Help us take HISTORY OF THE WORLD FROM NOW to Adelaide Fringe 2016!

Director: Stephanie Baine
Writer: Ava Karuso
Producer: Paul Musumeci
Cast: Odetta Quinn, Tahlee Leeson, Caroline Levien, Matt Abell-King, Paul Musumeci
Set + Costume: Ester Karuso-Thurn
Poster + Video: Samuel Van Grinsven

Where were you when it all came down? 
What happens when you wake up to find the world has ended?
Planes have fallen out of the sky, the power is out and dogs have taken over the streets. Ninety-nine percent of the world’s population has vanished, leaving only piles of clothes on the floor where they were standing. Five survivors must decide what happens next...

The History of the World From Now is a speculative fiction born from conversations with futurologists, neurologists, vegans and vets. It questions the rapidly developing relationship with technology and terrorism for Gen Y and beyond. Are we defined by our past, or can we write a new history of the world, starting now?

A bit about us:
THE CAST:
Carolne Levien: Caroline is excited to participate in this years Adelaide Fringe Festival for the first time. She believes in passionate story telling and is proud to be a member of the Violent Romantics production of The History of the World From Now

Matt Abell-King: Matt Abell-King first found his love for acting when cast as the lead role in his year 6 production. Having just graduated the Full Time Course at Actors Centre Australia, Matt has been doing independent theatre around Sydney and now looks forward to performing History Of The World From Now with this incredible cast at Adelaide Fringe Festival.

The Violent Romantics have established themselves as one of the most ambitious young theatre ensembles in Australia. Having only formed in 2012, the Sydney based performance group have already performed over five independent productions across the nation. With successful staging of new Australian work at Melbourne Fringe Festival, Anywhere Theatre Festival and Metro Arts the fresh-faced creative team are excited to return to Adelaide Fringe Festival with their most challenging work to date.

Making theatre in Australia is a tough gig. What with recent funding cuts, rising rents in Sydney and every artist trying to balance a 'bread and butter job' on top of being a creative artist, finances really do have the ability to make or break a successful show.

The funds generously donated by you rockstars will be used to cover the costs of:

-Rehearsal space.
-Flights to and from Adelaide.
-Accommodation for our wonderful actors
-Marketing materials

t



Challenges for us are mainly concerned with money and time.

Without money to cover costs for marketing, flights and accommodation, one inevitably becomes stressed. With increasing financial pressures it becomes a massive challenge to stay creatively invested in the project.

This is such a special piece to the company. When I read the work for the first time, I cried. I cried because I felt like it had been written for me. I cried because I felt like it had been written for you, too. Given my profession as an actor and teacher I am inevitably surrounded by many young people aged between 18 - 30. A common denominator for me is an overarching sense of worry and questioning and who can blame us? We are the first generation to truly grow up in the technological age, the first generation to really experience this particular brand of terrorism, the first generation to openly discuss issues likes mental health.

As a 24 year-old woman I cannot help but ask myself, what would happen if the world as I know it stopped? What does that look like on a small, day to day level? What does that look like on a catastrophic level as demonstrated in the play?

How would I have coped in the Paris Attacks? What would I do if a gunman attacked my university? Who would I be without Instagram, Facebook, Buzzfeed and Twitter? Would I be happier if there was no platform of comparison in my life? Would I be happier if I didn't worry about my future so much? What if everything I thought I knew was wrong? What if life didn't go how it was supposed to go? What then?

I'm not sure. Let's find out together, shall we?

Stephanie Baine
Artistic Director of The Violent Romantics
Director of History of the World From Now.