Zombies and Ives

Two items got crossed of the bucket list!  Thanks to the inspired films of Dylan Stayman and Chris Santiago I was able to lurch my way through a zombie role (and that’s a good thing) and dive into Ives.  These two films were finals for the Tisch studio class and filmed in only two hours each!Mike Argento and Christina Roman in Zombie Charm School

Santiago presented me with a role I could not turn down: a zombie.  In Zombie Charm School the apocalypse has come and gone and the only zombies to survive are the ones who can repress their lust for brains and “adapt” the ways of humans.  Christina Roman. makeup by Nick DiRamioIn this world Melinda, played by your truly, prides herself on being one of the most beautiful zombies (look at that snow white skin!) with a successful career in B-horror films and aspirations for more. Think the glee club member of the undead. She is joined in class by hipster Edward (Jon Riddleberger) and the corporate zombie (and her crush!) Hank (Mike Argento). Despite the best intentions Annabel (Reyna Opal)cannot seem to teach them to just say, “I haven’t had my morning coffee yet” and blend in.

The best part about the shoot? Being a zombie!  We got into makeup (thanks to Nick DiRamio) and then had two hours to shoot.  It was exciting and fantastic, but I was glad to peel off the undead latex scabs after we finished….

Thomas Dieter, Christina Roman, and Jacques Pepler in "The Philadelphia"in a ClevelandDylan Stayman took his final in another direction with an adaptation of the David Ives play The Philadelphia. This classic was reset in an ‘80s diner where the windbreakers and crimped hair only served as a backdrop to a classic tale of perception.  Jacques Pepler and Thomas Dieter muddled through their various cities while I managed to escape my Cleveland. Confused? Watch it!