'Goody Goody' TV pilot premiere first step at Civic Theatre
The "Goody Goody" TV pilot premiere at Civic Theater of Allentown is just the first step for its creators.
"Our hope is to just keep going. We're just not sure what that looks like yet," says Diane Wagner, Lehigh Valley Charter High School for The Arts director of theater and one of the creators of "Goody Goody" who also stars in it.
The world debut of the pilot episode of "Goody Goody" is 7 p.m. Nov. 28, Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown.
"Goody Goody" is described by its creators as "HBO's 'Girls' meets M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Village': Colonial women. Contemporary issues."
Set against the backdrop of 1755 America, "Goody Goody" tells the story of five women struggling to survive in their newfound celibate community.
"Goody Goody" was written by Alex Rice and Diane Wagner, co-created with Adam Bonanni with support from Kelly Minner-Bickert, directed by Connor Hurley with director of photography Peter Steusloff.
Hurley is a Brooklyn-based film-maker whose "The Naturalist" has been seen in several film festival. Hurley brought on Steusloff and crew members.
"We came up with the idea in December 2013" [during dinner with Bonanni and Rice]," Wagner says
The pair were talking about melding area name locations with "The Crucible."
"There's something to that that nobody's explored before," says Wagner. Writing began days after the dinner conversation.
Rice and Bonanni are former Charter Arts students of Wagner.
"Goody Goody" stars Steve Blanchard, Adam Bonanni, Thea Brooks, Lori Beth Denberg, Kelly Minner-Bickert, Alex Rice, William Sanders, Jordan Turchin, Diane Wagner and JoAnn Wilchek Basist.
The pilot, which is technically a "TV half-hour," or about 20-minutes-long, was filmed for six days straight in May at Lehigh Valley locations, including Jacobsburg State Park; the Sun Inn, Bethlehem, and the Lenape Village replica, Churchville Nature Center, Bucks County.
Minner-Bickert was on-location producer and art director and is expected to appear in future episodes. She and Wagner have been in the Charter Arts theater department for 12 years as teachers.
Equipment was rented. About 10 Kutztown University students interned as crew.
Hurley has an agent who represents his work. That agent would ideally be the agent for "Goody Goody."
"We're just going to pursue any avenue we can to see if we can get further, " Wagner says.
The "Goody Goody" screening will include film shorts and is to be followed by a panel discussion with the creators as well as cast members Sanders and Wilchek-Basist.
Tickets: 610-432-8943