Kickstarter

Opening weekend was amazing!  We had a packed house both nights, and the audiences were so wonderful.  It was a treat for me to sit high up in the back (there weren't any seats available after my curtain speech!), and listen to the audience excitedly exchanging quick comments between plays.  Several exhaled "Wow" after OF MACHINES AND MEN by Rod McFadden.  "That was funny; spot on!" after THE DISADVANTAGED by Candice Benge.  "That was really really good!" after AN AMERICAN TRAITOR by Jordan Puckett.  Laughter, sharply inhaled breath, a groan of empathy or recognition, appreciative chatter, and of course enthusiastic applause were all music to my ears.

The goal of the show is to showcase the Playwrights' Center of San Francisco and help the community get to know this institution that has been around for 32 years and helped foster hundreds of playwrights and their work.  There have been 1,300 staged and developmental readings, and hundreds of plays developed through Scene Nights and other programs at PCSF.  Many of the playwrights have gone on to local, national, and international productions of work they workshopped through PCSF.  Most continue to tell their stories.

Wily West's primary desire for partnering with PCSF was to use our production resources and passion for the festival to continue this tradition.  Sheherezade puts the work of new playwrights along side the work of more experienced playwrights. We believe in our theatre community and are passionate about the importance of developing local voices, telling stories from local perspectives.

Your generosity and support is so critical to make it possible for this tradition to continue.  I know that the PCSF Board, the Wily West management team, as well as playwrights, cast, directors, and designers are very grateful.

I'm truly excited to announce that we are a mere $50 from making our initial goal of $3,000.  That goal was a modest one to cover one half of the PCSF budget.  Production costs are more than $6,000 to make sure that all 9 of the actors, both directors, the designers, the technical team, the theatre space, costumes, and publicity costs are covered.  With 7 more days to go it's possible that with your continued help in spreading the word we could stretch our goal to cover more of that total $6,000 bill.

And of course, if you haven't already, make sure to get your tickets or make your reservations and come see what this wonderfully talented team have to share.  www.wilywestproductions.com only 6 performances left.

Pictures by Bridgette Portman:  Linsay Rousseau Burnett, Ben Ortega in "Space Junk" by Kristin Anundsen / Philip Goleman, Melissa Keith, Abigail Edber in "One Last Night Stand" by Bridgette Portman / Wesley Cayabyab, Linsay Rousseau Burnett in "Traveling Music" by Gaetana Caldwell-Smith

We open the show tonight... yup, TONIGHT.  This brings a little thrill of nerves and excitement every time I've typed that sentence today (on facebook, twitter, emails, text messages).   

Tonight we finally get to share this lovely collection of short plays with you and we are really looking forward to it.  From the opening lines of Patricia Milton's "Mission:  Irresistible" to the final moment in Bridgette Portman's "One Last Night Stand" there's a lot of talent at work.  The PCSF members' plays represented in the show spans the gammut from slightly absurd to experimental to romantic to touching stories of people's relationships to each other and the realities that they inhabit.  The fact that there are some Mayan apocalypses sprinkled throughout just makes it fun.

We have raised more than 2 thirds of our goal and with your continued support and help getting the word out, we can make the last $775 or maybe more!

I hope to see you at the theatre and thank you again for your generosity!

Laylah Muran

Executive Producer, Wily West Productions

Hi everyone,

It's incredible how quickly the production moves forward once we get into rehearsals!  It is equally awesome to see that we've got $1,196 funded so far!  It's still quite a bit to raise to make sure that we get fully funded, but we are all grateful and humble in our thanks to those of you who have contributed already.  Believe me, we feel the love!  

I don't even know where to begin with an update, there has been so much happening.  I'll start by saying that even during auditions, the chemistry that this cast showed was thrilling and during the rehearsal process it's only proven to be better than we'd imagined on that day.  {Imagine our directors, producing director, and me in a room with a few dozen headshots spread out all over the floor.  We were down on hands and knees, up and walking around them, and shifting them around in different combinations until we all said "ahhh yeah, that's it."  There was almost nothing to negotiate during that process we were all in so much agreement - I love when that happens!}

The first rehearsal table reading of all of the plays on March 31st was great, and one of the best signs - everyone was laughing and responding to the material and we hadn't even started working on it.  Again, I love it when that happens.

At the production meetings, it was like I was in a producer's dream.  I got to listen to the creative and artistic design process and hear it as though giant check-marks were being ticked off for things that can in less ideal situations still be nagging at the team into tech week.  Our set design finished well in advance of our normal schedule, props and set dressing finished, lighting plan ahead of schedule.  Music to a producer's ears - agreement, excitement, collaboration!

At the next production meeting it was all about costumes - thank you Rhonda! - and sound design - I cannot express our joy and gratitude to have Jason Jeremy return to work the design on this show.  This year's plays have some very specific and textured sound demands. As he walked through his questions, offered suggestions, and described his thinking we knew that between Quinn's lighting, Wes' sets, and Jason's sounds our production level just went way past what one would expect to see for the budget we have (no added costs, just added professionalism).  

That meeting was also critical, because we finalized the play order.  {Imagine post it notes positioned and repositioned and repositioned again on my balcony's sliding glass door until we all said "ahhh, yeah that's it".}  We walked through transitions and the demands on the ensemble for changing costumes, balancing the comedic with the more dramatic pieces, and creating a nice arch for the audience.

We are moving into the last week of rehearsals before Tech Week, which means run-throughs.  This will be my chance to sit in and see all of these brilliant people doing their thing and making it all happen.  It goes from the theoretical to the tangible so quickly! 

I know this is going to be a great production and I can't wait to share it with our audiences!  Thank you again, so much for helping us make this possible.

Can you help us spread the word?  The fundraising ends in just 25 days, the day of our closing weekend performances.  It would be amazing if I could stand on stage opening night and announce that we made our full fundraising goal though!

http://kck.st/IhJAIC

And don't forget, the show opens on May 11th, get your tickets!!!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/240310

Thanks again,

Laylah Muran

Executive Producer, Wily West Productions