CrowdSource for Life
About CrowdSource for Life
CrowdSource for Life is a stage performance featuring true story monologues from non-directed kidney donors (NDDs), living kidney donors who gave kidneys to complete strangers. NDDs are considered our society’s most extreme altruists. A film crew will record CrowdSource for Life live for Abundant, a feature length documentary about the complex human experience of giving.
A Different Way to Tell Kidney Donation Stories
CrowdSource for Life features a cast of living kidney donors, many of whom are non-directed living kidney donors. The cast is working with Chicago’s 2nd Story theatre company and producers from Maitri River Productions for half a year to develop their experiences with extreme altruism into monologues suitable for a major live stage performance. Our editing and performance processes is conducted by professional editors and skilled coaches, assuring that CrowdSource for Life’s cast will present a unique and compelling show.
Why Storytelling?
Stories are a cornerstone of every culture. At its most basic, storytelling creates connections. This form of communication has a unique power to make the listener know they are not alone with their thoughts, feelings, and reality. This fundamental feature is why CrowdSource for Life content will speak to potential living kidney donors. Our casts’ stories will translate through to the mass audience we reach with Abundant. Without being convincing, this production will stir thoughts within the audience to explore the possibilities of living kidney donation. This is why Maitri River Productions selected storytelling as the format for CrowdSource for Life.
CrowdSource for Life Themes
Easily understood themes connect our stories and the overall narrative of CrowdSource for Life to everyday ideas we all understand. The themes of our show are Community, Connection and Decision.
Community
Our connection to our community and our social groups make an impact on how we live and how we see the world. As our cast’s stories show, our ability to see and understand our community and its members can lead to incredible experiences.
Connection
The connections we maintain and how we view them are a basic layer of our lives. In our stories of extreme altruism, our cast explores how their understanding of connection and their acts to connect with others impacted their lives.
Decision
Most living kidney donors speak of a “lightning strike” moment of realization. For many, the realization is also a decision to act. We hope, for some, the film will inspire lightning strike moments for some when they realize their interest in donating a kidney.
Making CrowdSource for Life
Our production takes a “storytelling show” to a new level of theatrical production to create visually interesting, cinematic content. CrowdSource for Life breaks the mold of the black box theater setting and throws away the trope of seated storyteller and microphone stand. In the design of our stage show, our guiding creative standard has been: “We are making a movie!” So, as a stage show, CrowdSource for Life has to exceed expectations for entertainment.
Why Storytelling?
Stories are a cornerstone of every culture and they create connections. Storytelling has a unique power to help listeners know they are not alone. CrowdSource for Life content will speak to potential living kidney donors. Our casts’ stories will translate through to the mass audience we reach with Abundant to stir thoughts within the audience to explore the possibilities of living kidney donation.
Theatrical Design
CrowdSource for Life’s production team is led by noted artist Joshua King, whose work will be seen in the lighting concept for the stage production. In developing the lighting design, our production team is focusing on the key concept of decision making that is common to our cast. The exploration of this concept in the theater setting will bring form and function together with high art.
Sound Design
CrowdSource for Life will have a live and continuous feel thanks to an immersive sound design. Storytelling shows create emotional roller coaster rides for the audience, banking through drama and humor. Our sound design for CrowdSource for Life enhances the experience for the audience, offering moments of connection, community, guidance, empathy and relief.