ortiz Company, Warner Brothers NBCUniversal Mary Ramos & Murray Oden Studios, Steve and Nancy Carrell, Viola Davis, Hector Luis J. Rodriguez Karine Rosenthal Elizondo, Tiffany Haddish, Elizabeth Silver Sandra Oh, Wanda Sykes, Alfre Writer / Producer Julie Tugend Woodard and many more. Kirsten Vangsness Wayne Wilderson TAKE PART IN THE VIRTUALLY UNUSUAL CREATE-A-THON FUNDRAISER
Join US as we raise money to continue our 27 year legacy of bringing theatre arts education to underserved and incarcerated youth, and communities, throughout Los Angeles.
WHEN Starting August 10th, 2020 MASTER OF CEREMONIES Melissa Peterman WHERE Anywhere in the world, this is a virtual campaign!
Melissa Peterman DESCRIPTION
A multi-week, marathon-inspired enrich those we serve. Join US and or any physical ING but involves digital fundraising campaign fellow supporters as we tap our an activity just as challenging and driven by our mission to mentor, creativity while raising funds towards fulfilling...creating! This marathon educate and enrich underserved our critical work! A VIP roster of brings our supporters together youth through the creation of celebrity, entertainment, corporate in the name of the arts and asks collaborative, original theatre. and sports figures will embark our supporters to write something Every dollar raised goes towards on a unique, virtual marathon in original or record a performance that our vital programs that reveal support of our crucial theatre-arts they can share with their friends and the power of our theatre-based programming – a marathon that family, raising funds along the way. programs to heal, educate and doesn’t involve running, jogging Longtime supporter/actress Viola Davis “Everything from writing the play to actually putting it on, we’re doing from scratch... So it’s not like everything is fixed... You can just have any idea and it will end up in some way in the final product. And, everyone treats you literally like family. Like we’re just all one big family. We accept you no matter what. “
Adrian, age 16, San Fernando High School, Spring 2020 The Unusual Suspects participants pose with Longtime supporter Annie Lukowski Longtime supporter/actress Rachel supporters and staff at a past Gala event enjoying a past Gala event Bloom showing off her US T-shirt
Nancy Carell performing in Blood Over Water, an original production written by our youth
Supporter, actor Jaime Camil presenting an award to previous Gala Honorees, TV Executive Nina Tassler and Actor/DirectorTassler Jerry & Jerr Levine Supporter/actress Aisha Tyler with Supporter/actress Annabeth Gish with supporter/actress Wanda Sykes students at Joyner Elementary.
Reba McEntire in US Shirt Actr 2019 Gala Advisory Council member/actor Johnny Ortiz at an US event “Feels good because I never thought I could talk about these kind of things before, like feelings. I learned that everybody can work together. Like everybody’s got good ideas, good
Former Baby Daddy castmates questions. And it felt cool to complete something. It’s like Melissa Peterman and Chelsea Kane reunite for a hug on the red once you start trying, you want to never give up.” carpet at a past Gala event
Dorothy Kirby Center Participant, Spring 2020
ress “I learned to never give up. Working Actress Toni Trucks and Actor US participants onstage during a performance Cedric Yarbrough meet as they with a group of people made me enjoy their evening feel like I got somebody who has my back, whatever I’m struggling with.”
The Unusual Suspects’ Incarcerated Youth Participant
Previous Gala honoree and The Unusual Suspects program supporter/actress Tiffany Haddish participant being interviewed by ABC 7 BROADWAY $25,000 Your commitment of $25,000 will provide thirteen (13) disadvantaged youth with high-quality, transformative theatre arts education helping them to increase academic, coping and social skills. y, w. t · As a Broadway sponsor, your company will receive prominent large logo placement and mentions during the entire campaign and on all The Unusual Suspects communication beginning August 10, 2020 through 2020 December 31, 2020, being seen by thousands of Los Angeles supporters to potentially represent over 4.87M digital marketing/media impressions. PROPOSED Logo placement to include the following:
SPONSORSHIP o Logo on all e-blasts. o Large logo and name on all US material, including playbills, fliers OPPORTUNITIES and more beginning August 3, 2020 to December 31, 2020. o Large logo placement on The Unusual Suspects webpage with a URL link back to the website of choice. Large logo placement on the Virtually UnUSuall Create-A-Thon fundraising campaign event pages and various e-communication to be seen by all participants and donors. o Lar ge logo on the final e-book presentation of the finished work with the ability to write/record a thank you to all participants involved in BROADWAY $25,000 the campaign.
· Sponsorship mention during press release and media promotional activities. ENCORE $10,000 · Announcement of sponsorship commitment on Social Media promoting the campaign. Ability for followers to learn about your company/ organization. CENTER STAGE $5,000 · Opportunity for a representative of your company to speak at the kick-off Zoom Meeting for campaign participants. LIGHTS UP $2,500 · Opportunity for select executives from your company/organization to fr participate in our programs as a guest speaker · Exclusive recognition during campaign weekly highlight video by emcee and CREATIVE SPARK $1,000 digital placement for sponsorship. · Ability to assign a company representative to participate as a Team Captain. · Virtual VIP gift basket containing 10 e-giftcards for our celebratory final launch day. · 10 entries in the VIP Raffle drawing.
rv ENCORE $10,000 CENTER STAGE $5,000 Your commitment of $10,000 will provide approximately one (1) or more Your commitment of $5,000 will provide five (5) parents/children the weeks of Alumni Program services to our participating youth ages 16-26 cultural experience of attending live, professional theatre, providing as they consider post-secondary opportunities via our core theatre-arts lasting long-term benefits and creating a combined passion for the arts. curriculum. · As a Center Stage sponsor, your company will receive small logo placement · As an Encore sponsor, your company will receive prominent medium logo and mentions during the entire campaign and on a variety of The Unusual placement and mentions during the entire campaign and on a variety of Suspects communication beginning August 10, 2020 through December The Unusual Suspects communication beginning August 10, 2020 through 31, 2020, being seen by thousands of Los Angeles supporters to potentially December 31, 2020, being seen by thousands of Los Angeles supporters to represent over 4.7M digital marketing/media impressions. Logo placement potentially represent over 4.85M digital marketing/media impressions. Logo to include the following: placement to include the following: o All campaign-related e-blasts. o Logo on all e-blasts. o Small logo placement on The Unusual Suspects webpage. Small o Medium logo placement on The Unusual Suspects webpage with a logo placement on the Virtually UnUSual Create-A-Thon fundraising URL link back to the website of choice. Medium logo placement campaign event pages and various e-communication to be seen by on the Virtually UnUSual Create-A-Thonfundraising campaign event all participants and donors. pages and various e-communication to be seen by all participants o Small logo on the final e-book presentation of the finished work with and donors. the ability to write/record a thank you to all participants involved in o Medium logo on the final e-book presentation of the finished the campaign. work with the ability to write/record a thank you to all participants involved in the campaign. · Sponsorship mention during press release and media promotional activities. · Announcement of sponsorship commitment on Social Media promoting the · Sponsorship mention during press release and media promotional activities. campaign. Ability for followers to learn about your company/ organization. · Announcement of sponsorship commitment on Social Media promoting the · Opportunity for a representative of your company to speak at the kick-off campaign. Ability for followers to learn about your company/ organization. Zoom Meeting for campaign participants. · Opportunity for a representative of your company to speak at the kick-off · Digital recognition during campaign weekly highlight video. Zoom Meeting for campaign participants. · Ability to assign a representative to participate as a Team Captain. · R ecognition during campaign weekly highlight video by emcee and digital placement for sponsorship. · Ability to assign a representative to participate as a Team Captain. · 7 entries in the VIP Raffle drawing. LIGHTS UP $2,500 Your commitment of $2,500 will provide two (2) parents the chance to perform theatre together with their children, improving parental skills and building tight- knit communities.
· As a Light’s Up sponsor, your company will receive prominent name placement during the entire campaign and on a variety of The Unusual Suspects communication beginning August 10, 2020 through December 31, 2020, being seen by thousands of Los Angeles supporters to potentially represent over 110,000 digital marketing/media impressions. Placement to include the following:
o All campaign-related e-blasts. o Company/Organization name to be listed on the Virtually UnUSual Create- “Feels good because I never thought I could talk A-Thon fundraising campaign event pages and various e-communication to about these kind of things before, like feelings. be seen by all participants and donors. I learned that everybody can work together. Like o Company/Organization name on the final e-book presentation of the everybody’s got good ideas, good questions. And it finished work with the ability to write/record a thank you to all participants involved in the campaign. felt cool to complete something. It’s like once you start trying, you want to never give up.” · Announcement of sponsorship commitment on Social Media promoting the campaign. Ability for followers to learn about your company/ organization. Dorothy Kirby Center Participant, Spring 2020 · Ability to assign a representative to participate as a Team Captain.
CREATIVE SPARK $1,000 Your commitment of $1,000 will provide approximately fifty (50) hours of dedicated mentorship and arts education to one disadvantaged youth.
· As a Creative Spark sponsor, your company will receive prominent name placement during the entire campaign beginning August 10, 2020 through October 1, 2020 being seen by thousands of Los Angeles supporters to potentially represent over 42,000 digital marketing/media impressions. Placement to include the following:
o Company/Or ganization name to be listed on the Virtually UnUSual Create- A-Thon fundraising campaign event pages and various e-communication to be seen by all participants and donors.
· Announcement of sponsorship commitment on Social Media promoting the campaign. · Ability to assign a representative to participate as a Team Captain. PRIME SUSPECT $2,000
INDIVIDUALS COMMIT TO RAISE a minimum of $2,000 through an e-mail campaign and establish a creative writing or performance goal.
*Create-A-Raisers who raise $2,000 will: 2020 · Receive US swag · Be featured in campaign highlight videos PROPOSED · Receive 10 complimentary entries to raffle drawing INDIVIDUAL · Receive opportunity to zoom with our students CREATE-A-RAISER · Receive the chance for their finished OR DONOR work to appear in final e-book of content OPPORTUNITIES
PRIME SUSPECT RAISE $2,000 DONATE $2,000 *Donate $2,000 and you will: · Receive a US swag CREATIVE SUSPECT RAISE $1,000 · Recei ve the opportunity for Melissa Peterman to host the zoom session of SPOTLIGHT SUSPECT RAISE $500 your choice · Receive opportunity to zoom with our students · Be thanked on social media, in campaign highlight videos and in final e-book of content DONATE RAISEOR DONATE RAISEOR · · ReceiveUSSwag · *Donate $1,000andyouwill: DONATE Receive thechancefortheirfinished · entriesto Receive 5complimentary · Receive USSwag · *Create- goal. or performance writingcampaign andestablishacreative ane-maila minimumof$1,000through INDIVIDUALS COMMIT TO RAISE $1,000 CREATIVE SUSPECT e- Be thankedonsocialmedia,in raffle drawing Recei content work toappearinfinale-bookof raffle drawing campaign highlightvideo book ofcontent ve 5complimentaryentriesto A-Raisers whoraise$1,000,will: $1,000 s andinfinal
· · *Donate $500andyouwill: DONA · · Receive USSwag · *Create-A-Raisers whoraise$500,will: goal. writing orperformance campaign andestablishacreative ane-maila minimumof$500through INDIVIDUALS COMMIT TO RAISE $500 SPOTLIGHT SUSPECT supporter your inboxfr Receive aninspirationalmessagein R content work toappearinfinale-bookof Receive thechancefortheirfinished raffle drawing Receive 2complimentar
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VIRTUALLY 2020UNUSUAL SPONSORSHIP FUNDRAISER/DONOR FORM DEADLINE IS JULY13TH, 2020 PLEASE PRINT ALL INFO CLEARLY. PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM AND PAYMENT TO HEDI JALON AT [email protected]
NAME
COMPANY NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE
Yes, I would like to become a Yes, I would like to become a sponsor at the following level Create-A-Raiser at the following level BROADWAY $25,00 PRIME SUSPECT $2,000 ENCORE $10,000 CREATIVE SUSPECT $1,000 CENTER STAGE $5,000 SPOTLIGHT SUSPECT $500 LIGHT UP $2,500 CREATIVE SPARK $1,000
My logo file is enclosed Please contact the following for logo (list email/name)
Unfortunately I can’t participate as a sponsor or fundraiser, but would like to make a contribution in the amount of $
Please make checks payable to: The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company Mail check and this form to: The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company | 3719 Verdugo Road Los Angeles, CA 90065 Credit card payments & questions? Contact Hedi Jalon at (310) 994-2021 or [email protected] For additional information, please visit theunusualsuspects.org/create-a-thon
The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Tax ID#: 95-4661312 All gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult your personal tax advisor for details. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT