Locally Produced with a Global Reach
“Some say the rules are made by the future, but in the LaFleur home, the past controls the future. After all a Mother’s love IS forever. Well, at least it is in this series,” said Angela Romeo. “Always Here is an episodic, 30-minute Dark Comedy. Set in the present-day, the series is a mix of the original horror soap opera, Dark Shadows, with a touch of Soap and too much Mommy Dearest.”
Always Here will be streaming on Amazon Prime Direct. Season One is 10 episodes that follow the LaFleur Family as they straddle the everyday world and the cosmic netherworld that is home to Mother, Vandy. Cast away into the that world by her own vindictive spell gone awry, Vandy seeks to find a way back to that “real” world as she continues to disturb the lives of those she left behind – her smitten husband, Ambrose, her defiant daughter, Gardner, and her devoted son Bram. Vandy also contends with her former roommate, nemesis, and second wife to Ambrose, Nora Stanhope who may or may not hold a key to Vandy’s dilemma.
“Jody Litman, Steven Ciceron and myself were sitting at a party and BOOM! We decided we were our own dream team! Three peas in a pod! Always Here is our first project. We filmed the series in the Coachella Valley. The principal actors are Jody, as Vandy; Steven as Bram; Stan May as Ambrose; and I play Gardner. I am also the Writer, Director, Chief Bottle Washer on the project! We were also blessed to have Steve Tanguy behind the camera and as our editor. Another local, Sonny Velozzi, came on as part of the crew. Our Musical Composer is the very talented New York based, Chris Phillips.”
As Steven noted “We could not have done this project without the support of our local actors – Delyn Meyers, Sue Neal, Angelique Yalda, Domingo Winestead, Ronald Douglass, Ethan Brown, singer John Castanien, Adam Greene, and Tula Dean. We threw a lot of lines at them, and they stepped up!! A huge surprise was casting Delyn and Sue. We did not realize the chemistry they had. They are hilarious.”
“The challenge for me”, said Jody, “was shooting many of my scenes remotely with no other actor. Due to family illness and the pandemic, I was living in NYC or Pittsburgh. Coming to the Valley was not always an option. My partner, Adam (Greene), was instrumental shooting those scenes with me using my iPhone and green screen. If I had never told you, you would never have known how those scenes came about. Steve Tanguy did an incredible job editing. It is all so seamless.”
“Each one of the three peas brought a different strength and experience to the project,” continued Steven. “Jody is a multifaceted actor. Her many film credits playing Lorraine Olkowsky in Offstage Elements with Tony Darrow and Mike Starr and Angela Mills in Frank Lisi’s A Sicilian Tale with Vinny Vella. She is also a playwright! Her credits include Monster In My Brain, a one woman musical, part of a David Mamet’s Oleanna Response: A Whole New Ballgame and Don’t Ever a one act play she presented at the National Theatre Institute in Connecticut.”
“Angela is Gardner LaFleur. But she is more than that – she wrote and directed the series Always Here. She and Steve Tanguy worked together on her show, Colliding Worlds TV. That relationship was key bringing all the pieces of the is show together”, said Jody. “We each brought complimentary skills to this project.”
“Steven’s love for searching for the truth in a character really gave Bram a vulnerable richness and fullness. But that same desire for truth is seen in every character he brings to life”, continued Angela. “His credits are amazing. Just a sample – he has worked on Creed, The Assumptions, and Rasputin’s Curse, Orange Is The New Black, Blue Bloods, Titanic, The Musical and 42nd Street. Talk about dedication!”
Always Here will stream on Amazon Prime Direct. “We are releasing all ten episodes simultaneously. We all like to binge watch! And the concept worked for House of Cards – we are hoping for the same success!” said Angela. “But this is far from our only project. We have an experimental short film that will be shot, hopefully here in the Valley, this summer. We are also seeking financing for two documentaries and a horror film. That film is inspired by female serial killer Elizabeth Báthory. Let’s just say that character makes Vandy look like the girl next door.”
Always Here debuts in early April on Amazon Prime Direct.
Watch Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgKwL4QjyiA
