Tell me about yourself and career.
I’m from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA. I’ve always wanted to live in Los Angeles so I moved here a few years ago and started creating and writing my own shows. I think my “build it yourself mentality” comes from growing up in a blue collar area so producing content from the ground up and seeing it through to the end comes naturally for me. The first series that I created was NAMASTE, BITCHES. Just like RAGE ROOM I wrote and was the lead in it. It’s been written up in the New York Times and named one of the top digital series in Paste Magazine. I was so grateful that so many people watched it & shared it with their friends. People still write to me about that project so I’m excited to see where RAGE ROOM goes!
How did you come up with the concept for Rage Room?
I was noticing a lot of tension on social media and the divisiveness that we are all experiencing in some way. I felt frustrated in a way that I never have before. So frustrated that I felt like breaking something. Then I read this article about these anger rooms that were popping up all over the country and I thought, “I need that.” I figured most of us could use a RAGE ROOM or at least live vicariously through one!
What do you hope people like about it?
I hope that people feel less alone in their rage, anger, and frustration. I am a firm believer that ALL feelings are valid. I hope RAGE ROOM allows people to know that it doesn’t matter who you are, that you aren’t alone in what you’re feeling and that there are outlets to work through things.
Tell me about working with the cast.
I’m a classically trained actress so I LOVE working with actors. I really like seeing the life they bring to the project and the moments of humor that they find. I got to work with a lot of people who I know and love. It was a pleasure to see them smashing all of the items in the RAGE ROOM. We were all gathered around to watch how uniquely everyone took to raging. And believe me the consensus was…everyone needs to rage. The actors came off set saying that breaking things felt better than therapy.
What was the biggest challenge of making this?
Our whole team worked really hard to make this happen on the budget that we had. We came up against obstacles of losing crew members and our location but we all stuck together and pushed through because we believed we had something unique and special.
What was the most memorable moment from filming?
My scene with my mom in the RAGE ROOM. The moment where she’s bashing the dad’s VCR and I grab the bat and we whack it together was completely improvised. It was such a rush.
Are you planning on making more episodes?
Yes! As an anthology series there are so many more characters I want to see go through the RAGE ROOM.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I have an MFA from The Old Globe. I meditate every morning. I used to be a professional hip-hop and house DJ (with turntables).
What are you watching on TV these days?
Atlanta, Search Party and Insecure
Anything else you want to tell America?
There are so many ways to find effective healthy emotional outlets. This year I added RAGE ROOM to my arsenal. What will you discover?
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