Support "My Name is Rachel Corrie" at the Old Red Lion: A Fundraiser for Ahmed Masoud's Family
Dear Supporters,
I am reaching out to you to help us bring "My Name is Rachel Corrie" to the stage at the Old Red Lion Theatre in London from June 24th to June 29th. Our production team, predominantly Jewish, is deeply passionate about sharing Rachel Corrie's story—a narrative of courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment to justice.
This production is not only about our love of storytelling but also about being sensitive to the reality of the horror that Palestinian people are being subject to. "My Name is Rachel Corrie" will serve as a fundraiser for Ahmed Masoud's family in Gaza, who are one of the tens of thousands of families who have experienced unimaginable hardship and loss.
Ahmed Masoud, a Palestinian writer and playwright, lost his brother in January, and his family's homes have been destroyed. All the company’s profit from ticket sales will provide assistance to Ahmed's family, including support for his brother's children and the broader family.
We have tiered prices for tickets on the website (starting at £15 for concessions and up to £50) for generous donors. We will also have collection pots (well card readers…) at the show as our hope is that after seeing the production people may feel moved to donate more.
The Old Red Lion seats around 60 people and usually take 30% of ticket sales to cover expenses but they have agreed to cap their income at £2000. Because there’s a great range in prices for tickets it’s hard to give an accurate estimate of exactly how much we will make but if we sold out at £20/ ticket (which is our General Admission fee) we would make £6,400 from ticket sales.
We are aiming to raise £7,000 from your generous support to cover production costs and pay a small wage to the creatives involved, below is a rough breakdown of the expenditure.
£700: The rights for seven performances of "My Name is Rachel Corrie"
£500: Venue deposit at the Old Red Lion Theatre
£300: Marketing expenses to promote the production (including a promo video, posters & flyers)
£200 props/ costume/ extras.
The remaining funds will be a wage split evenly among the six creatives involved in the production.
In the case of any surplus, it will be allocated to a fund dedicated to securing rights for future productions, allowing us to extend the reach of this important story.
We feel that it's crucial to share Rachel's story with a modern Western audience because they are taken on a journey from Rachel's domestic, privileged, comfortable life to the reality of Gaza. Being able to follow her on her journey as she tries to process the reality of the situation in Gaza gives the audience space to process something that is very difficult for those of us who have comfortable lives.
My hope is that considering our Jewishness, this production will hopefully feel like a little olive branch. The cycle of hate and blame is a vicious one, with no victors, and we need love and compassion to break it. I think Rachel’s story has the power to touch our souls and broaden our minds, this feels like a much needed tonic.
By supporting our production of "My Name is Rachel Corrie," you are not only helping to bring this powerful narrative to life but also making an impact on the lives of those affected by conflict and injustice.
Please consider donating to our Crowdfunder campaign and sharing it with your friends, family, and networks. Together, we can make a difference.
Thank you for your support and generosity.
Lots of love,
Sascha Shinder
(Actor playing Rachel Corrie)