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Local playwright Brittany Bullen has written Shelter: A New Musical, which follows Jeanine, an employee at a women's homeless shelter in Philadelphia, as she leads the shelter's support group. Bullen will also be donating some of the proceeds to local homeless shelters.
Bullen stated in a press release, "In the beginning, I wanted to write a musical about a women's shelter simply because I wanted to write roles for all the fabulous actresses I know. As I heard more stories and saw more faces, I realized that I had something much more important to say. Today, I want to share the stories of a people without a voice, and to bring the growing epidemic of homelessness into the spotlight. One person can make a significant difference, even if only a few see it. The heroine, Jeanine, makes that difference, and the message of the show is that you can too."
Shelter: A New Musical will make its debut at the Murray Theater May 20-28.
From the press release: Though they have a place to perform, Bullen has not yet been able to secure a place for rehearsals. Bullen also needs to raise at least $10,000 to make this production happen. The majority of the funding will come from individual donors. Funding efforts are being organized through the website Kickstarter.com. The more money that is raised the more that can be donated to the shelters once the rest of the overhead expenses for the production are covered.
The debut production of Shelter will serve as a workshop for the piece in hopes of fine tuning the script and score for future productions. The show is first and foremost a way to raise funds and awareness for local shelters. Bullen is spreading the word to challenge her fellow Salt Lake City residents to step up to the plate and come together to change lives. "Shelter isn't only a strong platform for fighting local homelessness, it is also a wonderful opportunity to use the arts to help those who are in need."
Brittany Bullen was the lead in Jane Eyre: A Musical and recently organized the concert "Starving Artists Feed Utah: Best of Broadway," which benefitted the Utah Food Bank.