“He’s a stupendous mess, and I really like attending to reside in that.” — Chad Kessler
Meet George Nordstrom: a just lately out, irrepressibly chatty, 42-year-old late bloomer stumbling into self-acceptance in Queens. GASBAG, the whip-smart comedy brainchild of playwright Lynn Rosen and actor Chad Kessler, premieres its Season 2 pilot at Dances With Movies LA on June 28 on the TCL Chinese language Theatre. Initially a webseries born of lockdown, GASBAG now blends the emotional coronary heart of Ted Lasso with the offbeat ensemble of Abbott Elementary—solely this time, it’s Queens, not Kansas.
A Pandemic, a Monologue, and a Muse
“I met Chad at a theatre occasion in NYC years in the past and we instantly hit it off as a result of we’ve got the identical playful vitality and humor—and since Chad is splendidly, adorably CHATTY.” — Lynn Rosen
Author Lynn Rosen had lengthy needed to discover a personality who couldn’t cease speaking. When she met Chad Kessler, she discovered her George. As Rosen put it: “The truth that they can not enable a pause to exist in a dialog intrigues me. What darkish ideas would flood in in the event that they weren’t always speaking?”
Kessler, for his half, noticed one thing new in George: “Many of the comedy I’ve accomplished just lately doesn’t allow you to dive this deep into a personality’s tumultuous internal life, however George is totally different.” He continued, “He doesn’t assume he’s humorous—however that’s why he’s so humorous.”
Neighborhood Roots and Theater Blood
“Virtually everybody concerned with GASBAG had already labored with me on a play and is aware of the rhythms of my work.” — Lynn Rosen
The pilot’s forged is a who’s-who of NYC theater—Drama Desk winners Mia Katigbak and Mary Bacon, Lortel-nominated Danielle Skraastad—plus TV scene-stealers Jackie Tohn (No person Desires This, GLOW) and Deirdre Lovejoy (The Wire, The Blacklist). Chad’s real-life friendship with Jackie spans 20 years: “Like Chad, Jackie makes for a pure and hilarious overtalker,” mentioned Rosen.
Comedy with Depth
“Plot is all the time pushed by character.” — Lynn Rosen
Rosen is not any stranger to character-driven narratives, having offered two pilots to main studios. “I write to untangle intriguing mysteries on the earth round me,” she says. “A few of my work leans extra dramatic, however humor is all the time current. I don’t know the way humorless folks get by life.”
GASBAG manages to stability outrageous comedy with tender truths. “Since I write character-driven work, there’s all the time going to be gravity and groundedness… and the irreverent humor is simply, nicely, me.” Rosen says with a wink: “Actually all of it’s me, who am I kidding?”
What’s Subsequent for George?
“He could make his first go to to a ‘clothes non-obligatory’ homosexual campground. I predict he is not going to be comfy with this, as a lot as he’d wish to be.” — Lynn Rosen
Season 3 guarantees evil twins, romantic stumbles, and perhaps even witness safety. George’s job hangs by a thread due to office chaos at Marcia Powell Journey. “Subsequent season will introduce Marcia’s evil twin, Melis, performed by the identical actress,” Rosen teases. “She might be an issue boss for George.”
However George’s largest journey is inward. “We’d additionally study extra about what’s behind his overtalking,” Rosen notes. Kessler provides, “George’s efforts to evolve is one thing everybody can relate to.”
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The Story Behind the Pilot
How was the pilot funded? A freak accident. “We had cash to shoot this pilot as a result of Chad had a combat with a malfunctioning elevator and misplaced,” Rosen admits. “Fingers crossed (fingers nearly misplaced in Chad’s case) that screening GASBAG at DWF… will result in extra funding alternatives.”
GASBAG West Coast Premiere at Dances With Movies LA 📍 TCL Chinese language Theatre, June 28, 3:30 PM 🎟 Tickets Right here
🎬 Created/Written by Lynn Rosen 🎭 Starring Chad Kessler, Jackie Tohn, Deirdre Lovejoy, Mia Katigbak 🎥 Directed by Christopher Gerson & Julie Kramer
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