A (VERY SPECIAL IMPROVISED) CHRISTMAS CAROL To Save Unexpected Productions

Join Unexpected Productions for A (Very Special Improvised) Christmas Carol on Saturday, December 19th with a preshow at 6:30 and event at 7:00pm. They will take you on a journey through Unexpected Productions' past and present and invite YOU to help support their reopening!

To survive the pandemic, Unexpected Productions has been improvising, doing serval things to make it through until they can open for live performances again.

They have cut by expenses by more than half. Luckily for a few months, they didn't have to dip into reserves because they were granted a PPP loan and multiple Covid relief grants. Those grants have essentially dried up as there has been no new federal relief bill passed. WA State has essentially deployed every bit of funding they are able to.

UP needs to raise this money so that we can extend their reserves until they able to reopen. The leadership of Unexpected Productions recently (and safely) met at Unexpected Productions' Market Theater to explain the history of the Seattle's moist established improv company and why they are asking for $75k and presenting A (Very Special Improvised) Christmas Carol.

"The show is going to be a blast", explained Managing Director, Jay Hitt. "We'll take you on a journey through Unexpected Productions' past and present and invite YOU to help us support our reopening! This incredibly special evening will stream LIVE from the Market Theatre in the heart of Pike Place Market and will benefit the reopening efforts of Unexpected Productions," Hitt added.

"Nearly 37 years ago, Unexpected Productions began as a small group of scrappy young comedians who were founding the improv movement in Seattle. We decided to bring our efforts together, all to impact Seattle in a new way," explains Rich Hawkins, Unexpected Productions Board President. "From there, we founded Unexpected Productions, which quickly grew to become a Seattle comedy institution here at the Gum Wall (which we started!) right in the heart of Seattle in Pike Place Market."

"We started performing shows at Chinese restaurant in Pioneer Square, then Swanny's Underground, and eventually in 1991, we moved in here - the historic Market Theatre. Over the years, we built an ensemble, a teaching staff, a loyal and enthusiastic audience, until we were able to define our core purpose - Unexpected Productions is dedicated to the art and spirit of improvisation and making it accessible to everyone. Improv is more than just an art form. Unexpected Productions also believes in a community taking care of each other. It is the core of all that we do." said Artist Director, Randy Dixon.

Dixon is a respected instructor and teaches improv all over the world. He is known for creating the "Seattle Style" of improv, combining the teachings of Del Close, Viola Spolin and Keith Johnston. He has written books and numerous articles on the art of improv and storytelling.

Marketing & Development Director, Kent Whipple added "And every day, Unexpected Productions could be a theater, classroom, community space and a home for a tight-knit family of improvisers, teachers and friends. Up until recently, Unexpected

Productions is a company of 64 who performs 10 *completely original improvised* shows each week, bringing laughter and memories to over 34,000 audience members each year. We've intentionally kept our ticket prices affordable (less than $9 on avg.) so everyone can experience live theatre regardless of their economic status."
"The global pandemic stretched all the way to our small corner of the world, shutting the doors of this non-profit theatre for the first time in 37 years. We cancelled all our shows, our classes, our teen improv program and specialty workshops who affected so many people in our region. We had three functioning classrooms in Georgetown and Redmond, where we had been teaching over 20 classes per week, all of which had to be cancelled," stated Jill Farris, Education Director.

"We were working closely with Path For Art, bringing therapeutic art and concepts of improv to our unhoused neighbors, and had to cancel that and many other programs we had worked hard to get off the ground over the last few years which impacted so many. We had 14 teen students creating a teen ensemble, who had to say goodbye to their improv training and community they were building," said Farris.

All of this meant that UP faced a complete loss of revenue. They had been gearing up for their most successful year to date! Instead, as the days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and now they're looking at almost a full year being closed and are now facing one of the scariest times of their existence.

"Because of that, we knew we couldn't just sit still, we'd have to work hard and fight to survive. It's not the first time we've faced challenges at Unexpected Productions. We've overcome big obstacles in the past, and knew we'd have to do just that to survive one more time," added Hitt.

"Following all the guidelines from the Department of Health and the Governor's office, we've adapted our theatre to make sure it's safe when we return, and safe for the staff and players now. We've installed plexiglass barriers in the lobby and bar, inspected and cleaned our HVAC air quality system, ensured there's sanitation materials and practices all throughout the theatre, and have developed some pretty fun tactics to ensure social distancing throughout our theatre which holds 214 seats. All these reopening efforts cost money. We are still paying rent and bills each month, and it's difficult when we have no revenue coming in, especially the longer this goes, said Hitt.

A (Very Special Improvised) Christmas Carol will stream LIVE from the Market Theatre in the heart of Pike Place Market and will benefit the reopening efforts of Unexpected Productions.

They will share stories and videos of our Past, the Present progress toward a safe reopening, and ask you to help support the Future of Unexpected Productions.
Your $50 Family Ticket will provide you with a link to live-stream to your home and enjoy all the same A(n Improvised) Christmas Carol you love from the hilarious cast of Unexpected Productions.

The company looks forward to sharing with you their progress with our new state-of-the-art camera system, and their plans for ensuring that the theatre will be safe for all when we all may share a night of laughter together again.

At its core, A Christmas Carol is about charity, family, and the spirit of Christmas. Please join and please donate.

"I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me."a?? Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

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