Perpetually cash-starved arts organizations – and all of them are – must invent clever ways to pull donations out of reluctant pockets. Entertaining those potential givers is always a good method. With that in mind, Amphibian Productions’ five-part webisode series “For the Love” is a frequently funny look at the scary extremes a theater company might go to cut costs and raise funds. Director Evan Mueller, director of photography Garrett Shannon, and editor Brandon Murphy have achieved a smart, on-the-fly look for these four and a half minute segments. Production-wise, they rival one of those similarly no-budget Sundance Channel series.
“For the Love”‘s executive producer and writer is Kathleen Culebro. She’s also artistic director of the real Amphibian Productions, and she’s clearly had a good time writing a character named Kathleen Culebro (played with beaming ruthlessness by Susan Schuld), who is artistic director of “Love”‘s version of Amphibian Productions. The fake Culebro’s marketing plans include having the playwright die 48 hours before opening night like Jonathan “Rent” Larson did, an event she describes as “something magical!” She also tries to work a plug for Meatless Wham! Patties into “MacBeth.” (“All we need is a 10 syllable sentence, a smile, and a yummy sound!”). Well worth checking out.
The real Kathleen is much much crazier. And dangerous.