Hello, friends! If you’re reading this, you might know that Thompson Street Opera Company is a storefront opera company in Chicago that produces new works by living composers. What you may not know, is that we are also a queer- and trans-led company, with more than half of our board identifying as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. While this has always been true, we haven’t always made it a vocal part of our company brand, but this Pride Month, in the midst of historically catastrophic anti-trans and anti-queer national rhetoric, we feel it’s important to be publicly out and proud. 

Make a donation to our TSOC PRIDE fundraiser to show your support for the LGBTQIA+ community in opera!

Our June production this year, which will be performed at the height of Pride Month at the PrideArts theater, tells the story of a trans person on a journey to self-acceptance. Written by trans composer Grey Grant and starring trans singer Elektra Voyante, MICHIGAN TREES: A Guide to the Trees of Michigan & the Great Lakes Region blends folk and contemporary American classical sounds to tell the story of one person’s efforts to reconcile the differences between how people view them and how they view themself.

Join us in uplifting new opera by living composers with a donation to Thompson Street Opera Company!

Our Goal

$5,000 to support the June production of MICHIGAN TREES: A Guide to the Trees of Michigan and the Great Lakes Region, and our ongoing work in Chicago. 

• $4,000 will go directly to bringing MICHIGAN TREES on stage
• $1,000 will go towards the costs of planning our next season
• Any money raised above $5,000 will go towards production costs for our 2023/2024 season 

Your Impact

In a storefront-level company like ours, donations at any level have a tangible impact:

• $25 supports the costume for 1-2 artists
• $50 covers the props for the entire show
• $100 pays for all printing of our programs
• $250 sponsors the professional recording of the performance
• $500 pays one principal artist
• $1,000 covers a week of venue rental

Donors at all levels will be listed on our website and in our program. Donors at the $100 level and above will receive early access to an online video library of our past productions. Donors at the $250 level and above will receive personalized video thank you from a production member. And donors at $500 and above will receive a personal thank you in the curtain speech before each performance.

Other Ways You Can Help

If you’re looking for a way to support us other than donating, consider:

• Sharing this campaign with other people in your network, especially other queer people, vocal allies, and contemporary opera/theater fans
• Buying a ticket to our June show! Tickets are now on sale at our website HERE.  

We are here, we are queer, and we will not be silent! Please donate today so that Thompson Street Opera Company can keep producing joyful queer art by and for queer artists – now and for years to come! 

Thank you for taking the time to read this! We hope to see you at our June show, or at another event in the future!

 #TSOCPRIDE