Kickstarter

What this story is not

This is not the story of a madman.  Many of the myths surrounding the man who brought us Blade Runner bring to mind a reclusive hermit, with wild hair and wilder eyes, churning out drug-fueled fictions while slowly killing himself on a cocktail of amphetamines and alcohol.  

As attractive as the myth of a mad genius might be, the truth behind Philip K. Dick is much more complex.

Playwright Victoria Stewart talks about her inspiration for writing 800 Words.

800 Words: The Transmigration of Philip K. Dick 

Tony Bingham and his wife Dana Hardy met Victoria Stewart several years ago, while she was work shopping 800 Words, and when they brought the script to CarTOP's artistic director, John Gresh, he was immediately drawn to the project.  Gresh knew of PKD through his novels and films like Blade Runner and A Scanner Darkly, and he very much wanted to see the striking visual moments in 800 Words portrayed on stage.

So, this April, CarTOP, John, Tony, and a small group of artists put together a short programed called You Don't Know Dick: Brief Encounters with Philip K. Dick.  The evening including readings from 800 Words, a short biography of PKD, a video interview with the playwright:

Now, all CarTOP needs is a small boost in funding to help get the full project off the ground.  With your help, we can bring the life of PKD off the page and onto the stage.

Caravan Theatre of Pittsburgh

Caravan Theatre of Pittsburgh takes its name from the Arabic proverb, "Dogs bark, but the caravan rolls on."  

CarTOP started producing plays in 2007.  We raised enough funds to open Savage in Limbo, presented at the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company to favorable reviews, so we followed it up with the Canadian comedy, Risk Everything.

And we did.

The bull mastiff known as the economic downturn of 2008 flattened Caravan's tires.  As funding organizations scaled back -- choosing to focus on established companies -- our plans for the future began to dissipate.  Projects like 800 Words had to be put on hold.

But times are changing, and so is the landscape of funding opportunities.  With help from our Kickstarter project, we can show granting organizations that we're not relying on their generosity to foot the entire bill.  And with a little crowd-sourcing, we can get the caravan rolling again.

Participating Artists

• John Gresh (Phil) is the Artistic Director of Caravan Theatre of Pittsburgh. John directed the two productions staged by Caravan, Savage In Limbo, and Risk Everything.   He has acted on the stages of Quantum Theatre, barebones productions, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, and others.  John was most recently seen in The Gammage Project (Wayne Babish), produced by PittREP and PPTCO. Favorite roles include: Sir Toby (Twelfth Night) and Ansel (Killer Joe) He teaches at Westminster College and IUP. John directed The Music Lesson and Corps Values for Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre. His Rhythm and Blues band, John Gresh’s Gris-Gris, plays at NOLA on the Square the first and third Friday of every month.
• Tony Bingham (Stanislaw “Stan” Lem & Secret Agent Man) was recently seen in And Baby Makes Seven at Off the Wall Theatre and before that in The End of the Affair for Quantum Theatre.  As a founding member of Caravan, Tony is excited to bring 800 Words to life as part of the current cultural tidal wave known as, the Pittsburgh Theatre Scene. Some favorite roles include: Martin (The Goat), Tony (Savage in Limbo), Eddie (Fool for Love), Roger (The Missionary Position), Segismundo (Life is a Dream), Proctor (The Crucible), Henry (The Real Thing), Marat (Marat/Sade), and Dad in The Bingham Family, to name a few.  He has appeared in several commercials and a number of local indies.  Tony holds a BA from Point Park and an MFA from the University of Iowa.
• Dana Hardy (Tessa) just wrapped up an amazingly successful year as Theatre Director at Shadyside Academy.  Riding on the Caravan bandwagon is a career highlight for Dana, and she is eager to bring Victoria's amazing play to Pittsburgh theatre attendees.   Some Pittsburgh credits include:  Daisy in Amy Hartman's world premier of The Chicken Snake (the REP), Denise in Risk Everything and Linda Rotunda in Savage in Limbo (Caravan Theatre of Pittsburgh), Marie in Humana Festival playwright Allison Moore's Eighteen (LTD Productions), Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter (Open Stage), Jane Eyre in After Mrs. Rochester (Quantum), and Emma in Bird Island (Public Exposure Series/Public Theatre).  Prior to Pittsburgh, Dana worked in NYC at the Duffy Theatre, Cherry Lane, Hypothetical Theatre, Hourglass Group, and Gertrude Stein Repertory.  Dana Completed her MFA in acting at the University of Iowa where some of her favorite roles were Terry in Sideman, Rosaura in Life is a Dream, Charlotte Corday in Marat/Sade, and Elizabeth in Escape from Happiness.  Originally from Seattle, some of Dana's favorite roles from that time period include:  Isabella in Measure for Measure, Clytemnestra in Electra and Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream.  
• Lissa Brennan (Sasha) is a Pittsburgh based theatre artist who has worked as an actor, director, and playwright; been seen in Portugal, Spain, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, India, Australia, Canada, and 21 states across the U.S. She occasionally dreams of electric sheep. 
• Martin Giles (Director) most recent work includes Louder Faster for City Theatre and The End of the Affair for Quantum Theatre.  He is in his 10th season with PICT, and currently teaches acting at Point Park and Carnegie Mellon Universities.