The Fates have smiled on us! I am proud to announce (if you haven't heard it already) that The New Colony, the storefront theater company with big dreams that I joined in Chicago, won the first round of the Chase Community Giving campaign on Facebook! This means, as one of the top 100 not-for-profits in votes, we will be receiving at least $25,000 in grant money! That's a huge boost, and like I mentioned in my previous post, will be able to cover the costs of the rest of our season. Not only that, but it means the corners we had to cut in our budget can be resharpened--design budgets have been raised back to target!

But, of course, it's not over! We have a chance at another prize in the second round, this time for one of six prizes valued from $100,000 to $1,000,000! Yeah, you read that right--one million dollars! By Jan 8th, we have to submit a proposal outlining what we would do with a million dollar grant, our so-called "Big Idea" to benefit the community. We've got a lot of ideas kicking around for what to do, including resource-sharing inventories for Chicago theaters, film projects, building a theater, and outreach. But, we need your input! Are these good ideas? Terrible ones? What would you like to see? How should it be done? Leave comments here, or (while it's still active), comment on the status update at http://www.facebook.com/thenewcolony. We really want your ideas!

In other news...I live in Chicago now! Even though I've been here for around seven weeks, I still get hit at least once a day with the realization that I have made it! If you know me at all from before I came here, there's nothing you're more aware of about me than the fact that I want to be here in Chicago, and that I've been wanting that for almost two years.

I was talking with my friend Andy about this--he pointed out how interesting it is that a very specific story has unfolded with almost everyone he knows that moved to Chicago. First, Everyman hears about some cool things that happen in Chicago. Then, Everyman visits Chicago. And then Everyman falls in love with Chicago. Then, Everyman spends most of his energy from that point figuring out a way to start a life here.

Perhaps it's just a certain creative type that cannot resist the draw. There's a type of artist that dominates the scene here: a high-energy, high-dedication firebrand that has only faint dreams of stardom. This artist's goal is instead collaborative work--art for art, with the contributions of many other creatives. The New Colony is a great example of a collection of creatives who simply care the most for absolute expression and craft. The dedication I've seen here in Chicago, tempered by good dispositions and playful spirits, is absolutely incredible, and is not matched by most artists I've known in the other big cities.

So, I am glad to be here!

Future stuff to come: Chase Community Giving Round 2, my lighting design for 11:11, and possibly moving into a new, awesome apartment.

Oh, and by the way, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Your Adventurer,
Nick

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Labels: Big Ideas, Chase Community Giving, Chicago, collaborative, film, filmmaking, The New Colony, theater, theatre

So...I know it's been a while since I've written. I made it to Chicago and life changed forever.

Among many, many other crazy things I've been able to do, I somehow was lucky enough to join up with a company, The New Colony, out here. Right now, they are primarily a theater company, but as a registered not-for-profit with big dreams, they want to support and create films, music, and other arts, all in a new, ultra-collaborative, open-to-the-public style.

It's big stuff.

But right now, we're still a small, but successful company. But...if you're on Facebook, which I'm sure you are, you've got 20 seconds to spare to vote for us on Chase Giving! The link is below--and if you vote for us, we could get at least $25,000, which could easily pay for the rest of the current season. If you're already connected to me on Facebook, then you already have seen me flooding your Live Feed. This really does matter to me, so please take the moment to vote--and tell your friends!

http://bit.ly/5KrKct

-Sunshine

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Labels: art, arts, Chicago, Facebook, film, filmmaking, The New Colony, theater

So I'm not entirely sure why I haven't posted this yet, but the film Very Small Rooms I made a little while ago with Refractory Films is getting some movement these days, and we've got a trailer and clip available to check out. To save you some time, here they are!

Trailer:

Also on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP2zc00kAK4

Clip:

Also on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qaqCsLoSPY

Hope you enjoy!

Your Adventurer,
Nick

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Labels: alexandra petrova-emisti, amy rose capetta, film, filmmaking, jake lucas, julia jc blau, kevin tracy, Refractory Films, sean keane, sherry wong, very small rooms, youtube

Well, folks, today is the Monday of the first week of my life.

I mean, you know, my Chicago life. Dream-life.

We are all so motivated to do Something with our lives, that sometimes we get caught up in the wrong set of Somethings, and forget to just go and do the thing we wanted to do in the first place. I decided recently that there really was nothing stopping me from just going, jumping in the car (with 350 lbs of my belongings, of course) and just driving, driving, driving, until I reached my goal. I'm currently halfway there, staying with my friend in Pittsburgh.

Tonight, I will arrive in Chicago for what might be the grandest Adventure yet. It's an old story, really: twenty-something man with starry eyes moves to the big city to make it big. But it is my story.

Hopefully I'll be less delinquent than before in my posts, but I hope to tell my story here, from the shameless plugs on up to the day-to-day hum of a dream in motion.

So off I go, to my kind of town.

Your Adventurer,
Nick

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Labels: adventure, Chicago, dreams, filmmaking, road trip