Hi,

I'm the Executive Director of Theatre West in Los Angeles. Some of you have come to see our productions of Mr. Bradbury's plays over the last few years, so I wanted to let you know about the benefit we are holding in his honor, as well as a free play reading we'll do later this Spring. The benefit is called RAY BRADBURY/OUT OF THIS WORLD. You can find out more about it at our website, www.theatrewest.org. It's going to be a very cool night!

Also, we are just beginning a new workshop of one of Mr. B's earlier works, NEXT IN LINE, which was adapted for the stage by S.L. Stevel and Charles Rome Smith. Those of you who know Ray's dramatic work will recognize Chuck Smith as his long time dramatic partner at Pandemonium Productions. Chuck has been a member of our company for a long time and first introduced us to Mr. Bradbury.

The workshop is casting now from within our company, and should be having at least one free public reading in late May or early June (depending on actor availability, etc.) I'll post again closer to the time for those who want to attend.

We do lots of workshops and free readings as our primary mission is to help artists see their work to fruition. Mr. Bradbury expressed a similar sentiment yesterday on the radio, when asked about water on Mars. He said (and unfortunately, I'm paraphrasing) "People will create water on Mars. Because it's like my books, we dream it and it becomes reality."

Best,

John Gallogly

This post, denoting the big Celebration for Ray...should be up front for awhile... Make sure enough people see this!!!

Wow, John,
Are we really talking Scifi on the Stage? I never dreamed...of all I've seen at Casa Man. in Ft.Worth or Theatre III in Dallas; the closest to scifi I've seen on stage was maybe 'Phantom of the O.' in the round(you've heard Casa isn't Round anylonger di'n't you?); and P. of the O. ain't much scifi? Is there much Scifi on stage?
I wrote a scifi play once just after high school, my HS theatre arts teach 'bout laugh me off the...

John AJ

This link, with collaborating links, may help a bit better....
http://www.theatrewest.org/event.html

Check out the "Who's Who" on the Dinner Committee list (right side of the page when you have clicked) that Nard has just offered (above). Pretty impressive! Good for Mr. Bradbury....forever, indeed!

Is anyone from this site going to be at the '''Ray Bradbury / Out of this World''' event next week?

The OUT OF THIS WORLD tribute was truly, well, out of this world --- in spite of the fact that many of the celebrities mentioned on the invitation (Buzz Aldrin, Jeff and Beau Bridges, Dennis Hopper, Dom DeLuise, etc.) didn't attend in person. Hopper (one of the dinner chairmen) recorded a lovely videotaped greetings, and DeLuise (who had been announced as emcee) sent a similar tape that was sidesplittingly funny. Harlan Ellison was ill, but there were nice moments with Rod McKuen and Betty Garrett and a clever musical spoof by the MARTIAN CHONICLEERS.

The highlight of the evening, of course, was the onstage address of the guest of honor -- who was transcendently inspiring, as always. EMPIRE STRIKES BACK director Irvin Kershner, actress Loni Anderson, actor Monte Markham, sci-fi author Jerry Pournelle, Chuck Smith (Ray's theatre director for more than 40 years), Jennifer Bruehl (Ray's editor), Ruth Alben (his lecture agent), biographer Sam Weller, oldest daughter Sue and youngest daughter Alexandra were among those in attendance.

My lady love Anita and I (along with the bouncing baby boy we're expecting June 7) attended with our friend Forrest J Ackerman, Ray's 87-year-old first editor and publisher and friend since 1935. It's too bad that Walt Daugherty, Ray Harryhausen (who'll be appearing with Ray in L.A. later this month) and the late, great Julie Schwartz couldn't have been there as well.

Sadly, as many of you know, while Ray was accepting his award at the California ScienCenter that night, his brother Leonard "Skip" Bradbury, four years his senior, passed away a few states away.