See The Show!
A year ago, we set out to develop a TV show that would let us do two things: play characters we love and hire a cast of our talented friends - some of Chicago's finest improvisors (some of them said "no"). Thus, Old Town was born.
Literally born though, not just gestating. The pilot is complete, and we're dying to share it. This IndieGoGo campaign serves a dual purpose: to get the first episode in your hands, and to fund our efforts to have the series distributed by a broadcaster or streaming platform.
Instant Gratification!
The old adage that "patience is a virtue" is one of the biggest lies in American history, second only to Tupac's supposed "murder" (check out the Makaveli album, y'all - dude spells out the truth). Patience sucks! If you want something, you want it now (justice for Biggie!!!!)
Anyway, as expressed above, the pilot is completed! We took everything we've learned as struggling actors/writers/producers/hustlaz and made this OURSELVES. With the lowest level of donation you can instantly see the finished product. The more you donate, the more fun the perks get.
The Characters
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Frank and Ron:
Two Chicago cops with hearts of gold. Although genuinely
optimistic, life always hands these poor guys lemons. Frank, a single parent to a disrespectful club-teen, struggles to
support his family while mourning the loss of his wife who holds the
unfortunate record of “most shot person in Chicago history by a group of
officers.” Ron is a recently divorced “cut-up” whose ex-wife lives in
Bloomington, IN with their two red-headed sons and the hated Dan.
Caston and Peter Pan:
The heads of a renegade family of homeless youth. Although
uneducated, they are wise beyond their years and were forced to grow up fast
when cast into the role of parents. Caston,
the eldest at fourteen, bears a heavy sense of responsibility for those he
protects. A product of Chicago’s foster system, he knows the ins and outs of
being a burden that society has thrown away. On the other hand, Peter Pan is as
fearless and loveable as his name suggests. The happy-go-lucky
thirteen-and-a-half year old keeps the weight of the world light on the
shoulders of the children
he helps to provide for.
Gloria and Sandy:
These aging sisters and socialites spend their time day
drinking and scheming up hair brained ways to stave off boredom without the
slightest regard for those around them. Gloria
is the well-meaning mother to the socially conscious Lucy, who is eternally
disappointed by her mom’s selfishness. Sandy, Gloria’s sister and partner in
crime, is the divorced drunken spectacle of Chicago’s upper crust. She can be
your best friend or most vicious enemy on a whim. Egocentric to the core,
Sandy’s presence is rarely desired but always felt.
Chicago and Comedy
We feel very strongly about this show. Chicago has some of the most talented comedians in the world, yet they don't always have the opportunities that LA and NYC actors have. Having spent nearly a decade there, we've seen some of the funniest people alive on the stages of iO, Annoyance, Comedy Sports and Second City. Many of those people spend every year trying to come up with a sold five-minutes for when Lorne Michaels and the SNL crew blow through town. Maybe one person will get a fly out, but the rest of that talent is left hangin'. We want to make a show that highlights the underrepresented talent of Chicago.
Hype
"Now this is really amazing!" We've been told by a friend of ours who works in development at Sony, that the show is better than 99.9% of the shows that come across his desk.
When showing Brett's mom, she cried! That hardened old bag hasn't cried in a decade, but she cried at this. All jokes aside, she's the sweetest woman ever. And if you're sweet like her then you might cry too - it's oddly touching.
Old Town is unlike any other series currently on
television. There have been shows in the past where the actors play multiple
characters in sketch settings (Portlandia, SNL, Key & Peele), or where the
main actor plays multiple characters in a linear fashion (Summer Heights High,
Angry Boys), but never before have two actors portrayed ALL of the characters
in a show that seamlessly weaves comedic character portrayals with poignant
storytelling.
Don't Believe the Hype
Don't believe the above hype. The show is actually better than the hype we just listed.
This show will cure your STD's!
Flava Flav tells people he's in this show. He's not!
Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emmanuel showed up to one of our shooting locations and took notes!
Can't Spare Any Cash Right Now? You Can Still Help!
Some people just can't contribute due to the weight of the world slamming down upon them like Poisedion's heavy trident, mauling their financial spirits. Maybe you lost your bike and are saving up for a new bike or you have a bike but are planning on upgrading that same bike to look like a friend's bike that always made you say to yourself, "hey! that's a pretty cool bike that friend has." Bikes are expensive. If that's the case, email us and we'll work something out; we love you. Also, do this...
- Get the word out and talk to people about Old Town.
- Follow us on social media! Start a conversation. Sometimes these things can take months or years to happen. Stay with us. Talk to us. Ask us how it's going.
- Indiegogo has share tools. You can forward the link to a friend, or an enemy if that's your game.
- Brett likes back rubs. Josh likes Reiki massages.