By: Nicole Falco
Ed Burns did it. Steve Buscemi did it too. What do they know that the cast and crew of "Never in Our Town" don't?
A group of Valley Stream South High School alumni are prepared to find out the answer to that question. During a two-week period in mid-September, the old friends shot a film that they plan to introduce in the film festival circuit . Maybe Sundance, maybe Tribeca - it doesn't matter. As one of the film's actors Chuck Ardezzone (he plays "The Cop") pointed out, "If it doesn't get in one [film festival] there are a million other festivals. We'll get our name out there and we'll get our stories out there."
The friends, who all graduated in 1985 except for the director, who graduated a year ahead, have always had their eyes on Hollywood or at least a career in the entertainment industry. Ardezzone, who now lives in Woodside and is also co-producing the flick, is a working actor. Most recently, he filmed an episode of NBC's famed "Law & Order," and can be seen in a Bud Light commercial on ESPN. When he's not acting, he's the headwaiter at Manhattan's Cite Restaurant. Robbie Ingrassia, the film's director, screenplay writer and co-producer, is a freelance cameraman for Fox Sports. Besides "Never in Our Town," Ingrassia said he's working on nearly a dozen other screenplays. Valley Stream resident Erik Struckman, who plays "The Dog walker," is the man with the idea. Ingrassia's screenplay is based on an original story by Struckman. Like Ingrassia, Struckman's been writing his whole life. Struckman came up with the idea last spring, but was having some trouble fleshing out the characters.
"I had the idea in April, but by May I still couldn't get it out of my head and onto paper," Struckman said. "I wrote the story and sent it to Robbie and he turned it into a screenplay."
Though he's been acting since grammar school (he starred as "Oliver" in "Oliver Twist" in a William L. Buck School play) and has continued with small roles on projects including "Law & Order" and Howard Stern's "Private Parts," Struckman, a construction worker by day, hopes to be recognized for his writing.
Rounding out the core group are Tony Romanelli, of Manhattan, who plays "The Dry Cleaner," and Sharon Drumm, of Valley Stream, who plays "The Crossing Guard."
Romanelli, a contractor, said he's using his recent role in "Never in Our Town" and a another film directed by Ingrassia to make a more aggressive effort to break into the acting business. He said that over the years he's passed up other opportunities.
Drumm, a librarian and former lead sing of "Blue Tulip," a jazz cover band, became involved through Struckman. Drumm actually acted alongside Struckman in the elementary school production of "Oliver Twist." She played "Fagan." They lost touch after high school, but reconnected about five years ago. Struckman quickly thought of Drumm when they began casting for "Never in Our Town."
"The Sopranos" factor
HBO's "The Sopranos" and "Never in Our Town" share an actor. Joseph Gannascoli plays Vito Spatafore on the hit cable series. His character is the nephew of Richie Aprile, played by David Proval. He made the makers of "Never in Our Town" an offer they couldn't refuse. He offered to play the role of "The Barber."
According to Ingrassia, once the screenplay was complete in August, they gave it to an acquaintance, Diana Denincasa, Gannascoli's fiancee. At the time, Denincasa worked in Ask Alice in Valley Stream. Gannascoli loved it and expressed interest in being a part of the project. With him on board, the South alumni sped up the production process to fit Gannascoli's schedule.
Ardezzone worked on securing financing, basically calling in a lot of favors. The team also scouted out locations to film. They wound up filming scenes in Metropolitan Hair Salon in Valley Stream. Valerie Mascola of Metropolitan Hair Salon and Ingrassia are longtime friends. They also filmed in Premier Dry Cleaners, owned by Ciccarelli Ladies and Mens Tailoring. Though the movie isn't about Valley Stream specifically, the community is recognizable throughout the film.
About the film
The film takes place over the course of a day and the following morning. It follows the lives of ordinary people in a fictional community. It shows the characters as they are perceived by others during the day while at work and follows them home to reveal how reality can differ from perception.
Filmed on a limited budget that often called for the cast to double as crew and vice-versa, the five alumni, in most cases, took time off from their day jobs to get the film done.
"Everybody was almost waiting for a break," Ingrassia said. "You can't just keep waiting. You'll be waiting for the rest of your life. You have to make your own breaks."
"Never in Our Town," is the first film to come out of InTroubleZone Productions, a company founded by Ingrassia and Ardezzone.
Ardezzone said, "We've been friends forever. We started this company and now we're ready to make our own movies. We're doing real stories. Telling it raw, like it is."
Also in production are "Duck Hunt," a mock documentary that follows a group of film students as they make a documentary about homelessness, and "Sleepyhead," a love story that will star Ardezzone and Romanelli.
"We're hoping that 'Never in Our Town' gets seen while we're working on the other projects and that everything just comes together," Ingrassia said. "Maybe someone will say, 'He did a great job acting,' or 'We like the way he directed,' or 'It was a great script.' Anything that gets us noticed could help us out."
"It'll be more satisfying knowing that we did it with friends we grew up with," Romanelli said.
For more information, check out www.introublezone.com.
Comments about this story? NFalco@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
