Our Crowdfunding Groups
The Toads follows Dionysus and Xanthias as they adventure through Greece to find an artist who will inspire people to change the world.
Who are we?
Lovers & Madmen is Northwestern's theatre board dedicated to classical and classically-inspired theatre on this campus! We produce mainstage shows, student-written works, and coordinate education and outreach programs on campus and in the community. We support the wonderful NU theatre students across the board, and give them the chance to explore the classic in their work. Our recent mission is to expand the definition of classical theatre to include different voices and new adaptations!
This winter we’re putting on The Toads, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and freely adapted by Burt Shevelove from Aristophanes' The Toads. The Toads is a hilarious story about Dionysus's journey as he travels to the Underworld to revive playwright George Bernard Shaw in hopes of inspiring today's society to change the world so that everyone can benefit.
We believe that art changes individuals, and through that individual change there comes a sense of community that fosters empathy and care. Northwestern needs to hear the story of The Toads because in laughing together, we can build that connection with each other and lead Northwestern to a brighter future through theatre.
Why are we raising money?
Since we are a student production, our funding is limited, and we are seeking additional funds to allow the creative aesthetics of our world to cross into a new and even grandiloquent territory. The Toads takes place in a realm of time between the present and ancient Greece, and we want to be able to fully realize that unique concept through set, costumes, props, lighting, and sound to bring our audience into an entirely unique space. All of these aspects require lots of raw materials which our designers will use in unique ways to craft this world. We also want to engage with the Northwestern community by allowing our marketing and educational outreach teams to reach out to other students and not just have them come see the show, but bring them along through the artistic process. Most importantly, we want to make the arts as accessible as possible by making our shows completely free to attend so that the barrier of financial access is removed for everyone in the Northwestern and Evanston community
How can you help?
Just as theater is a collaborative art form, we want to collaborate with you! We are asking everyone to either directly make a gift, or help spread the word by sharing out Catalyzer with their communities through social media to find the funds wherever possible. Please help us as much as you can, and we would invite you to come see the show when it opens in February!
