PRESS KIT:
PRODUCTION STILLS:
SHORT SYNOPSIS:
A drug-addled CEO and a gay prince in the long-suffering city of Carmine fight for power. Will money or monarchy win?
A drug-addled CEO and a gay prince in the long-suffering city of Carmine fight for power. Will money or monarchy win?
MEDIUM SYNOPSIS:
“Poison” is a film based around two characters and the intersection of their lives. Joseph Tracy heads a huge corporation—not even he knows all of its inner workings—and is trying to heal the scars his father left. There are the scars on his own body—addiction, depression, and anxiety—and the scars of the people. Carmine City, the company town, has been left reaped and bloody from years of corruption. The last king, even, has been “removed” from his position. His heir is nowhere to be found, and the next-in-line is the gay, illegitimate, and unpolished Ethan Salinger. How will Ethan ascend with the peoples’ blessing while Joseph is trying to wipe out the throne itself?
“Poison” is a film based around two characters and the intersection of their lives. Joseph Tracy heads a huge corporation—not even he knows all of its inner workings—and is trying to heal the scars his father left. There are the scars on his own body—addiction, depression, and anxiety—and the scars of the people. Carmine City, the company town, has been left reaped and bloody from years of corruption. The last king, even, has been “removed” from his position. His heir is nowhere to be found, and the next-in-line is the gay, illegitimate, and unpolished Ethan Salinger. How will Ethan ascend with the peoples’ blessing while Joseph is trying to wipe out the throne itself?
LONG SYNOPSIS:
Our scene is set in a world embroiled in the fight between industry and tradition. On the side of industry is Joseph Tracy, who has inherited his father's Carmine Corporation, and seeks to use it to instill the people with a sense of democracy. In the process, and as a result of the king's men accidentally killing Joseph and Clare's twin boys, Joseph kills the king in the name of change. On the side of tradition is Rhys Oakley, the legitimate prince, and Ethan Salinger, a bastard of the late king. Rhys shirks his duties and hides in plain sight. Ethan is hard-pressed to justify his legitimacy and rise up against Joseph's promotion of laissez-faire capitalism (which will certainly increase his profit, and less certainly solve the poverty of the city).
We begin at the already-strained marriage between Joseph and Clare Tracy. She knows he's an addict, but she's not sure what to do about it. Joseph is just trying to get through the hard times in the only way he knows how. Despite his efforts, a terrifying dream keeps waking him up at night. Is it just his guilt eating away at him, or is it something more sinister? Instead of dealing with the problem at hand, he uses drugs to escape the pain and confusion.
At breakfast, Joseph's best friend and most loyal Carmine employee angers Rhys Oakley by talking candidly about his homosexual relationship with Ethan Salinger. Rhys' wife, Heather Oakley, is the sister of Joseph's wife, Clare Tracy. The two women agree politially while their husbands butt heads. Rhys is devoted to getting Ethan on the throne, so that Rhys doesn't have to be there himself. There's a whole underground organization, the Eagles, that are trying to get Ethan on the throne. A homosexual relationship does not help Rhys and the Eagles to install a bastard king in the least.
Ethan and Addison continue their controversial relationship. The Eagles, namely Rhys, attack Joseph and Clare's mansion with arson. Surely, this will get Joseph to cease and desist. Instead, Joseph blames Ethan and gets into a heated argument in front of Addison. Addison is torn between his best friend and his lover. Rhys takes his chance to propel Ethan forward, and stages a coup against the city. In the process, Joseph is shot by one of the Eagles.
Rhys knows the limits of his domestic life, and shooting Joseph went too far. Although he still supports the cause of the Eagles, he knows he must cater to his wife, who cares about her sister's well-being (and therefore Joseph's well-being. But it isn't Rhys that makes the final deal. Instead, Ethan decides that he must be the agent of his own salvation. He threatens Joseph until Joseph agrees to a meeting. In the meantime, Heather and Addison contend with how political standing has strained the relationship they have with their significant other.
Ethan and Joseph realize how similar they really are. So similar, that they've been having the same nightmare. The only way for them to solve the poverty, the ruin, and the immorality of the city is to end their own lives and let the slate be washed clean.
Our scene is set in a world embroiled in the fight between industry and tradition. On the side of industry is Joseph Tracy, who has inherited his father's Carmine Corporation, and seeks to use it to instill the people with a sense of democracy. In the process, and as a result of the king's men accidentally killing Joseph and Clare's twin boys, Joseph kills the king in the name of change. On the side of tradition is Rhys Oakley, the legitimate prince, and Ethan Salinger, a bastard of the late king. Rhys shirks his duties and hides in plain sight. Ethan is hard-pressed to justify his legitimacy and rise up against Joseph's promotion of laissez-faire capitalism (which will certainly increase his profit, and less certainly solve the poverty of the city).
We begin at the already-strained marriage between Joseph and Clare Tracy. She knows he's an addict, but she's not sure what to do about it. Joseph is just trying to get through the hard times in the only way he knows how. Despite his efforts, a terrifying dream keeps waking him up at night. Is it just his guilt eating away at him, or is it something more sinister? Instead of dealing with the problem at hand, he uses drugs to escape the pain and confusion.
At breakfast, Joseph's best friend and most loyal Carmine employee angers Rhys Oakley by talking candidly about his homosexual relationship with Ethan Salinger. Rhys' wife, Heather Oakley, is the sister of Joseph's wife, Clare Tracy. The two women agree politially while their husbands butt heads. Rhys is devoted to getting Ethan on the throne, so that Rhys doesn't have to be there himself. There's a whole underground organization, the Eagles, that are trying to get Ethan on the throne. A homosexual relationship does not help Rhys and the Eagles to install a bastard king in the least.
Ethan and Addison continue their controversial relationship. The Eagles, namely Rhys, attack Joseph and Clare's mansion with arson. Surely, this will get Joseph to cease and desist. Instead, Joseph blames Ethan and gets into a heated argument in front of Addison. Addison is torn between his best friend and his lover. Rhys takes his chance to propel Ethan forward, and stages a coup against the city. In the process, Joseph is shot by one of the Eagles.
Rhys knows the limits of his domestic life, and shooting Joseph went too far. Although he still supports the cause of the Eagles, he knows he must cater to his wife, who cares about her sister's well-being (and therefore Joseph's well-being. But it isn't Rhys that makes the final deal. Instead, Ethan decides that he must be the agent of his own salvation. He threatens Joseph until Joseph agrees to a meeting. In the meantime, Heather and Addison contend with how political standing has strained the relationship they have with their significant other.
Ethan and Joseph realize how similar they really are. So similar, that they've been having the same nightmare. The only way for them to solve the poverty, the ruin, and the immorality of the city is to end their own lives and let the slate be washed clean.
Q&A with Dylan:
Who are you?
I am a twenty-two year old woman, recently graduated cum laude from Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH, with a Bachelor of Arts in history with minors in forensic science and English literature. I am from Watertown, Massachusetts and live at home with my family. I work retail and also as an emergency medical technician (EMT). I am currently in paramedic school with the New England EMS Institute in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Why did you write this film?
I spent a good portion of my childhood and teen years writing little novels. I always loved to tell dramatic stories, and when I met Clara Gibbons, she seemed to feel the same way. We ended up with a world of characters created together, and eventually, a few of them found their way into my script with slightly changed names and situations. I tried writing a script instead of a novel this time because the story in my head begged for a soundtrack as well as a visual component.
Why did you choose to go independent?
I decided not to try to sell my script or enter it into contests because I consider my writing a part of me. I know how I wanted my script treated. I know how I wanted my cast treated. I've acted and directed on the stage before, so I feel confident that I can transfer my skills to the silver screen.
What is your background in film?
I don't have a background in film. I had small roles in high school productions of "The Importance of Being Uncle Roscoe" and the musical "Anything Goes." At Saint Anselm College, I was in the ensemble for the 2012 Family Weekend Show, a student-written musical event that tells the story of a college student's four years. After that,I was the lead in 2013 "Here She Is," a student-directed and produced one-act play, and later I directed the 2014 one-act play, "Once Upon a Beginning."
Who is the intended audience?
Young people, I think, will really enjoy this film. It's dark, but full of enigmatic characters with a story to tell. As someone who struggles with depression, Joseph Tracy's plight is important to me. Although I have never touched drugs, I have always wanted to understand the life of the addict and have studied it and volunteered with those in need. The internal and domestic issues, I feel, are the real message of the film. The plot itself is fun and thought-provoking, but is nothing without realistic characters.
What do you expect to come of this film?
My career plans are in emergency medicine. I don't intend to become a big fancy movie director or anything. I wanted to share my creation with a modest amount of people, and maybe change a few perspectives in the process. I'll always hold this journey very close to my heart. I've also taken this opportunity in the limelight to support groups devoted to helping those struggling with mental health. As a young woman living in this modern era, I have found this as an opportunity in life to try something new, to create something worthwhile, and to express myself.
How did you choose your cast?
My time with the Saint Anselm Abbey Players has given me the opportunity to find a lot of talented friends. Beyond that, Clara Gibbons and I found more talent around the Greater Boston area.
Who are you?
I am a twenty-two year old woman, recently graduated cum laude from Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH, with a Bachelor of Arts in history with minors in forensic science and English literature. I am from Watertown, Massachusetts and live at home with my family. I work retail and also as an emergency medical technician (EMT). I am currently in paramedic school with the New England EMS Institute in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Why did you write this film?
I spent a good portion of my childhood and teen years writing little novels. I always loved to tell dramatic stories, and when I met Clara Gibbons, she seemed to feel the same way. We ended up with a world of characters created together, and eventually, a few of them found their way into my script with slightly changed names and situations. I tried writing a script instead of a novel this time because the story in my head begged for a soundtrack as well as a visual component.
Why did you choose to go independent?
I decided not to try to sell my script or enter it into contests because I consider my writing a part of me. I know how I wanted my script treated. I know how I wanted my cast treated. I've acted and directed on the stage before, so I feel confident that I can transfer my skills to the silver screen.
What is your background in film?
I don't have a background in film. I had small roles in high school productions of "The Importance of Being Uncle Roscoe" and the musical "Anything Goes." At Saint Anselm College, I was in the ensemble for the 2012 Family Weekend Show, a student-written musical event that tells the story of a college student's four years. After that,I was the lead in 2013 "Here She Is," a student-directed and produced one-act play, and later I directed the 2014 one-act play, "Once Upon a Beginning."
Who is the intended audience?
Young people, I think, will really enjoy this film. It's dark, but full of enigmatic characters with a story to tell. As someone who struggles with depression, Joseph Tracy's plight is important to me. Although I have never touched drugs, I have always wanted to understand the life of the addict and have studied it and volunteered with those in need. The internal and domestic issues, I feel, are the real message of the film. The plot itself is fun and thought-provoking, but is nothing without realistic characters.
What do you expect to come of this film?
My career plans are in emergency medicine. I don't intend to become a big fancy movie director or anything. I wanted to share my creation with a modest amount of people, and maybe change a few perspectives in the process. I'll always hold this journey very close to my heart. I've also taken this opportunity in the limelight to support groups devoted to helping those struggling with mental health. As a young woman living in this modern era, I have found this as an opportunity in life to try something new, to create something worthwhile, and to express myself.
How did you choose your cast?
My time with the Saint Anselm Abbey Players has given me the opportunity to find a lot of talented friends. Beyond that, Clara Gibbons and I found more talent around the Greater Boston area.
TEASERS AND TRAILERS: