Out of State-A Gothic Romance

Physical spaces and places are the sparks that ignite my creative work. I've created stories and audience immersive performances in a furniture store window, an auto body shop, a laundromat and an urban parking lot. When my parents said I could make a film in their home in Pennsylvania I created a fictional family to live there.

My distant cousin, Charles Bugbee, whose first feature "Just Off The Coast" debuted at San Sebastián Film Festival joined me to write the story & screenplay. I had just completed a commission from Creative Time to create "A Surreal Soap Opera:Toxic Waste Meets Beach Resort" at Lincoln Center Out of Doors. Creatively, we were on fire.

Thinking of working within a micro-budget, we created The Family Garth who are shut-ins, a mother and her two twenty-something sons who never leave the house. The feature film is a gothic tale set in the 1990's in a small town in Pennsylvania. It's "The Royal Tenebaums" meet "My Cousin Rachel," dramatic with elements of comedy. The Garth's distant step-relative, a young girl on the cusp of turning 18, is sent far away to live with them. Hence the title "Out of State,"

Unfortunately Charlie became deathly ill when he went to LA to look for financing. He rallied and was back on Broadway as one of the top sound mixers for Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals when they discovered that he had inoperable brain cancer. I promised him that I would make our film. His brother George Bugbee gave his permission.

Years later, with the support of my husband George A Warren III, I was able to wrap my head around producing Out of State. On a micro budget of $70,000 to make the film, I was joined by Cherie Fortis, Producer, Ilya Shnitser, Director of Photography, Kim Druce Sava additional Costume Design and many sound people to shoot our film. Besides directing I wore many hats including Producer, Production and Costume Design. Shooting in my house saved money but my husband George said it was like living in The Grand Hotel since some of the actors lived with us during the shoot.

Our fantastic ensemble included Sarah Moliski, Caroline Winterson, James Nester and A. Ryder Turner who star in the film. They were joined by a supporting cast featuring Lynne Goldberg, Tess Warren, Matthew Brueckner, Dave Scheffler, Peter H. Bugbee and a few extras. We shot 100 scenes in 21 days in my house & garden in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. When things would not be working out, I'd ask Charlie for help and he always came through. He was our angel and this film is "For Charlie."

Our post production team saved the day and made sense out of chaos. Editor K.A.Miille was joined by Matthew Brueckner, Assistant Editor and Post-Production Supervisor. Joe Deihl of Real Deal Sound & Music composed an incredible score, created sound design and handled the audio mix. Grammy nominated Emily King, Kim Kalesti, Amanda Ann Platt and The Honeycutters, John Mason, Carter McNeill and Bachtopus are songwriters and performers who graciously licensed their music. Chromavision NY color graded the feature.

Thanks to all who believed in our vision and our many supporters on Indiegogo.