help bring paper angels to san francisco

Hey, San Francisco. Direct Arts is trying to bring its production of Paper Angels to Portsmouth Square, September 15-17 as part of the San Francico Fringe Festival. It sounds pretty cool, and you can help to make it happen: Paper Angels in San Francisco!

They're performing the play outdoors, right in the middle of Chinatown. The performance will include projections of archival images, spoken word and folk dance. Not only will it be free, it will also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the immigration station at Angel Island. Here's some more info:

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.

But here's the thing: Direct Arts needs to raise some funds fast. They have a kickstarter campaign ending in few days, but they're only about halfway to their goal of $5000. If they don't meet it, they won't get any of the funding that's already been pledged:

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.

It sounds like a really awesome production, but it won't happen without the necessary funds to keep the wheels moving. Every little bit will make a difference. To donate and help bring Paper Angels to San Francisco, go to the Kickstarter page here. And to learn more about Paper Angels, go to the Direct Arts website here.