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