Going a little stir crazy being stuck inside? The Pandemic Players are hoping to ease some of the stress with their new “table read” comedy series which in turn benefits some great causes. The troupe of actors and filmmakers will kick off the series on November 25th with Joel and Ethan Coen’s comedy Raising Arizona.
What’s Happening:
- Goodness these are some crazy times, but thankfully a group of independent filmmakers, writers and others have banded together to bring audiences a little bit of at home fun. Meet the Pandemic Players!
- Pandemic Players consists of the aforementioned filmmakers and writers along with a troupe of talented actors to present a series of streamed charity “table reads” of classic films, TV shows, radio plays, and more.
- The series launches on Pandemic Players’ YouTube channel on Wednesday, November 25th with Joel and Ethan Coen's Raising Arizona.
Trailer for the Original Film:
The Raising Arizona Table Read Features:
- Zachary Levi (Chuck, Tangled) as H.I. McDunnough
- Alison Pill (Star Trek: Picard, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen) as Ed
- Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) as Nathan Arizona Sr.
- Clancy Brown (Highlander, The Shawshank Redemption) as Gale Snoats
- Macon Blair (Blue Ruin, The Florida Project) as Evelle Snoats
- Ross Partridge (The Evening Hour, Billions) will read Glen
- Sarah Clarke (24, Bosch) will Dot
- Jeff "The Dude" Dowd will play Leonard Smalls
- Leila Almas Rose and Jaime Zavallos will play Supercast Members 1 & 2
- Jordana Brewster (CBS' Lethal Weapon, The Fast and the Furious franchise) will serve as narrator
Zachary Levi
Alison Pill
Dean Norris
Ross Partridge
Leila Almas Rose
What They’re Saying:
- Producer Darren Dean: “Like most creatives we felt powerless as the pandemic raged across the country. "We wanted to use our powers for good, which in our case meant calling on our fellow artists to give of their time and talent to raise money for worthy causes and at the same time – we hope – provide some much needed entertainment to our fellow citizens during this terrible time."
Who Benefits from Pandemic Players Productions?:
- Pandemic Players is partnering with a rotating group of charities devoted to supporting:
- Frontline workers and first responders
- Out-of-work artists
- Service industry employees
- Minority communities
- Those hardest hit by this global disaster
- 100% of all donations go directly to the charities. This first production will benefit Covenant House.
- The program is presented "pay what you can," which consists of clicking through a donations page.
- Future episodes will partner with other charities, all benefiting those most deeply affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
- The producers plan on releasing new shows roughly every month from November until the end of the pandemic.
- Future productions include The Breakfast Club and Heathers.
Creative Team:
- The Pandemic Players’ producers are:
- Director/producer Matthew Barber (Disney +’s The Right Stuff, NBC’s Chuck)
- Filmmaker Chris Brown (The Other Kids, Fanny, Annie & Danny)
- Filmmaker Darren Dean (Tangerine, The Florida Project)
- Writer/producer Frederik Ehrhardt
- Producer and IndieWire.com co-founder Mark Rabinowitz
- Writer/producer Myrta Vida