Dream Warriors Live Event Raises $14k for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, and Recovery Charity

The sold-out live-stage reading of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors at the famous Whisky-A-Go-Go on September 8, 2019, was a success by raising an approximate $14k for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, a mental health, suicide prevention, and substance abuse recovery charity.

The event, billed as Robert Englund & the Dream Warriors: Celebrating a Nightmare, was organized by Heather Langenkamp and Ira Heiden, stars of the film and the event’s producers, and featured the majority of the film’s original cast including Freddy Krueger actor himself, Robert Englund. Langenkamp and Heiden obtained the one-time right to read the Dream Warriors screenplay with the blessing of New Line Cinema as a benefit for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping teens with mental health, suicide prevention, and substance abuse recovery since 1942. The date of the show also took on special meaning as it marked the beginning of National Suicide Prevention Week in the United States.

“Wes Craven’s brilliant story puts a spotlight on the plight of kids in the suicide ward of a mental hospital,” remarked Langenkamp. “Their pain and suffering throughout the screenplay speaks to the pain of many kids in our society. Their battle against Freddy is sadly similar to the battle kids with mental illness deal with every day, as they try to cope with the bogeymen in their lives. Being in the same room with Robert Englund, the Dream Warriors, and all the other people who made A Nightmare on Elm Street successful was so gratifying. All of us have a deep love for this franchise and it showed.”

Heiden added: “This was a once-in-a-lifetime event that I was beyond grateful to be a part of… to get to read the script live with Robert, Chuck, Heather and the rest of these actors was literally a ‘dream come true.’ What a fantastic way to raise money for Didi Hirsch Mental Services.”

In addition to donating a major portion of the ticket sales, the organizers held a silent auction that included exclusive items donated by the cast and key supporters (including a guitar signed by Whisky-A-Go-Go legend Robby Krieger) to raise money for the charity.

About the overall fundraising, event producer Matt Murray stated, “While we’re still tallying our receipts, we anticipate that the overall donation to Didi Hirsch will be upwards of fourteen thousand dollars. We encourage all of our friends, family, and fans to continue to support this great cause and to help save the lives of those in need.”

Robert Englund & the Dream Warriors: Celebrating a Nightmare was made possible through the fiscal sponsorship of Aphilibism Incorporated, a 501(C)(3) dedicated to developing original theatrical work in a variety of media and sponsoring theater events for other charitable organizations.

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