BWW Blog: A Christmas Offering to Premiere on Christmas Eve

A new show, A Christmas Offering, will be performed online on Christmas Eve, 2020. This will be a continuation of Our Offering, a show sponsored by The Next Generation Project. The original show, Our Offering, debuted in August of 2020. Written by Antonio Lasanta and Gage Tarlton, Our Offering takes place in "the center of the world" and focuses on themes like identity and community. Unlike a regular theatre performance, the show used a mix of Zoom and video recordings to introduce the audience to the people of Rivera Falls. As the director, Sis, a theatre activist, was able to mount "a full virtual Broadway show" in only seven weeks with a cast and crew of 47. The cast includes Broadway stars like Jai'Len Josey (SpongeBob SquarePants the Musical), Anthony Lee Medina (Hamilton), Andrew Barth Feldman (Dear Evan Hansen), and Renee Rapp (Mean Girls).

For A Christmas Offering, Thee Guide, played by Sis, brings the titular "offering" of Thee Gift, which is "a story about the metamorphosis of tradition, the power of sisterhood, and the need for rest". Writers Antonio Lasanta and Gage Tarlton return for this continuation and are joined by Ciara Harris. For a donation between $5 and $24 fans will receive an advance link to the show. More benefits are available depending on how much money is donated to The Next Generation Project.

The Next Generation Project works to get resources to those in need, particularly Black and Brown Trans folks. The organization gets people "the access to self care and mental health services to nourish their body, mind and spirit. Their site has scholarship opportunities, resources, and even a relief fund that BIPOC Trans or Non-Binary people can apply to in order to receive financial aid during a time of need.

For the original production, all of the artists involved in the show put in time and effort for free, a testament to the dedication of the cast and crew. Our Offering raised over $6,000 for The Next Generation Project and the team hopes to raise even more with A Christmas Offering. Funding provided by donations by fans will also enable the crew to be paid, as well as helping to provide for equipment fees and other things necessary to put on a show.

You can buy tickets to the online show here: https://www.wearetng.org/achristmasoffering. Our Offering will also be streamed on December 23rd to help fans catch up from the previous show.

If you are interested in donating, you can send money to $weareTNG on Cash App or @weareTNG on Venmo. 50% off the proceeds will go to The Next Generation Project.