About this project
Help Direct Arts journey to the west!
The San Francisco Fringe Festival has invited us to present our new multimedia production of PAPER ANGELS from Sept 15-17 and we need your support to make this show a reality. PAPER ANGELS will be FREE to the public and performed outdoors in Portsmouth Square to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the immigration station on Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the West.
Set in 1915 during the Chinese Exclusion Act, PAPER ANGELS is about an elderly Chinese railroad worker attempting to bring his wife to America after many decades of separation. Our new production of this seminal 1981 play by Genny Lim incorporates projections of archival images, live traditional Chinese music and segments of Chinese opera and folkdance. We workshopped the play last year (see the Broadway World article) with Obie Award winner Jojo Gonzalez in the central role. This year, we're adding a spoken word segment based on the poems carved on the Angel Island barrack walls and exploring shuochang 說唱, a traditional Chinese recitative accompanied by wooden clappers. This is a unique project that not only puts America’s immigration policy into context, but also raises awareness of the cultural significance of America’s Chinatowns, many of which are in decline.
In order to make this happen, though, we need to raise another $5,000. There are 12 actors in the play, who all need to be fed, housed and brought to the San Francisco. To make some stage magic, we'll need to rent three projectors and create a rotating screen. And since the show is free, none of our expenses will be defrayed. Bottom line is, we need your help to put this unique project on its feet. Any contribution, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated - just consider:
- $30 will give an actor a bed in a hostel for one night.
- $60 will pay for a rehearsal hall for one night.
- $100 will give an actor a small per diem for the 5 days s/he is in San Francisco.
- $270 will pay for a R/T ticket to San Francisco for an actor.
- $450 will house the entire company for one night.
- $600 will allow us to pay for sound equipment for 3 days.
We're so excited about this opportunity to introduce a new generation to this wonderful play, which we think is especially pertinent now in the wake of the controversial law passed in Arizona. Thanks so much for your generosity and support!
FAQ
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$5,091
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on August 30, 2010.
Pledge $10 or more
Our sincere appreciation and a shout-out on our blog and on facebook.
Pledge $20 or more
All the above + we'll mention you in our lovely website AND you can be a LEFTY INTELLECTUAL in our souvenir program that will include photographs and essays on Angel Island.
Pledge $50 or more
Be a LEFTY INTELLECTUAL Deluxe - All the above + a copy of PAPER ANGELS & BITTER CANE signed by the playwright Genny Lim
Pledge $100 or more
Be an ACTIVIST in our souvenir program - All the above + our amazing 12 x18 PAPER ANGELS poster with that shocking late 1800s laundry advertisement.
Pledge $500 or more
Be a RABBLE ROUSER in our souvenir program - All the above + 2 reserved seats to the play in San Francisco or in NYC, depending on where you live
Pledge $1,200 or more
ADOPT AN ACTOR! For $1,200 you will pay for one actor's R/T airfare, room, meals, per diem and pay. You can choose from any one of our 12 actors and receive from them a journal of their experiences in the play with heartwarming photographs. PLUS have dinner with your adopted actor in either San Francisco or New York! AND you will be listed as a REBEL in the program and receive all the gifts mentioned above. For more about each actor, see our blog - http://directarts.blogspot.com
Project By
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Direct Arts is an intercultural company dedicated to producing and promoting plays and films that explore the intersection between cultures. By producing and promoting work that is not just multi-cultural, but inter-cultural, Direct Arts seeks to challenge the ghettoization of minorities in mainstream media and develop greater public awareness of a substantial body of plays and films that holds a more truthful mirror to New York City, America and the world.
Direct Arts made its theatrical debut in 2008 with a short play at P.S. 122 and currently produces a monthly double bill of theater and film called Take Two. Other current projects include a documentary on Taiwanese independence, ALMOST HOME: TAIWAN. Direct Arts productions have been supported by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Puffin Foundation and the Asian American Arts Alliance.
