MOVIE VINE, Kale Slade

THERESA
IS A MOTHER
EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE CLOSURE AND EXPOSURE
“DELIGHTFUL! MUST SEE!”
-ROGUE CINEMA
“CRAFTY, CREATIVE & ORIGINAL!
THIS FILM IS A CLASSIC!”
-MOVIE VINE
“FUNNY AND IMPRESSIVE!”
-INDIE NYC
“CAPTIVATING AND
REMARKABLE! DON’T MISS IT”
-WEST ORLANDO NEWS
A HEART-FELT FAMILY DRAMEDY STARRING AND MADE BY A REAL FAMILY
AWARDS
FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS 2012 - 2013
Best Feature Film Amsterdam Film Festival (Van Gogh Award)
Best Feature Film Orlando Film Festival
Best Feature Film Long Island International Film Expo (Jury Award)
Best Feature Film Northeast Film Festival (Festival Choice)
Best Feature Film Chain NYC Film Festival
Best Feature Film Reel Independent Film Extravaganza
Best Feature Film International Film Festival Manhattan
Best Director Orlando Film Festival
Best Director Chain NYC Film Festival
Best Screenplay NYC Independent Film Festival
Best Actress C. Fraser Press Chain NYC Film Festival
Best Actress C. Fraser Press Reel Independent Film Extravaganza
Best Actor Richard Poe NYC Independent Film Festival
Best Supporting Actress Edie McClurg Northeast Film Festival
Best Ensemble Chain NYC Film Festival
FILM FESTIVAL OFFICIAL SELECTION
Amsterdam Film Festival
Orlando Film Festival
Long Island International Film Expo
Garden State Film Festival
NYC Independent Film Festival
International Film Festival Manhattan
Connecticut Film Festival
Northeast Film Festival
Chain NYC Film Festival
Reel Independent Film Extravaganza
New Filmmakers NY
Vegas Cinefest
REVIEWS
ROGUE CINEMA, Misty Lane:
“DELIGHTFUL! MUST SEE!”
“Delightful is the word to best sum up THERESA IS A MOTHER. The film is an absolute delight. The
family dynamics and the entirely too common but yet still odd situation of having to live with ones’
parents again are perfectly explored here, showing us harsh truths, the unadulterated love of family
and the uncomfortable bordering on funny moments that occur within families. C. Fraser Press is
more than terrific as Theresa, the struggling mother trying to keep it all together while giving up on
her dreams to help her family. Her performance never wavers and is strong throughout, not to mention hysterically funny. The child actors involved here were quite good as well with Schulyer Press
being the standout as an almost teen who is shy and a loner and struggling to find herself. Between
the remarkable script and phenomenal ensemble, Theresa is a Mother is a dramedy I highly recommend. It’s both funny and touching and will make you pause to give thought about your own family
interactions. This is one to definitely add to your “Must See” list.”
INDIE NYC, David Teich
“AN INSIGHTFUL STORY! FUNNY AND IMPRESSIVE!”
“To its great advantage, “Theresa” emphasizes humor, character dynamics, and unfolding layers of
emotion ahead of plot. Many of its scenes play out long after the plot beats have been conveyed.
Humor and character interactions are allowed room to grow and breathe, amping up until scenes hit
heights of supreme ridiculousness. The three Press children bring impressive performances to the
proceedings – especially the eldest, Schuyler, whose Maggie emanates a magnetic, odd-duck intelligence. She is obsessed with old showtunes and wears strange costumes to school, causing other
kids to laugh and whisper. She is somehow a child and an old soul all at once. It is a nuanced performance, and a promising film debut. On the surface, THERESA IS A MOTHER is loose, light, and
funny. But the film possesses impressive psychological depth, probing Theresa’s neuroses and their
roots. Theresa’s use of music is very effective. The film shuttles between a soundtrack of abrasive
rock music and a soft acoustic guitar-driven score, alternately evoking overwhelming discord and a
searching melancholy. The film could have been a shallow comedy about wacky family dynamics. Instead it is an insightful story about how parents, through all their failings and best efforts, shape their kids.”
MOVIE VINE, Kale Slade
“CRAFTY, CREATIVE & ORIGINAL! THIS FILM IS A CLASSIC!”
“One of the most touching and straight to the heart films, THERESA IS A MOTHER gets you at your
core and is well-directed, written and acted as each of the characters mean something and have
value and merit. I enjoyed my time with Theresa and I believe audiences will when they see it. A
lovely original creation!”
WEST ORLANDO NEWS, Mike Cantone
“CAPTIVATING AND REMARKABLE! DON’T MISS IT”
“Between the genuine script and the excellent acting, this movie will leave you laughing throughout
while pulling your heartstrings making it hard to fight back the tears. Every scene in this film showed
the Press family as masters of storytelling, but what really makes this film enjoyable are the heartwarming emotions, genuine dialogue, and convincing characterization by every actor. The multi-talented Schuyler Iona Press wrote and performed the feature’s score. All three Press daughters will
have bright futures. Matthew Gumley adds a surprisingly funny and enjoyable character to the mix,
while Richard Poe and Edie McClurg lend key supporting roles to complete the story. “Theresa is
a Mother” blends a beautiful narrative that comes full circle. A story with many levels and many life
lessons, this is a movie that makes you feel good about life when you walk out of the theater. It’s rare
to find a story told like this today. THERESA IS A MOTHER proves to be a captivating feature film that
will resonate with diverse audiences. A remarkable independent feature film worth watching – don’t
miss it.”
ELECTRIC LINK JOURNEY, Laurie Lawson:
“PACKS A POWERFUL PUNCH!”
“THERESA IS A MOTHER is an unconventional tale of dreams and reality, past and present, responsibility and neglect, and closures and beginnings. The characters are so bizarre that at first you
wonder what you are watching. But as the story unfolds, slowly the universal human elements are
revealed and you are suddenly caught up in this wacky and incongruous group of people. THERESA
IS A MOTHER is a family affair in both fiction and fact. What isn’t so obvious is its inspirational message. That sneaks up on you and packs a powerful punch.”
SYNOPSIS
“Everyone needs a little closure and exposure.”
Theresa McDermott has chased her “ideal” life as an urban-dwelling, punk(ish) singer-songwriter to
the very end of its possible existence. She is broke, options have run out and she happens to have
a few kids she is raising on her own since their dad split a year ago. Facing eviction and nowhere to
go, Theresa packs up her children and what is left of her life and moves back to the small rural town,
childhood home and parents she deliberately ran from a decade ago. Her parents’ mutual misery
and depressingly gloomy lives were a “downer” she felt had no place in her fun city life. Yet from the moment Theresa drives back up her old driveway, it is clear that there have been some
major changes. Her parents, armed with a plethora of hobbies, a hot tub and a new philosophy, are
not exactly the old folks she left behind. Theresa needs a job, her parents need their space and
a painful family history needs some closure. Old wounds, unattainable dreams, and some “other things” are exposed as a fractured family works to become whole and a woman with a few kids
learns to become a mother.
INTERVIEW
November 7, 2012
Interview: Darren Press (Co-Director ‘Theresa is a Mother’)
We talked with the Co-Director of ‘THERESA IS A MOTHER‘ DARREN PRESS about the making the
low budget film, as well as its inclusion in the INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL MANHATTAN on
Sunday, November 11 at New York Cities QUAD CINEMA.
Where did the idea of ‘Theresa is a Mother’ Come About? I read in one of the director’s statement that you originally wanted to make a film in an East Village
tenement building. Was that script going to feature a similar story?
Yes, my wife C. Fraser Press, originally wrote a different script that does take place in an East Village tenement building. That script is also a feature and in fact is the next film we intend to shoot. It
is quite a different kind of movie with a very different storyline. The truth was, that movie would have
simply been beyond our financial means to shoot in a way that we felt would serve the story. Therefore, my wife “shelved” it and began to pen what became Theresa Is A Mother. As she has said, she
did start out attempting to write a movie that would embrace all of our actual obstacles and utilize
whatever resources we did have. I know the initial nspiration for the story came from a small house
we owned with a little addition housing a hot tub. My wife tends to write from character out, and I do
believe that the story for Theresa Is A Mother developed around characters who she felt might inhabit this space, as seen in a crucial moment of their lives.
What is your filmmaking background?
Theresa is a Mother is our first feature film. In 2007 we shot the short film “A Driving Lesson”. That
film was an official selection to 35 film festivals and won a few awards including the Lou Costello
Comedy award at the Garden State Film festival. It was also part of Glamour Magazines online short
film fest featuring top new female directors. Prior to 2007, I worked on films mainly as a PA. Somewhere in there I started an advertising agency and that’s been active since 2003. I won a few awards
shooting videos and commercials for a few clients. My wife was a writer and Emmy nominated actress before we were married. All of her film experience was in front of the camera or as a writer.
Have you and your wife always been a creative tandem or is ‘Theresa is a Mother’ the first time the
two of you have collaborated? How did you split the enormous responsibilities of a film production?
We’ve always done projects together. I directed and produced a one woman show she wrote and
performed called “Why We Don’t Bomb The Amish” that ran in NYC and prior to that a show called
“Treading Alphabet Soup” that played at the San Francisco Fringe Festival and also a short run in
NYC. She was also in a play of mine I wrote and directed called “kpoint”. “Theresa is a Mother” is by
far the most involved project we’ve done together. The good thing is that we love working together.
We have tremendous trust in each others instincts. Without sitting down and dividing responsibilities, we each pretty naturally gravitated to aspects of the process that we felt we’d handle best. I
handled a bit more of the on set directing, often because my wife was in the scene or getting ready.
She also spent time directing on set, working closely with the kids. That allowed me to prepare for
other scenes or handle producer things. We also do quite a bit of being on set together as directors
and really enjoyed the process. She was very involved daily with editing and we really teamed up on
most of post. Every moment in the final cut was agreed upon by both of us.
Your family as a whole was involved with the film including your daughters as
well. How did the conversation with your children go when you mentioned you
were going to make a movie?
They were very excited, but not surprised. We have always supported our children’s creative endeavors and allowed them access to participating in ours, so this was a more involved version of
other things we’ve done. Our girls are used to life being fairly “spontaneous” in our household, and
this was just another “crazy” family activity. The kids worked incredibly hard. We explained to them
that if they were going to do this, they were expected to act professionally, to be prepared and be
responsible for their work. There were late nights and long days and they remained focused throughout. In the end they met some great people and had a fantastic summer.
Being a low budget production, how did you manage to use limited financial resources to your advantage with the film? What kind of compromises did the financial aspect of production cause your production?
This can be the subject of a book. I think for our budget we really stretched funds as best as possible. We shot locally, we used whatever “location” resources we had including our own house and
the houses and properties of friends. All in all, we knew we had to focus on character and story
because we did not have any other frills available to us. This is ultimately a wonderful thing. Another positive spin on our financial limitations was the fact that we were creating a story that dealt on
certain levels with how a woman’s financial difficulties forces her to a place where her priorities and
values all come into question and she ends up finding a “truth” through that struggle. The art imitating life aspect of our own financial struggles with the making of this movie, I believe added to some
of the authenticity of characters and story that resulted and people seem to respond to. In terms of
compromises, I know there were many. Things
would have been smoother for our production
with a larger staff and crew, more equipment
and most importantly, more time. Time was
probably our biggest obstacle, and in the film
business, money does buy time. Yet, even with
our compromises and the stress that can result,
it was really a joyful, albeit exhausting, experience. I guess I will notice all the areas we compromised more clearly when I have a bigger
budget on the next one.
How did you assemble the cast? What
were some directorial techniques you
utilized while working with the actors
on set?
Our cast was assembled in a fairly traditional
way, through casting sessions. As we were casting in New York City, we had the great fortune of
meeting some fantastic stage actors and ultimately cast some wonderful ones. Then of course, we
chose to cast our three daughters. This goes back to my previous comments on using what we had.
And, we also knew based on their personalities that they would really take to the process. My wife
had created parts for them that gave them an opportunity to really embrace characters that were not
at all who they are as people. The one exception would be our baby, who only two years old at the
time. Her personality was the inspiration for that character through and through. In terms of working
with actors, we had some very experienced and some novice people (particularly our own children)
on set. It was an interesting experience to blend the two and direct a scene allowing each actor to
feel very much on the same level. Respect was key, and creating an environment where the actors
felt extremely comfortable around each other. They had opportunities and were encouraged to relate
to each other before and between filming. After all we were creating a family with a deep history with
people who had just met each other. Although we spoke individually with actors before shooting to
discuss characters, there was limited time for rehearsals. Because of this, time on set needed to be
focused for our actors and it was our job as directors to mute the background chaos for them. This
story is so much about the history of the characters relationship and the history of the place they are
in so we wanted to encourage our actors to really delve into that reality, to look to each other for a
sense of who they are and to occupy their space with a real sense of personal familiarity and history.
The film has seen some success on the indie film festival circuit (including being up for ‘Best Picture’ at the upcoming International Film festival Manhattan on
Nov. 11). How has this experience been and what do you plan going forward with
the film, festival wise?
It is of course fantastic to feel that our little movie is touching audiences enough to win these awards.
That has been our ultimate goal, to touch audiences, and we really did not know what to expect
when we let the movie out of our own protective hands. Winning is fun, but more wonderful has been
seeing that audiences are entertained and moved by our story. We are new at this and still figuring
out how to move forward. Our sense is that we feel confident that the movie is worthy at this point
and would like to try to get it to a bigger audience, whether through finding the right distributor or
starting out with our own micro-self distribution, we feel people will want to see our movie and tell
their friends about it – we’re seeing it happen already. In terms of festivals, that is up in the air. There
are so many amazing festivals, but the expense of applying and then physically getting to the festivals in order to ensure crowds come and enjoy our movie is almost as daunting as distribution. There
are a few more festivals we would be honored to be a part of, so we’ll have to see what
happens. In the end, with or without festivals,
I think we all want to feel that there is room in
our culture for good movies that are artist driven which can be delivered to audiences.
How have you found the NYC Independent filmmaking scene? Do you
find the resources available in NYC
make the filmmaking process easier
or does the high financial obligation
create more of a burden to aspiring
filmmakers?
It’s hard to address this with a lot of knowledge as we shot most of our movie in a tiny town in upstate New York. We were not a big enough “little” movie to really take advantage of some things such as tax incentives offered by the city although
they are available. We intend to shoot our next movie though in New York City and preferably using a
soundstage, so we are in the process of learning about those resources right now. New York City is
full of really top-notch deserving talent, both creative and technical, but yes, that comes with a price.
So, it’s complicated in the beginning when you’d like to take advantage of these wonderful resources
but really cannot afford them. I guess that’s why we ended up shooting a rural movie for our first film
and hope to earn the ability to use more of what the city has to offer the next time around.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
C. Fraser Press
For me, the movie Theresa Is A Mother, cannot be separated from the reason behind how it came to
be. This was not the movie I set out to make. After spending months writing and honing a script that
would take place in a New York City tenement building that eventually, and on-screen, crumbles to
the ground, I realized that the story, while exciting in theory, could never be made on anything close
to the virtually non-existent budget for the first feature film that Darren, my husband and partner,
and I intended to make. And budget was not our only obstacle. It was March and, due to personal
reasons, we knew if we did not make a movie by the coming summer, we probably never would. We
also were living in an isolated tiny town without many resources but traveling to another location to
film was out of the financial question. And then there were our children, three of them, all young and
no ability to put them in summer camp. The chance of actually completing a feature film seemed
bleak.
A few days of depression and mourning my “orphan” script led to switching gears. I decided to
completely embrace all of these personal obstacles and circumstances in the way of the actual
“making” of a feature film and write something that would somehow incorporate them. The easiest
circumstance was season and place. This movie must take place in the summer and it must take
place in our little rural town.
Now for the obstacles… First up, the location: We had recently purchased a very humble house.
The previous owners, a retired couple, had built a small, windowed room addition on the side of the
house for a hot tub. Clearly this tiny room with its watery retreat was some kind of unexpected piece
de resistance. I was immediately taken with the awkward relationship between the working class
abode with old beige carpet and this hot tub “haven.” And now, this house waited for its story.
Second obstacle: the kids: No summer camp, so the kids would have to be in the movie. All three of
them… including my feisty (understatement) two-year-old. This was probably the strangest decision
we made. It seemed so wrong. Were we using them? Taking away a piece of their right to a proper
“child’s” summer break? Was this in any way appropriate? Yet ultimately I felt that all good arguments
against putting the kids in the film aside, I am more inspired by my children than anything else in my
life and yet am constantly
finding that mothering them,
spending time, watching,
engaging with them, clashes
against my desire to work
– write, act, direct, create.
When I recklessly did away
with all concerns and simply
incorporated them into the
process something wonderful happened. And yes,
my children had a beautiful
summer and it was a sum-
mer of bonding and integrating and accepting, all things that Theresa herself experiences.
Third obstacle: Money. This is a big one. I can’t lie, money would have been great. While I can’t say
that lack of it helped our little movie in any way, I can say that lack of it certainly fed into the overall
sense of struggle and helplessness that the characters in the movie are coping with. A little art imitating life would have to be accepted.
And then lastly, the obstacle of time. Time never seemed to be on our side. But just as with the
money issue, the “do or die” pressure we felt when deciding to make this movie certainly was felt in
Theresa’s own “end of the line” predicament. And the reality and anxiety of time passing before our
eyes continued when shooting was complete. We found ourselves immersed in post-production hell
that went on and on due mostly to obstacle number Three, lack of money. Yet, a year after we had
wrapped, our lack of control of passing time offered something quite interesting. Because everything
took so long, we were still seeking music. But in that year of time, our oldest daughter, Schuyler, a
passionate poet and songwriter from the time she could talk and who’s lyrics we had used as an
important “moment” in the movie (all part of embracing our reality), had matured and blossomed as
a musician and suddenly her original songs seemed the perfect “sound” for this movie. So here we
now found a little life imitating art. Just as Theresa finds in her daughter’s voice what she cannot find
in herself, I too found in Schuyler’s voice what I was missing. Thank you for the time, and thank you
for Schuyler.
And so my story, about awkward relationships that somehow shine light on the beauty of fragile humanity, obstacles leading to unexpected yet meaningful moments and most importantly embracing
motherhood, unfolded.
I do hope that, unlike Theresa, this movie will not be my “final show on my farewell tour.” So, next
up… the collapsing tenement in the East Village (children optional.)
GENERAL INFORMATION
TECHNICAL SPECS
Sales Rep
Brandon Baker
[email protected]
631-942-4323
Production Company
A May Sky Picture Entertainment LLC
Running Time 101 minutes
Aspect Ratio 2.35 (SCOPE)
Format 1080/24p
Camera Red One, Canon 5D
Audio Encoded LtRt 5.1
CountryUSA
Language English
Website
www.theresaisamother.com
www.amspe.com
Locations Stanfordville, NY
Rhinebeck, NY
Poughkeepsie, NY
New York City, NY
CREATIVE/PRODUCTION TEAM
Directed by
C. Fraser Press & Darren Press
Written by C. Fraser Press
Produced by Darren Press
Associate Producer
Christina Powers
Director of Photography Alex Kornreich GafferGreg Lefevre
Set Designer Cameron Stern Costume Designer Lauren Oppelt
Film Editor Chad Smith Music by Schuyler Iona Press Sound Editor
CJ DeGennaro
Casting
Cindi Rush Casting
CAST
ActorRole
C. Fraser Press
Theresa McDermott
Edie McClurg
Cloris McDermott
Richard Poe
Roy McDermott
Matt Gumley
Seth Nerwitz
Schuyler Iona Press
Maggie McDermott
Maeve Press
Tuesday McDermott
Amaya Press
Penelope McDermott
Robert Turano
Jerry Nerwitz
CREATIVE TEAM
& CAST BIO
C. FRASER PRESS
Co-Director, Screenwriter, “Theresa McDermott”
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS FOR THERESA IS A MOTHER
Best Director Award Orlando Film Festival
Best Director Award Chain NYC Film Festival
Best Director Nominee Long Island International Film Expo
Best Screenplay Award NYC Independent Film Festival
Best Screenplay Nominee Chain NYC Film Festival
Best Screenplay Nominee Long Island International Film Expo
Best Actress Award Reel Independent Film Extravaganza
Best Actress Award Chain NYC Film Festival
Best Actress Nominee Orlando Film Festival
Best Actress Nominee International Film Festival Manhattan
Best Actress Nominee Northeast Film Festival
Best Actress Nominee Maverick Movie Awards
Best Actress Nominee NYC Independent Film Festival
An Emmy nominated actress and writer, C. Fraser Press began her professional career with the
famed LaMama Theatre company in New York City where she performed in Andre Serban’s Fragments Of A Greek Trilogy both in NYC and on tour in the Middle East. She continued to act in theater
in both Los Angeles and New York City. On stage nationally and on network and cable television,
C. Fraser has performed improvisation and stand-up comedy as well as three critically acclaimed
one-woman shows. As a writer/director, her first film, the short, A Driving Lesson was an official
selection to over 30 film festivals worldwide and was nominated for and won numerous awards
including the Lou Costello Comedy award at the Garden State Film Festival. A Driving Lesson also
was also chosen to be part of GlamourFilmFest.tv Glamour Magazine’s online film festival. Press also
wrote, starred and co-directed (with husband Darren Press) the award winning 2013 indie feature
film Theresa is a Mother. In the midst of a successful festival run, Theresa is a Mother has won 7
Best Film awards and Press has picked up numerous Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Actress Awards along the way.
DARREN PRESS
Co-Director, Producer
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS FOR THERESA IS A MOTHER
Best Director Award Orlando Film Festival
Best Director Award Chain NYC Film Festival
Best Director Nominee Long Island International Film Expo
Darren began writing, directing and producing in New York City’s off-off
Broadway theater scene. Quickly moving to larger projects Off Broadway, he became the Managing Director of the Melting Pot Theatre Company, which produced among
others NY Premieres of the highly acclaimed Outer Critics Circle Award nominee Woody Guthrie’s
American Song and the Drama Desk Award winning Lee Blessing play Cobb, co-produced with
Kevin Spacey. Darren produced the short film, A Driving Lesson, which was an official selection to
over 30 film festivals world-wide and winner of numerous best short and comedy short categories
including the Lou Costello Award at the Garden State Film Festival. Darren’s theatre directing credits include the critically acclaimed play Why We Don’t Bomb the Amish (St. Marks Studio Theatre,
NYC); Checkpoint (Kraine Theatre, NYC); and Succulent (Pulse Ensemble Theatre, NYC). Along with
his wife, C. Fraser Press, Darren co-directed and produced the 2013 indie feature film Theresa Is A
Mother which is currently on the festival circuit and has won over 15 film festival awards including 7
Best Film and 2 Best Director awards. Darren has also won awards for video and commercial direction for the United Way and the prestigious Dalton Pen Award for writing.
SCHUYLER IONA PRESS
Musical Score, “Maggie McDermott”
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS FOR THERESA IS A MOTHER
Best Supporting Actress Nominee Reel Independent Film Extravaganza
Schuyler is a 15 year old singer/songwriter/musician/actress from
NYC. She is the youngest artist ever invited to participate in the
prestigious Singer/Songwriter Sessions at NYC’s iconic Bitter End. The
music video to Schuyler’s 911 tribute song “Playground Museum” had
its premiere at the International Film Festival Manhattan and is a winner of the prestigious My HERO
International Film Festival Music Video category in Los Angeles. “Playground Museum” is also a
2012 finalist for the Ron Kovic Peace Prize. Schuyler recently performed a workshop run of her original musical “What I’m Failing To Learn” in New York City, in which she starred and wrote music and
lyrics and for which she was described by critics as “awe-inspiring” and “a young, female Jonathan
Larson meets a young Alanis Morissette.” At 13 years old, Schuyler wrote the score and main theme
song “Summer Child” for the 2013 indie feature film Theresa Is A Mother, winner of numerous film
festivals. She also co-stars in the film and was nominated for a 2012 RIFE Best Supporting Actress
Award. Schuyler has opened for singer/songwriter Ellis Paul and performed in many summer music
festivals including Black Potatoe, Block Island, Utica Music, Boston GreenFEST and more. She was
featured in Avalon Magazine Spring 2012 with photos by rock photographer Rebekah Blu.
MAEVE PRESS
“Tuesday McDermott”
Theresa Is a Mother is Maeve’s first feature film. Previous projects
include Tiny Tim in “A Christmas Carol” at the 13th Street Rep, NYC
and numerous live shows with the People’s Improv Theater. Maeve is a
natural comedian and loves science and to play the drums.
AMAYA PRESS
“Penelope McDermott”
The role of Penelope was Amaya’s first role in a feature film. On stage
she performed in “A Christmas Carol” at the 13th Street Rep, NYC. She
loves dancing, giving hugs and is never lacking in energy.
EDIE McCLURG
“Cloris McDermott”
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS FOR THERESA IS A MOTHER
Best Supporting Actress Award Northeast Film Festival
Best Supporting Actress Nominee Maverick Movie Awards
A comedy icon since the 1980’s, Edie is a long time member of the
famed LA improv troupe The Groundlings, Edie became famous for her
many roles in several John Hughes films including Ferris Bueller’s Day
Off (1986), Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), She’s Having a Baby (1988) and Curly Sue (1990).
Offbeat cult faves are Eating Raoul (1982), Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988), HBO’s The Pee-wee
Herman Show (1981) (TV), and Martin Mull‘s The History of White People in America (1985) (TV). She
received a National Media Award for her portrayal of a mentally disabled woman in Bill: On His Own
(1983) (TV). She’s acted for Robert Redford in A River Runs Through It (1992), for Oliver Stone in
Natural Born Killers (1994), for Diane Keaton in Hanging Up (2000) and she was named Best Actress
of the Chicago Alternative Film Festival for her portrayal of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski’s mother. Other
roles include: “Fat Actress” (2005), David Spade‘s nasty neighbor in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star
(2003), Dana Carvey‘s mother in Sony Pictures’ The Master of Disguise (2002), Jane Kaczmarek‘s
friend in ”Malcolm in the Middle” (2000) guest-starring on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (2000),
NBC’s “Providence” (1999), WB’s “7th Heaven” (1996), Lea Thompson‘s mother on “Caroline in the
City” (1995) and several animation roles for TV and in features – such as The Little Mermaid (1989),
The Rugrats Movie (1998), as Dr. Flora in A Bug’s Life (1998) and “Midwestern Minivan” for Pixar’s Cars
and Cars 2 (2006 & 2011).
RICHARD POE
“Roy McDermott”
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS FOR THERESA IS A MOTHER
Best Actor Award NYC Independent Film Festival
Best Actor Nominee Northeast Film Festival
Best Actor Nominee Reel Independent Film Extravaganza
Best Supporting Actor Nominee Maverick Movie Awards
Well known for his role as Gul Evek in Star Trek “The Next Generation”,
“Deep Space Nine” and “Voyager”, Richard Poe was born in Portola, California and later moved to
his “hometown” of Pittsburg, California. After a stint in the army during the Vietnam War, he got his
first theater job with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, appearing in productions
of St Joan, Hadrian VII, Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead, and Oedipus Rex. He toured the
country with Dame Judith Anderson, who played Hamlet at the age of 73 to Richard’s Rosencrantz.
Tour stops included Carnegie Hall and all of America’s major cities. He played major roles at the
Oregon Shakespeare Festival, at Houston’s Alley Theater, Syracuse Stage, Hartford Stage Company, Center Stage Baltimore, Goodman Theatre, Long Wharf Theater, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and
Huntington Theater. He played Henry Higgins in Pygmalion opposite Roma Downey as Eliza Dolittle;
George Antrobus in The Skin of Our Teeth opposite Marcia Gay Harden as Sabina; with John Lithgow on Broadway in M. Butterfly; and with Kevin Dobson in ART at Chicago’s Royal George Theater.
He has appeared in twelve Broadway productions in his twenty years in New York City.
MATT GUMLEY
“Seth Nerwitz”
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS FOR THERESA IS A MOTHER
Best Supporting Actor Nominee Reel Independent Film Extravaganza
Best Supporting Actor Nominee Maverick Movie Awards
Best Supporting Actor Nominee Northeast Film Festival
Matt has been a regular cast member of “Supah Ninjas” on Nickelodeon
and the USA comedy pilot “Divide and Conquer.” He has also appeared on Modern Family, Psych,
NYC 22, Law & Order SUV, Drake and Josh, Dora the Explorer (Benny the Bull), Wonder Pets, The
View, The Daily Show and Live with Regis and Kelly. At the age of sixteen, Matt is veteran Broadway
actor having performed in Elf the Musical, Addams Family, Mary Poppins and Beauty and the Beast.
His Off-Broadway credits include: Lost In Yonkers (TACT Theatre Co.), Distracted (Roundabout) Regional: Sacramento Music Circus’ Oliver! & Music Man, A Thousand Clowns (Two River Theater Co).
ROBERT TURANO
“Jerry Nerwitz”
Robert has been a guest star on every television show shot in New York
and has played recurring roles on “Law & Order,” “Rescue Me” and
“Guiding Light.” Regional theatre credits include leads in Modigliani,
Glengarry Glen Ross, The Rainmaker, The Exonerated, The Time of
Your Life and The 1940’s Radio Hour. Robert played Teach in American
Buffalo in several productions and worked as the creative consultant on
the film version of the play with Dustin Hoffman. Recently Robert played opposite Scarlett Johansson
and Liev Schreiber in the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge.” Major film
credits include leads in Brooklyn Rules, Outside Providence, Federal Hill and The Tavern.
CHAD SMITH
Editor
Chad has edited projects for HBO, AMC, Lifetime, Bravo, IFC and NBC/Universal. In 2003 he
opened Remote Access Post near Rhinebeck, NY where he has expanded to edit features, docs,
shorts and promos. In addition to covering editing duties on Theresa is a Mother Chad also did
Color Correction for the film and a handful of SFX shots. Chad’s other recent projects include editing and color correction for feature film Doomsdays directed by Eddie Mullins, editing and color
correction for Persephone directed by Laurent Rijto and color correction for Dovid Meyer directed by
Moshe Mones. In his spare time Chad likes to play guitar, drums, record music and take in a good
art show.
ALEX KORNREICH
Cinematographer
Since graduating from NYU film School in 2008, Alex has worked on numerous features including
Cruel Will, You Should Meet My Son!, Light Years, and Blood Ransom. He has shot music videos for
Justin Timberlake, Paramore, The Fray, David Guetta, Sarah Bareilles and many more.
CJ DeGENNARO
Sound Editor
Prior to his career as a Sound Editor and Mixer, CJ was the guitarist in an indie rock band that traveled the world playing in front of lots of people. As a sound editor, CJ has edited films such as The
Evil Eyes, Orchestra of Exiles, How to Fold a Flag, Boys of Summer (Best Sound Palermo Sports Film
Fest), Fightville and more.
www.amspe.com [email protected]
presents
THERESA
IS A MOTHER
www.TheresaIsAMother.com
Sales Rep:
Brandon Baker
[email protected]
631-942-4323