To support Perseverance Theatre's initiative The Cannery Project, an original work of musical theatre written by leading Asian-American playwright Chay Yew and Filipino-American composer Fabian Obispo. This play will particularly address the harsh economic and social conditions faced by first generation Filipino immigrants who came to Alaska in the 1930's and 1940's to work in salmon canneries. It will also document their cultural collisions with indigenous Alaskan populations and later immigrants from the Philippines; as well as their growth into a vibrant American community. Perseverance will conduct interviews with Filipino-Alaskan cannery workers living in Juneau and Anchorage who have worked in these factories from the 1930's up to the present in the development of the script. They will work closely with the Filipino community and project advisors from universities across the country; involve several multidisciplinary arts groups in the production; confirm additional venues within the state of Alaska and identify co-production, touring and satellite production possibilities; and identify artistic collaborators for venues in other communities where these issues have social and cultural resonance.