To say we’re overwhelmed is an understatement. We thought it would be a risk to go for even $2,500, but this community … this still growing and generous community … has proven more supportive than we humbly imagined.

So again … thank you.

What do we do now?

We keep going. Our official Kickstarter goal cannot change and it has been wonderfully met, but we’ve another 36 whole days to go in this campaign. So in the next couple of days, we’ll be unofficially raising our funding goal a little higher. While we can do so much with $2,500, we can do even bigger things with a little more.

And as promised, you’ll be seeing a new Kickstarter video in a few days and we’ll be filming the third video this weekend. Though we’ve met our official goal, we’re just getting started.

Well, for one thing, we saw the success experienced by NFDC alums, Ben Boardman, Jason Carlisle and Brian Clements back in 2010. They used Kickstarter to raise enough money to fund an entire season of Star Command, a sci-fi comedy webseries!

For another, if there is anything we love here at NFDC (apart than putting on the best Shakespeare we can), its social media. We’re on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Vimeo. We have an outrageous techno-joy for the ever-unfolding future of human interaction and communication. So why not put that appreciation to good use?

Our next big project, our first show for 2012, is William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. We’ve been considering this one for quite some time, but we kept waiting and waiting. Finally, we came up with a brilliant and challenging concept, one that would tax our imaginations and give us license to do something truly amazing. The trouble is … amazing challenges take a little more money than our usual budget.

So we’re going to run our Kickstarter campaign for 45 days with a goal of $2,500. Who knows, we might make more than that!

The way Kickstarter works is simple:

• We pitch our idea on the Kickstarter website (complete with a hilarious video featuring NFDC alums).
• People watch the video, read about the project and …
• Decide to Back Our Project for whatever amount they wish. There’s some awesome premiums for different levels of commitment, all the way from a dramatic reading of the donor’s name to the actual staff our Prospero will use in the production. There’s no risk for the backer, either, as the money is collected (via Amazon Payments) at the end of the 45 days and only then if we’re successful.

It’s that easy. We hope.

So spread the word. Tell your friends. Tell your friends of friends. And ask them to tell still more.

Thank you.

Here’s the result. We couldn’t be happier!

Henry IV, Part 1 opens Friday night and runs for three weekends. Go here for more information or to reserve a table.

Without further ado – our cast –

King Henry IV – John C. O’Keefe
Prince Hal – Kyle Brumley
Westmoreland – Jerry Harlow
Northumberland – Ilene Miller
Blunt / Sheriff – Jim Dailey
Worcester – Jason Meinhardt
Hotspur – Alexandros Salazar
Mortimer – Sean Anderson
Douglas – Ben Boardman
Glendower – Brad Corbin
Richard Vernon – David Morgen
Sir John Falstaff – Max Flick
Pointz – Andrew Hibbs
Peto – Emily Arvidson
Bardolph – Patrick Lundy
Lady Percy – Olvia Harlow
Lady Mortimer – Michelle Peck
Mistress Quickly - Jackie Estafen
1st Traveler / Francis / 2nd Messenger – Barbara Macko
2nd Traveler / Servant / 1st Messenger – Sean Anderson

King Henry the Fourth. (Male, late 30s to ?)
Prince Hal. (Male, late teens to late 20s)
Sir Walter Blunt / Sheriff. (Male, 20s to ?)
Westmoreland. (Male, 20s to ?)
Worcester. (Male, 20s to ?)
Northumberland. (Female, mid 30s to ?)
Hotspur. (Male, 20s to late 30s)
Mortimer. (Male, 20s to ?)
Douglas. (Male, 20s to late 30s)
Owen Glendower. (Male, late 30s to ?)
Sir Richard Vernon. (Male, 20s to ?)
Sir John Falstaff. (Male, mid 20s to ?)
Pointz. (Male, late teens to ?)
Peto. (Female, late teens to ?)
Bardolph. (Male, 20s to ?)
Lady Percy, Wife to Hotspur. (Female, 20s to ?)
Lady Mortimer, Daughter to Glendower. (Female, 20s to ?)
Mistress Quickly, Hostess in Eastcheap. (Female, 20s to ?)
First Traveler / Francis / 2nd Messenger (Female or Male, Any Age)
Second Traveler / Servant / Messenger (Female or Male, Any Age)

Please note that age ranges are based on what age an actor can portray, not his or her chronological age. Also, though we have flipped gender on a few roles, we might do so with others as auditions merit. As we said on the audition notice: “We are interested in actors of any and all races, ethnicities, body types, flavors, heights, whatever. Come as you are, because you are awesome.”

Interested? Excited? So are we, so get your audition form and come on out!

(If you’d like to see all of the album videos in HD, click on through to the album page.)

An NFDC Vlog – August 3, 2010 from North Fulton Drama Club on Vimeo.

An NFDC Vlog – August 12, 2010 from North Fulton Drama Club on Vimeo.

An NFDC Vlog – August 13, 2010 from North Fulton Drama Club on Vimeo.

An NFDC Vlog – August 19, 2010 from North Fulton Drama Club on Vimeo.

An NFDC Vlog – August 22, 2010 from North Fulton Drama Club on Vimeo.

An NFDC Vlog – August 24, 2010 from North Fulton Drama Club on Vimeo.

An NFDC Vlog – August 26, 2010 (Part 1) from North Fulton Drama Club on Vimeo.

An NFDC Vlog – August 26, 2010 (Part 2) from North Fulton Drama Club on Vimeo.

So this is our first attempt at being all grown up and independent … at least where podcasting is concerned.

After our recent run of Comedy of Errors, we invited several of our Comedy castmates to gather around a table and share their thoughts on the experience. In attendance were Jessica DeMaria (Adriana), Ben Boardman (Antipholus of Syracuse), Spencer Parker (Gaoler) and David Morgen (1st/2nd Merchant/Minstrel). Also, we had a couple of call-ins from Jim Dailey (Dromio of Ephesus) and Catherine Connor (Ensemble). Put all of those people together and you have this:

The Comedy Of Errors Partial Cast Post Show Podcast!

They came to see me in “Twelfth Night” in Manchester, and they took someone else. And then the following year I was in Liverpool, and I did “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and they took someone else. And at that point I thought, “I’m not RSC material. Clearly. What I do isn’t what they’re looking for.” And so I went off to [the Bristol Old Vic Theatre]. Tyrone Guthrie was to come and direct “Hamlet.” And I really wanted to be in it. And he didn’t cast me. And in a fit of pique, I resigned from the company and wrote a letter—a sort of begging letter—to the RSC, saying, “Please see me.” And they did, on this Sunday night in November. Cold and miserable and wet. And in the darkened, empty theater. And I did some Henry V, which I had just played, and I did something else, I don’t know what the other thing was. And John Barton and Peter Hall got up on the stage, and they directed me for half an hour. And I quite quickly realized, “They’re not trying to find out if I can act. They want to know, Am I flexible? Can I take direction? Can I change my ideas and thoughts about the thing?” And luckily I stumbled to that and so did the best I could.

The whole interview is full of wonderful insights, so give it a read. Give Two Gentlemen of Verona a read as well, then come and see us on Monday. Or Tuesday.

If you’d like to reserve a table, click here. If you’ve questions about Comedy of Errors and would like to speak to an actual person, do not hesitate to give us a call at 678-561-BARD.