Nightmare Before Christmas Screening,

About the event

A shadowcast screening of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" on December 8th is a special event that combines the magic of the film with the festive spirit of the holiday season. Here's a description of what this entails:

Event Date and Venue: On December 8th, the event is held at The Seed Theatre. The venue is adorned with holiday-themed decorations, including twinkling lights, ornaments, and oversized pumpkins.

Pre-Show Activities: Before the screening begins, attendees are encouraged to participate in pre-show activities. There might be a costume contest, where fans dress up as their favorite characters from the film, with prizes awarded for the best costumes. Additionally, there could be photo opportunities with life-sized cosplays of Jack Skellington, Sally, and other beloved characters.

Shadow Cast Performers: A dedicated group of shadow cast performers takes on the roles of the movie's characters, dressed in detailed costumes and makeup. They are stationed in front of the screen, ready to bring the film to life.

Audience Participation: As the film plays, the audience is actively engaged in the experience. Attendees are encouraged to shout out iconic lines from the movie, sing along to the catchy songs, and use props like glow sticks, confetti, or fake snow to enhance key moments in the film. For example, when Jack Skellington attempts to make it snow in Halloween Town, the audience might toss handfuls of "snow" into the air.

Live Performances: The shadow cast performers act out scenes in sync with the film. This includes mimicking the characters' movements, lip-syncing to the original voices, and performing choreographed dances during musical numbers. .

Why should you sponsor?

The Seed Theatre serves as a safe place for LGBTQ people and other minorities in Chattanooga Tennessee. Tennessee has become a very dangerous place for queer people to live and exist, and our organization seeks to resolve this by providing education, resources, community, and a safe space. Our solution is new and novel in the south as there are no other organizations doing the work that we are doing here in Chattanooga. Serving queer youth is not new, but doing it in a heavily red state where countless trans people are fleeing for their safety and access to healthcare is absolutely unheard of and we are a one of a kind organization as a result.

Our organization, over the last 2 years, has sustained itself by grassroots funding means exclusively and less than $15,000 in grants overall. Our unique method of teaching and promoting solidarity and mutual aid over all creates community responsibility and is the only way we have survived thus far. Additionally, we use art and theatre to create income to continue to support our efforts and this also provides a platform for minorities to have their voices and stories heard. In spite of the right wing conservative’s best efforts, we continue to exist and celebrate who we are and we continue to grow as a community that supports itself. In 2023, we proudly added support groups for our community including a transgender and gender-non-conforming support group for adults that has grown to over 65 members, two youth groups and a support group for parents of trans kids. Through this community, we were core in having the drag ban overturned, we have had multiple conversations with state representatives and other government leaders to continue the work of overturning gender affirming care bans, and we have created a collaborative effort between other non-profit organizations and ourselves so that we can make change in a big way.

Community support for trans young people has been proven time and time again as the best way to see a reduction in suicide rates according to the Trevor Project’s annual report (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2023/). We know that community is the only way to make it through the slate of hate that has been brought against queer young people and that working together to help other people understand us instead of fearing us is the key to a safer community for all of us.

While we have only begun here in Tennessee, this method can be spread across the south and to other rural areas of the country that are not accepting and affirming of queer people. It is only with the restoration of genuine community that we can bring this change, and it is through hard work and connections that this growth can happen.

Elizabeth Haley

Elizabeth Haley is a seasoned LGBTQ expert and community leader with over a decade of experience as a speaker, trainer, and advocate. Her expertise is amplified by her unique perspective as a mother to transgender kids and as the wife of a transgender woman. Elizabeth is the driving force behind The Seed Theatre, an LGBTQ safe space in Chattanooga, TN, where she fearlessly confronts hate groups and fosters inclusivity.

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