The Scruffy Bunny smacks of something a bit fun and unconventional. And this is exactly what its founder, Rich Hoffman, is all about. The Scruffy Bunny is going to be Wellington’s centralised hub of improv theatre; a place that puts the spotlight on evening entertainment and daytime education. With over 20 years experience in the entertainment and food industries, Rich is amped to bring the two together to improve the world through improv!
Why do you think this campaign is important?
The Scruffy Bunny represents a much bigger goal than simply a theatre. It is going to be an education space. Our team are excited about bettering the world through improv classes (improvisation for those non-thespians out there). We know that the potential for improv to educate is endless; it teaches communication, awareness and confidence. It increases your ability to think under pressure and embrace spontaneity.
The Scruffy Bunny also represents a culture this world needs more of; “yes, and..”. Improv is based on the premise that we should always answer an idea with a “yes”. Accept whatever idea is being presented to you and, even if you detest it, add something to reframe it as a positive. The end game is to move things forward. I think improv is a wonderful metaphor for how we should live life outside the theatre as well as on the stage.
This campaign is important because it will enable us to create an experience that transforms the Scruffy Bunny – a little pocket of the community – into the happiest place in the known universe.
What motivated you to reach out to your crowd?
I have travelled a lot – across the world and now to here in New Zealand. I have talked to countless people about my dream to create a community hub that focuses on improv. I decided to create a campaign so that all these people who got excited about my idea can now be part of making this dream come true.
The Scruffy Bunny is being built for Wellingtonians. This is another reason why we wanted to reach out to the Welly crowd; it is a hub for all of us. We want to bring the spirit of Wellington into the theatre. By pledging to this campaign, you are helping to establish a hub for life improvement through theatre and learning.
What do you have planned for the rest of the campaign – anything for us to look forward to?
We are putting out a few more videos over the final days. You can keep an eye out for the links through our PledgeMe page and also by liking our Facebook page.
Please also keep an eye on our rewards page over the next couple of days. You never know what the Scruffy Bunny might come up with!
Anything you would like to shout out to your crowd?
We love you all – thanks for following our journey! We hope that you can be a part of the campaign by pledging now. Time is ticking and we would love you to help us reach our goal. And of course, you are always welcome to come along to watch (or be in!) our shows.
You can pledge to the Scruffy Bunny Improv Hub here.
