‘Hicksters’ Premiere After-Party
It was time to celebrate on Jan. 6 at Row House Cinema’s Bierport Taproom following the premiere of the season finale of the show “Hicksters: A Comedy Series.” The show features native Pittsburgher Christina Ghubril Wren and Jeremy Steven Walker as a young urban couple living on their newly inherited farm. Instead of falling into tired tropes about urban vs. rural life, the web show provides a fresh perspective on cultural relations in America through humor and empathy. After being told by network executives that Muslims were not a “palatable” minority to showcase on TV, Ms. Wren and her husband, filmmaker Demetrius Wren, decided to stream the show through hicksterscomedy.com.
“This show is not meant to be intense or controversial,” said Ms. Wren, who portrays Ruby Hadid Robinson. “For me, it is light-hearted and fun. We wanted to showcase how millennials are being squeezed out of cities and relocating to rural America where you still have that feeling that you can create yourself.”
The award-winning series was shot in Scenery Hill, Washington County. “It was great to premiere here in Pittsburgh because when you’re in the work of filming, writing and editing, it’s hard to see if it’s working,” Ms. Wren said. “To hear the audience’s reaction really elevated our work.”
Cheryl Walker, an actress and costume artist for Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Co., is part of the cast. “Working with Christina and Demetrius was such a pleasure,” she said. “They are brilliant filmmakers and their work is meaningful. I loved changing things up from working in live theater to film.”
Ms. Wren is now planning a feature film on her native North Side. And what about her character, Ruby? “I hope she finds home, finds peace and purpose. And I hope her children feel safe and protected by a community that has learned to embrace them and no longer fear what is different.”
Acceptance. Isn’t that what we all hope for in the end?
#SEEN: Megin Harrington, P.J. Gaynard, Rachna Khatau, Aram Asarian, Manny Walker, Joel Akrie, Marcus Platt, Gibson Williams, Tracy Certo, Saleem Ghubril, Ivory Gilmore, Kevin Brown and Jenifer Schweitzer.