Tr3s Exclusive: Introducing East WillyB

By Simone Hilliard

Recently Tr3s.com had the privilege of attending an advanced screening of the pilot season for the new webisode series, East WillyB.

East WillyB was born from the mind and hearts of Yamin Segal and Julia Ahumada Grob. Yamin and Julia wanted to create a piece of content that spoke to the new urban Latino audience, devoid of stereotypes and told the real story of what it's like to be a young Latino growing up in an urban center.

Through their eyes, the project tells the story of the gentrification of a Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, generously given the new moniker of East Williamsburg, in order to further attract an artsy demographic of hipsters to drive up rent prices and drive out locals.

The series, Julia told the audience, is what she affectionately calls a project of "yes." Grob and Segal first approached Flaco Navajo (Fighting, Falling Awake) who, once learning the premise, signed on immediately, and soon after the cast of NY based actors fell into place including April Hernandez (Dexter, Freedom Writers), Raul Castillo (Nurse Jackie, IFC's Cold Weather), Caridad "La Bruja" De La Luz (Bamboozled, Down to the Bone) and Danny Hoch (Black Hawk Down, American Splendor). Sponsors and a crew soon followed, and East WillyB was officially in production.

The East WillyB interstitials were not only poignant, but comical. Centered at a Latino bar in the new East Williamsburg, the series begins with ex-fiances, Flaco and April's characters, arguing over whether the bar they co-own should continue to cater to the local Latinos, or if it should change its customer base completely and become more "emo," in order to attract the growing hipster crowd taking over the neighborhood.

While that's the ongoing source of contention for our two protagonists, the series also introduces a set of characters in supporting roles who continue the story of how socio-cultural displacement is further effecting the neighborhood they call home.

The breakthrough series was enlightening, hilarious, and more importantly, right on time. Fun 30 second commercial spots only added to the comedic value of the piece: one advertising Machetazo, a version of the popularly banned 4 Loko franchise, boasted it's ability to energize you through the infusion of 12 beers and 50 espresso shots, with the additional caveat that it may cause temporary blindness.

During the Q&A after the screening, the principal actors shared how and why they chose to join the WillyB cast:

Flaco, from the very beginning, thought Segal and Grob's zeal for the project matched the possibilities of it. He also loved the fact that the story was being told organically from those living within the community. As for April, she "couldn't believe that they'd convinced a Bronx girl to travel to Brooklyn. We Just don't do that."

The first two webisodes of East WillyB are available now at EastWillyB.com.

Will you watch? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags April Hernandez, Caridad De La Luz, Danny Hoch, East WillyB, Flaco Navajo, Raul Castillo, webisodes