What do we do?

Rough Magic is also a celebration of creative innovation on the part of people who are making a difference for good. At a Rough Magic, we present three organizations who we think are truly innovative and exciting – people who are using the human power of creative thinking, storytelling and hard work to meaningful effect. These organizations might be international, national or local. They may be extremely small, or growing. They may be brand new, or have been working in the world for a while. Each Rough Magic is hosted by a different theater, and they can select organizations that they are passionate about supporting.  The range of possibilities is part of the fun! At a Rough Magic, we give a vivid snapshot of all three organizations and the audience vote for where they want the $10 suggested donation they paid to go. At the end of the night we read the totals—how much we raised, and how much has been given to each of the organizations from our evening.

Why three instead of one?

Because discussion about what we give and why we give is part of the project—what kind of innovation inspires us? The audience is motivated to find out more about these organizations once they have been introduced to them.  We present another three at a future Rough Magic, keeping discovery and discussion about creative healing innovation going, and engaging the audience in evaluation and decision making.

We’ll give away every penny that we raise in a night, so a Rough Magic is imagined to be just that—ROUGH. A homemade event with all volunteer participation, quickly Xeroxed information, whatever is needed.

What is the performance?

The performance event of the evening can be very flexible! It might be the reading of a play, the performance of music or improvisation, whatever the theater hosting it that night is excited about. The idea is that it is an event the audience will never have a chance to see again, using the best of our talent and resources, and that can be put together in only one day! Rough, but magical.