About this project
American summer stock theater is a piece of American history that we should keep alive forever. As Kurt Vonnegut says in the film Stagestruck, "People would work this hard for nothing, and they would, because that's theater." Stagestruck captures all the hard work and magic from those bygone days of resident summer stock theater. Living together, loving together and creating art together was an experience unlike any other.
Stagestruck: Confessions from Summer Stock tells of America’s first summer stock theatre-in-the-round, the Orleans Arena Theatre located on Cape Cod. Part expose, part homage, the interviews, old stills, and re-enactments tell the tale of a steamy, creative, industrious, and humble theater business venture carried on from 1950 until 1976 by the talented company members, producers Betsy and Gordon Argo, and the Argo children.
As the oldest child of the founder-producers of the Orleans Arena Theatre, the filmmaker, Liz Argo, adds her emotional intimacy to the story. Liz relives and shares her experiences growing up in the sometimes raw and unstable, but always loving and exhilarating world of professional resident summer stock theatre.
Author Kurt Vonnegut is an engaging addition to the interviewees, providing humor and insight to the telling of the family's experiences as devotees to their beloved theater.
Stagestruck won the "Filmmaker Takeover Film Festival" held at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater in 2010. The film needs only finishing funds to meet the requirements for distribution through American Public Television. Your donation will help bring "Stagestruck" to the air and into America's homes, where it can remind us of our American entrepreneurial roots and our rich theater heritage.
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on August 30, 2011.
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Donate and know that you are a part of the American theater experience!
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You'll get a special thank you in the movie credits for keeping American theater alive and a wrist band with: "Theater Lives!" to let people know you're keeping it alive.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
You'll get a special thank you in the movie credits for keeping American theater alive and a a DVD of the movie 'Stagestruck' shipped to you.
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You'll get a a tee shirt featuring a Kurt Vonnegut self-portrait Kurt painted in the 1960's, as well as the movie credit and a DVD of 'Stagestruck'.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
You'll get two tickets to a show in the original theater that was home to the theater company of 'Stagestruck' from 1950 - 1976 and A TOUR conducted by 'Stagestruck' Director, Liz Argo, of the original theater, including backstage, and of the original housing for the company.... .......And the movie credit, a DVD of the movie 'Stagestruck', and a tee shirt.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
EXTRA! VONNEGUT INTERVIEWS & PRINT! You'll get a 1.5 hours of unedited video of the two separate interviews with Kurt Vonnegut conducted by Liz in his home on the Cape in 2005 and a limited edition print of an original, signed, SELF PORTRAIT PAINTED BY KURT VONNEGUT in the 1960s..... as well as the movie credit, DVD of the movie 'Stagestruck', and tee shirt.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
ONE NIGHT TOUR / SLEEP-OVER PACKAGE! Spend a night on Cape Cod! You'll be set up in the delightfully appointed home that used to house the original theater company of 'Stagestruck'. You'll get A TOUR conducted by 'Stagestruck' Director, Liz Argo, of the original theater, including backstage, and of the original housing for the company and two tickets to a show in the same theater that used to be the home of America's first summer stock theater in-the-round! You'll also be named in the credits, receive an autographed copy of the DVD of the movie 'Stagestruck' and the 1.5 hour DVD made of the unedited compilation of the two separate interviews with Kurt Vonnegut. And of course you'll receive the limited print of a self-portrait painted by Kurt Vonnegut and a tee shirt!
Pledge $2,000 or more Pledge $2,000 or more
GALA PACKAGE! Spend a long weekend on Cape Cod! You'll be set up in the delightfully appointed home that used to house the original theater company of 'Stagestruck'. Stay for any Friday night through that Sunday night. Spend your days at the beach, dine at Kurt's favorite restaurant and then go to the show in the same theater that used to be the home of America's first summer stock theater in-the-round! You'll also be named in the credits, receive an autographed copy of the DVD of the movie 'Stagestruck' and the 1.5 hour DVD made of the unedited compilation of the two separate interviews with Kurt Vonnegut. And of course you'll receive the limited print of a self-portrait painted by Kurt Vonnegut and a tee shirt!
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After tearing herself away from her family's summer stock theater enterprise in 1970, Liz began a filmmaking career in NYC. In 1990 Liz moved back to the Cape from NYC to start her own video production company. Her company, Argo Video, went on to win three Telly awards for videos she made for the Visiting Nurse Association, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, and for a film entitled "Full Sails" that appeared on PBS in 2003.
Liz most recently turned her filmmaking talents on bringing wind energy forward. Her film, "The View and the Vision", about Denmark's offshore windfarms, played a significant role towards making the Cape and Islands receptive to hosting America's first offshore windfarm, Cape Wind.
Liz has two brilliant children, John and Lacy, in whose footsteps she hopes to follow.
