Producer Bren Rapp Raises COVID Relief Funding For 16 DFW Independent Performing Arts Organizations

Producer Bren Rapp has used the power of the arts and entertainment to help a multitude of causes over her career locally and nationally. Now, she is putting what she has learned by doing so to work for 16 independent performing arts groups in Dallas/Fort Worth with a 30 day GoFundMe campaign aimed at raising relief funding for COVID 19 related setbacks: SMALL CHANGE-BIG HELP

The idea and the premise behind SMALL CHANGE-BIG HELP are simple: The specific niches these 16 independent arts organizations serve, combined, make up a larger base to reach out to for funding than each could reach on their own. Through the spirit of community of these groups, in their joining a collective campaign, and that same sense of community among DFW audiences and arts supporters, the very best of crowdfunding can be combined to help us all.

For 8 years Bren Rapp, alongside Jeff Swearingen, ran one of the area's most highly acclaimed and awarded independent theatres of the last decade, Fun House Theatre and Flim, and as a producer she is also known for garnering attention for independent projects. She has organized, is running and marketing the SMALL CHANGE-BIG HELP campaign without passing on any incurred fees/costs of the fundraising effort to the benefitting groups. All donation amounts will be equally distributed among the groups, in full. She points out, "This is really a campaign tailor made for smaller donations because of its collective nature. If everyone in the social media reach of each of these organizations gave $5, we would blow past the goal. If everyone gave $2, we'd be darn close. Larger donations would be amazing but with many people suffering financially and with great need everywhere, this campaign is designed for people to feel like they can do something that will have impact, even if their contribution is small ".

As COVID 19 began to take its toll on the arts in the Metroplex and fears about artistic survival started to grow, Rapp set about using her producing and marketing skills pro bono to help an artist here, a group there, but quickly came up against some real disadvantages smaller groups had when it came to large scale emergency relief programs and what has become a quickly overburdened system of local foundational support. She also found the time and work involved to apply and the turnaround time for financial assistance to arrive made just the process of seeking relief and emergency funding problematic for some smaller groups. In choosing smaller, independent arts organizations as beneficiaries, Rapp believes the money raised will provide a direct type of assistance and one those giving can see. "Without a lot of overhead, facility concerns or layers of infrastructure, even the smallest donations can go directly to the very core of the missions of these groups. Sharing their work with audiences. The money will end up on stage". She also points out that it is these organizations that will get a large number of DFW's artists back to work right when the all clear sounds. "No matter the size of the contribution, donations will go to getting our local creatives back to doing what they do, with a variety of places to do it at and audiences to do it for".

The groups involved in SMALL CHANGE- BIG HELP represent a range of disciplines, types of content and reach. From Shakespeare to dance, devised work to classic theatre, Black theatre to cabaret entertainment, LGBTQ theatre to youth theatre/arts education, movement theatre and even the circus arts, there is a cross section of the area's rich cultural landscape represented by: Altered Shakespeare, Danielle Georgiou Dance Group, Dead White Zombies, Denise Lee Onstage Dallas Cabaret Series, Flexible Grey Theatre Company, Giant Entertainment, IMPRINT Theatreworks, Laughter League, LIP Service, Open Classical, Outcry Youth Theatre, Proper Hijinx Productions, Shakespeare Everywhere , Soul Rep Theatre Company, The Classics Theatre Project. The baseline goal of SMALL CHANGE-BIG HELP is to raise $24,000 ($1500 for each organization). DFW can expect to see content from the groups, learn more about them and maybe even get to take advantage of a perk or two as this campaign unfolds across social media.

Bren Rapp is quick to point out that she was inspired to "do something" from a stunning example in another city of a group of theaters coming together collectively for support. North Hollywood houses the second largest concentrated theatre district in the U.S. (The NoHo Arts District). There are 22 storefront theaters in 1 square mile with 18 now at risk of being shuttered permanently. Quickly in response to the upheaval of the pandemic, these theatres and their artists banned together to help each other rather than take an every man for himself approach or wait for foundational or municipal assistance to arrive. They organized and took their story directly to the people, attempting to raise 2 months rent for each venue (Save NoHo Theatres). This is what gave her the idea to take action in creating a collective fundraiser in DFW. She also directly cites a couple of NoHo residents as the example she will follow to make it a success. Over the last few years, Rapp has worked with veteran actor/writer/director/producer Ronnie Marmo, whose Theatre 68 is an anchor of the arts in Los Angeles. "Not only is Ronnie tremendously gracious in using his platform as an artist to help others, he is a powerful conduit for collaboration and absolutely masterful in getting the public involved and rallying. I have been fairly noted for doing the same in Dallas, but I have never seen anything like what Ronnie can get done and how he can make the public truly care". As co-producer of Marmo's blockbuster 9 month Off Broadway run of I'm Not a Comedian...I'm Lenny Bruce, Rapp also worked with its director and NoHo resident, Tony winning star of stage, film and TV, Joe Mantegna. "Ronnie has taken a page out of the playbook of his mentor and friend Joe Mantegna, the pinnacle of a passionate, roll up his sleeves to do what he can, artist. I've learned a great deal from them, and what these two are doing to make sure the arts and their survival are a part of the larger story unfolding in Los Angeles has motivated me to do the same here". She believes Ronnie put it simply and best in a recent interview with ABC: "If you've been on stage, if you've sat in an audience, you know how important it is...so we are going to fight like heck to keep it going".

With Bren Rapp as producer, Ronnie Marmo and Joe Mantegna signed on as executive producers to bring an original Dallas work, Self-Injurious Behavior, written by and starring Jessica Cavanagh, to Los Angeles for its world premiere last summer, with Dallas director Marianne Galloway directing. Much of that effort went to benefit Autism Works Now and The Ed Asner Family Center. When Rapp previously brought the play to NY for an Actors Equity Association Showcase run last April with an all Dallas cast and crew, Marmo pitched in to serve as associate producer (alongside Dallas ex-pat Montgomery Sutton) to use his traction in the market to help garner attention with 100% of ticket sales going to The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism and other organizations. Bren Rapp also sits on the board of The Lenny Bruce Memorial Foundation along with Marmo and a portion of ticket sales from the LA, NY and Chicago runs of I'm Not A Comedian...I'm Lenny Bruce have gone to the organization run by Kitty Bruce.

To learn about the criteria applied for inclusion, more each organization benefiting and to donate, visit SMALL CHANGE-BIG HELP via GoFundMe.

To post a comment, you must register and login.