Ladies and Lace
One year ago tomorrow, local comedy pilot, The Laces, left the editing studio. It has since gone on to be one of six Chicago finalists in the NYTVF last Fall, has had two of its cast members become Second City Mainstage ensemble members and is currently being shopped around to major networks in hopes of getting sold. Tomorrow at noon, the pilot will premiere online live for the first time via Lucy Cooper Productions‘ site. Creator, director and editor, Leonardo Adrian Garcia, filled me in on the idea behind the pilot and where it’s off to next.
What was the idea/intent behind this pilot?
Put quite simply, it was a thought I had several years ago when I was on an iO house team when there was a lot of that “women aren’t funny” talk going around, but it wasn’t until I got a chance to pitch a show idea to Bob Odenkirk that the idea of filming an all-female The Kids In The Hall/Monty Python’s Flying Circus-style sketch comedy show really became a concrete goal.
Where has it progressed to since the NYTVF screening/awards?
Over the course of the NYTVF, the ladies and I took several meetings in New York with networks and talent agencies, both large and small, but that’s about all I can share about details at the moment.
What is next for The Laces?
We will be submitting The Laces to the NBC Playground. But we’re also keeping busy with other projects: Chelsea Devantez and Emily Walker can currently be seen onstage in The Second City’s Mainstage’s 102nd revue, Depraved New World. Courtney Hummel is currently working as a producer for Second City Communications. Lindsey Finn and Emily FitzPatrick are currently in The Annoyance’s Burlesque Is More. And a series I was cinematographer on for The Onion, Who’s Fucking?, premieres today actually.
How/why did you pull together this group of ladies and who was the driving force behind it?
The idea of putting together two writing duos with a wild card came from studying the casts and writing habits of both The Kids In The Hall and Monty Python’s Flying Circus. I had already had the privilege of working with Emily and Chelsea on the first season of Modern Women (then SBS: Stupid Bitch Syndrome) and Lindsey and Courtney with The Amys’ Movie Reviews. Emily FitzPatrick had performed with all of the ladies in some capacity (and was in a band with me at the time), so she was my wild card choice. In terms of driving the project forward, Lindsey and Chelsea definitely made sure to take me to task when I was dragging my feet on filming the pilot. Kenzie Seibert and Tyler Dean Kempf were also incredibly positive throughout (and show up as extras multiple times), as well as the rest of Lucy Cooper Productions team.
Take 20 minutes out of your lunch break tomorrow and check out the premiere of The Laces.
(Originally appeared on ChooseChicago.com)
