It’s not unusual for stories to make the jump from live stage to big screen. Sometimes it even works the other way around. In the case of the Mel Brooks comedy “The Producers,” the laugh fest went from screen to stage to screen. But what if these two unique media came together to share more than stories? What if they were able to share resources, including venues, audiences and talent? That’s exactly what’s happening right now in Northeastern Pennsylvania as the Community Film Project takes the stage at the 411 Studio in Olyphant for a short film screening this Saturday.
According to Lou Bisignani of 411, he and colleague Bob Spaletta came up with the idea of showing films in the space while collaborating on a PowerPoint presentation.
“We thought, ‘Instead of just doing plays, why can’t we show movies?’” says Bisignani.
The two talked about picking up works in the public domain — like some of the Marx Brothers films — and screening them on nights when there were no live productions or rehearsals in the venue. The group sent away for a screen, which arrived damaged and was sent back. The building’s owner moved out of town, leaving Bisignani and a small gang of writers and theatre folk with the task of keeping the doors open.
The show, in the form of live theatrical productions, did indeed go on. But Bisignani couldn’t get the silver screen out of his head.
“We’ve gotta show movies. We’ve gotta show movies. We’ve gotta show movies,” he says.
So he took matters into his own hands, building a screen from scratch. Then fellow 411’er Art Walsh suggested getting in touch with Jeff Fowler at the Community Film Project to see if he’d like to christen the area’s newest movie space. Fowler came up, checked out the venue, and CFP jumped into one of 411’s only free dates this fall.
Fowler’s visit to 411 wasn’t his first introduction to the theatre community. He had worked with Walsh on the CFP short “Mr. Earthquake.” And Walsh is not the only stage actor to find himself in front of the camera.
“We’ve had a great response from actors coming out to our casting calls,” Fowler says of the area’s theatre talent.
Actor Greg Korin agrees, having been active in both media. According to Korin, the stage and screen share a symbiotic relationship.
“The film community knows it can always count on the theatricians for actors,” he says. “Nearly every one of the films produced locally features local theatre actors. The theatre actors dig doing it because it gives them film experience, which the film community is glad to give.”
Korin stands by the quality of the work captured on camera in the area. Having also worked on TV and feature films, he bristles at the thought of people looking down on locally produced work because it’s not professional.
“The whole ‘professional’ tag is bullshit to me as far as I’m concerned,” says Korin. “The only thing it entails is that you got a paycheck for what you did. I’ve worked in New York City with so-called ‘professional’ actors who couldn’t hold a candle to actors we have here.
“Likewise, I’ve worked in productions here that could hold their own in either New York City or Philly.”
While Korin’s vocal about his position, CFP’s work can speak for itself. One of its films, “Cubes,” has been picked up for national distribution through Netflix. Another, “Red/Blue,” was bought by MTV. And a third, “Charlie Chaplin’s Body,” was shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
But don’t take the actor’s word for it. Both stage and screen crews would prefer that audiences check out CFP’s work and make their own decisions. Saturday’s event will run approximately an hour. Any one of the night’s short films could be the next big thing. Will it be “Born Pumped,” the comedy/documentary about a group of motivational specialists who start clients on the pumped path from birth? Or the Civil War drama “Antietam Creek?” Maybe “A Night on the Moon,” a sci-fi/fantasy romance? Or the Smurftacular “10-66?” “I think that we should be supporting each other, and if there’s anything I can do, I’m glad to help,” says Bisignani.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. We should end on an exclamation point. The crowd’s going to be pretty happy at the end of the night,” adds Fowler.
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Community Film Project (CFP) Screening Room Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 p.m. at the 411 Studio (411 Lackawanna Ave., Olyphant). $5. Info: 570.604.8474 or 677.1285, www.communityfilmproject.org
