The Understudy Promotional Shoot

So a couple of days ago, I got to have my first experience on a film set! Okay, so maybe it was just a few of us in a theatre with my dad’s video equipment, but it still was pretty darn legit if I do say so myself.

Want more details? Knew you would! Right now I’m working on a production of Theresa Rebeck’s The Understudy. I’m acting in it alongside two amazingly talented and hilarious friends of mine, Brian Byus and Craig Hanson. I’m also lead producer, and on Tuesday we got together to film the teaser for the show. The play goes up May 28 through June 1 at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City, NY, but we’re starting to get the word out now because our fundraiser goes live in March!

With the help of my lovely parents, our director Jenn Haltman, and New York Theatre Workshop, we shot the video at the 4th Street Theatre downtown. And it was such a hoot. Here are some of the things I learned:

• that I could make fake blood and pretend to be a make-up artist in order to ready Brian’s character Jake for his blockbuster action film
• that one can hold up a shower curtain on a rod in front of work lights to create the right effect
• that Craig doing bad performance art is one of the funniest things in the world
• what B-roll is and why you need it
• that Brian can run really fast down 4th street with a cab chasing him
• that my dad’s love for the show 24 provides great inspiration for some classic action film shots
• that rehearsals are going to be so much fun come April (but let’s be honest, I knew that already)

Now it’s on to editing and narrowing all this great footage down to just a few minutes. Finalized video coming soon!

Be sure to stay tuned for more info about The Understudy. And I just created our Twitter account @UnderstudyNYC, so follow us here!