What is Kickstarter? We’re the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. Learn more!

Afof_logo.large

A Festival of Fools

Brooklyn, NY

We're an NYC-based theatre company producing established and original works of verse. We incorporate masks, juggling, sword fighting, acrobatics and magic into our productions and hope to bring verse theatre back into popular esteem.

  1. on March 13
    Afof_logo.thumb Backer

    A Festival of Fools
    backed a project

    Bring Back The Bushwick News! by The Bushwick News

    BushwickBK was Bushwick's main source of local news. Let's bring it back as The Bushwick News, better than ever!

    Funding Unsuccessful (04/12/2012)
  2. on March 9
    Afof_logo.thumb Backer

    A Festival of Fools
    backed a project

    The World Through Women's Eyes by Lonnie Isabel

    City University of New York Global Film Series on Women's Human Rights explores the nexus among journalism, activism and film

    Funding Unsuccessful (03/23/2012)
  3. on July 18, 2011
    Afof_logo.thumb Backer

    A Festival of Fools
    backed a project

    Ampersand goes to New York Fringe! by Mariah MacCarthy

    AMPERSAND: A ROMEO & JULIET STORY has been selected for the New York Fringe Festival! Help us pay for it!

    • 174% funded $5,245 pledged
    • 108 backers
    • Funded Jul 22, 2011
  4. on September 24, 2010
    Afof_logo.thumb

    A Festival of Fools
    Posted project update #7

    Rewards in the Pipeline!

    Backer_white For backers only
    Backer-only-post
    Backer-only-post-text If you’re a backer of this project, please log in to read this post.
    Post Comment
  5. on September 5, 2010
    Funded!

    Life is a Dream, Free Show in Prospect Park by A Festival of Fools

    A Festival of Fools is producing its second annual free verse play in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, "Life is a Dream," by Pedro Calderon de la Barca.

    • 103% funded $3,101 pledged
    • 55 backers
    • Funded Sep 04, 2010
  6. on August 18, 2010
    Afof_logo.thumb

    A Festival of Fools
    Posted project update #6

    101% Funded!

    Backer_white For backers only
    Backer-only-post
    Backer-only-post-text If you’re a backer of this project, please log in to read this post.
    Post Comment
  7. on August 16, 2010
    Afof_logo.thumb

    A Festival of Fools
    Posted project update #5

    Production Photos

    We could not be more pleased with our first weekend of shows! In total, about 75 people came out to watch, between Saturday and Sunday, and the audience appeared to be having a great time.

    When we started our company and held our first outdoor show, we presumed that people in our local Brooklyn community would come out, but the abysmal rain made it an impossible theory to test. This year, we can see that there is an audience for new mountings of old verse plays, and we couldn't be more thrilled.

    Below are just a few photos from the production; you can see many more on Flickr.

    If you're a backer already, we hope you know that it's thanks to you we can continue to produce theater in Brooklyn! If you're reading this and are considering backing our project, we appreciate your consideration. We are close to our goal, but we still need to reach it, and every single dollar pledged helps us tremendously. There are other expenses associated with producing the show, even beyond our $3,000 goal, which include:

    - Verse coaching ($70)
    - Sword rentals ($200)
    - Printing programs ($80)
    - Printing posters for the performances ($30)
    - Supplies for the performance space (tape, ribbon, climbing rope, chalk, poster board) ($40)
    - Additional costume items, laundry and repair of costumes ($110)
    - Additional musician for the performances ($50)
    - Water and first aid supplies for the actors ($30)

    All of these costs add up to free theater for the Brooklyn community, so it's well worth it. We hope you will consider supporting our project and allow A Festival of Fools to continue producing great theater!

    • Image-14204-full
    • Image-14205-full
    • Image-14206-full
    • Image-14207-full
    • Image-14208-full
    Post Comment
  8. on August 15, 2010
    Afof_logo.thumb

    A Festival of Fools
    Posted project update #4

    First Show a Success!

    A quick update to say that our first production of "Life is a Dream" went incredibly well! Thanks to beautiful weather and a wonderful, engaged audience of well over 50 people, it was great fun. Later today we'll have production photos, but for now you can check out this review from writer Richard Grayson on his blog!

    An excerpt: "On the page, we always found the plot confusing and pretty unbelievable although we took it as a metaphor, a philosophical argument disguised as a weird story. It's to the enormous credit of A Festival of Fools and this production's director, Amanda Thompson - and also in large part to the incredibly deft new translation (with gorgeous meter and natural rhyme) by LIU-Brooklyn professor G.J. Racz - that you don't think, "This makes no sense" as you watch the play."

    Here's a shot of the pagoda from the ground, with our audience filling the first few rows.

    • Image-14140-full
    Post Comment
  9. on August 10, 2010
    Afof_logo.thumb

    A Festival of Fools
    Posted project update #3

    Dress Rehearsals Commence

    Backer_white For backers only
    Backer-only-post
    Backer-only-post-text If you’re a backer of this project, please log in to read this post.
    Post Comment
  10. on August 5, 2010
    Afof_logo.thumb

    A Festival of Fools
    Posted project update #2

    Day Two = Half Way There

    Folks, we've reached and surpassed our half way mark, thanks to our wonderful backers. Tonight is our fundraiser in NYC. Stay tuned for photos of our crazy fundraising antics!

    PS - Check out Brian Kirchner's music - you can listen to some of the original tunes he's composed for our show.

    Post Comment