Jenny Dreasler in "Villainy for the Lonely"

This weekend, I had the opportunity to be a part of one of the most amazing experiences in my life so far… I got to be in a movie! The production company, Table 16 Productions just wrapped its last day of filming this past weekend, and I got to be a part of it.

Dreasler

I was lucky enough that my boss, Jessica Martin-Cate, sent an email to Chris Kelley, the producer of the film, “Villainy For The Lonely.” We thought it would be a pretty cool idea if I got to be a small background performer, and then I could write about my experience on the set.

Little did I know that I would be given my first lines in a feature film and would actually get a named character, Charity. I was definitely not expecting that … nor was I expecting to be handcuffed to a chair in my first role either, but that’s neither here nor there. Either way, I was ecstatic that I was even given the chance to possibly be in a movie. I have always thought that would be a cool thing to do, and I couldn’t have asked for a friendlier bunch of people to work with.

I was greeted warmly by the production company and the other actors. I immediately recognized a familiar face from my childhood, Ben Poland, who was working the sound for the movie. So that in itself, made the comfort level a little better. It also helped tremendously that Chris Kelley’s wife, Victoria, was an absolute sweetheart. She made me feel welcome and made sure I wasn’t left to my own devices, which on a set with guns and handcuffs, probably wouldn’t have been a good idea. Victoria made sure I wasn’t uncomfortably hot in the room we were shooting in, which happened to be the second floor of Kristopher’s Hair Salon in Quincy.

The interesting thing about filming my small role, which will be lucky to make even 30 seconds in the movie, was that all my lines were ad-libbed. The first thing Chris asked me before going on camera was “What kind of person are you normally not?” To that, I answered, “the bad girl” and there you had it, I was cast as a villain who was being interrogated by the police, something that would never happen in real life. My character was a pretty demented little girl, throwing off the cops with every little lie she could tell. Charity definitely has some complexes about herself, seeing as how she does a lot of “charity work” around town, and you know what I mean. (Take a look at what I was wearing for the movie, if you’re still stuck.)

Being on the set was definitely nerve racking. When the camera starts rolling, and you have to come up with material on the drop of a dime, without seeming too fake or like you’re trying to act like you’re not acting, can be tough. Luckily, I pulled from my acting days as a child when I was in the drama club in Baldwin, and it all came back. I forgot how much fun acting was, and how much I truly enjoyed it. Needless to say, the scene went off without a hitch, minus me accidentally slipping out of the handcuffs, and having to quickly shove my hand back in.

You can see clips of the movie at www.table16.com. “Villainy For The Lonely” is a bizarre, twisted tale originally set as a love triangle between a madman, a villain and a ghost (Victoria’s character). Production started May 15 and wrapped on July 17. A first draft of the film is due by late fall/early winter. After that, the film will be sent to numerous film festivals. Some of the company’s other work, like the movie “Hampshire,” is actually on Netflix. So I urge you to check that out.

I wish the film the best of luck, as it was a truly amazing experience to have in my life. Who knows, maybe I will get my own IMDb now? Or maybe not …

Jenny Dreasler