Theatre Company Sending "Spandex" to Scotland

A Chicago theatre group with roots in Easley and Pickens County is raising money to send an original production to Scotland this summer.

“Wishbone Theatre Collective is a theatre company here in Chicago that was started by all Clemson alumni,” said Katie Jones, an Easley native and one of the founders of Wishbone.

The company's first formal production was in 2009.

“We do shows about whimsical interpretations about human journeys,” Jones said. “We take serious subject matter and treat them with humor and light so that the subject matter is palatable for audiences.”

The company does “a mix of things,” she said.

“We do full-length plays as well as festival productions and improv and sketch,” Jones said. “We're involved in different communities in the theater world.

The company plays to the strengths of its members.

“A lot of the group members have different interests,” Jones said. “The collective sort of seeks to support everybody's artistic paths.”

Wishbone has created three original plays “from scratch,” she said.

“Returning From Madness” is a full-length play that “looked at mental illness through the constructs of an 'Alice In Wonderland'-type story,” Jones said.

“En La Corazon” is about human rights activists in Colombia and “their journey to do the right thing and face death as a result, she said.

“We did that with Give Us Names, a non-profit group that was also founded by Clemson alumni, that helps marginalized groups that have been forced out of their homes in Colombia due to actions by the United States,” Jones said.

The company is hoping to take their play “Spandex” to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in August.

“'Spandex'” is an investigation of the American Obsession with Superheroes and what that is indicative of in our culture,” Jones said. “We're hoping for someone to save us because we can't fix our problems on our own.”

“Spandex” started at the Cultural Center, then moved on to the Chicago Fringe Festival.

Wishbone Theatre Collective member Laurie Jones, Katie's sister, moved to England to study human rights at York University last fall. She became involved with people in human rights and the arts. She also worked with a film company in South Africa that deals with human rights issues.

That led to the inspiration to bring the group to Scotland, Katie said.

“Spandex” has been accepted into the Fringe Festival and fundraising has begun.

“We need to raise about $15,000,” Jones said.

In addition to applying for grants and holding events in Chicago, the group has started an online fundraising campaign through Indiegogo. If you would like to contribute, their page can be found here http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/spandex-in-edinburgh

The deadline for the Indiegogo campaign is May 31.

Fundraising through Indiegogo or Kickstarter helps theatre groups reach people who may not have been able to contribute to other ways of fundraising for theatre, such as underwriting a season or sponsoring a show.

“We don't know wealthly people, by and large,” Jones said. “People may not have a ton of extra money, but may be able to give $5 or $15. Those are the people who are our audience and also our friends.”

Perks are available for those who contribute to the online campaign.

In addition to transportation and lodging, funds will be used to promote the show once the group is in Scotland. The play will be performed four times during the festival.

“It's a pretty big task,” Jones said. “We're an American group and a relatively young group in terms of letting people know that we're there.”

Wishbone has also created the first season of a web series, “Tech Week.”

“It's all about a young theatre company trying to make it and all of the stuff they deal with behind the scenes, like crappy theaters, cancellations, having five jobs and not being able to eat while you're doing the show.”