July 31, 2023 - Screenwriter Ashley Gianni (NO RULES)
Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX6CTtOSEpY
In 1992 New Jersey, at the boom of drag culture and amidst the raging AIDS epidemic, drag queen Visa Declined and best friend Angela Caruso find themselves at a standstill in their creative endeavors while desperately trying to build a community to call their own. Their dream of one day owning their own bar where they can produce their own shows and host community events is becoming less of a reality as they approach their mid-thirties and feel societal pressure to “grow up” and “get a real job”. Nonetheless, Visa’s an optimist, Angela is stubborn, and neither of them are fulfilled by the idea of a traditional and ordinary life. But how can two struggling artists scrape together the money for a down payment? They get creative, of course!
Get to know the writer:
My film, No Rules, tells the story of Drag Queen Visa Declined, and her best friend Angela Caruso, in 1992 New Jersey, fueled by the urgency of the AIDS epidemic, as they fight for the respect and money to open their own bar so they can finally have a space to build their chosen family and live unapologetically! It is Camp – it is Theatre – it is Drag! But it’s Film, it’s accessible, it’s Welcoming! It invites the audience to engage and participate. No Rules encourages a “cult classic midnight showing” viewing experience that creates community. A little To Wong Foo and a little My Cousin Vinny, No Rules is my ode to my childhood as an Italian-Jew growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey, and my love letter to all of the Drag Queens who have helped shape my identity.My film, No Rules, tells the story of Drag Queen Visa Declined, and her best friend Angela Caruso, in 1992 New Jersey, fueled by the urgency of the AIDS epidemic, as they fight for the respect and money to open their own bar so they can finally have a space to build their chosen family and live unapologetically! It is Camp – it is Theatre – it is Drag! But it’s Film, it’s accessible, it’s Welcoming! It invites the audience to engage and participate. No Rules encourages a “cult classic midnight showing” viewing experience that creates community. A little To Wong Foo and a little My Cousin Vinny, No Rules is my ode to my childhood as an Italian-Jew growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey, and my love letter to all of the Drag Queens who have helped shape my identity.
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