Weightless - a WP Theater Film

Dan Harris, Lila Blue, Kate Kilbane, and Kofy Brown / Photo by Pamela Gentile

Back in March I was lucky enough to merge my theatre and film worlds and join a phenomenal team to help a small Off-Broadway theater company make a film in the middle of a pandemic (yes, it was as crazy as it sounds!). Weightless - a theatrical concert film by The Kilbanes, directed by Tamilla Woodard, streamed from May 15 -June 30, 2021.

Originally programmed as a live theatrical performance for WP (Women’s Project) Theater's 2020 NYC season, when the pandemic shut down all live venues, WEIGHTLESS pivoted to film. Brought to life by a bi-coastal multidisciplinary team, and shot under strict COVID guidelines at California Shakespeare Theater’s Bruns Amphitheater in the Bay Area, Weightless intertwines stunning visuals, live rock performance, and storytelling into a musical experience like no other.

WP Theater is based in NYC, and they needed someone on the ground in the Bay Area who was familiar with both theatre and film (hi!). Producer Nidia Medina brought me on board to serve as the local line producer, managing the three-day outdoor shoot and liaising between the crew, cast, and producing team (with a lot of theatre-to-film vocabulary translation).

Photo by Pamela Gentile

With a small but mighty crew (above you can see DP Peggy Peralta on stage with her rig) and a tight shooting schedule we worked around rain, wind, COVID, freezing extremities, and the occasional wild turkeys of Orinda - and we had a blast.

I’m currently working with WP Theater to submit Weightless to film festivals, and we hope to be able to see it on the big screen soon.