Casting call
‘Summerhouse’ stars Malcolm McDowell, Jacob Ward
A Vietnam War-era movie starring Jacob Ward, above, and filming in Danbury needs actors and extras.
The creators of a new film that chronicles the journey of a young man who questions his loyalties during the Vietnam War draft are looking to complete the cast with Connecticut actors. The movie will film in Danbury.
“Summerhouse” follows college graduate Ned Stern (played by “Somewhere in Queens” actor Jacob Ward), who spends the last summer before he is supposed to be sent off to the military in a “lakeside mansion” where he cares for an alcoholic man (played by “A Clockwork Orange” actor Malcolm McDowell), according to IMBD. During the film, Stern falls in love and begins to question his patriotism.
Scenes for the movie are set to be filmed in Danbury from May 28 to June 15, according to a casting call posted on Backstage, a site that recruits talent. The project is looking for actors from the Meriden, Danbury, Hartford, Bridgeport and New London areas.
The casting call lists over a dozen openings to play characters, including Helen Winslow (a woman who likes to play tennis), Uncle Jack (a “wise guy” who runs a drugstore and has questionable ethics), Lois Sawyer (a “vain” former vaudeville performer and accomplished singer), Mrs. Hicks (an “unpleasant” mother worried about her “promiscuous” daughter) and Jackson (a long-time chauffeur who is “professional and polished”). The project is also seeking extras of those of all genders who are between the ages of 18 and 75.
Extras will be paid $208 per day, while all other roles will receive $1,082 to $1,204 per day, according to Backstage. Applicants must submit a headshot or photo of themselves, a video reel and a cover letter for day player and supporting roles, or just a headshot or photo of themselves and a cover letter to apply to be an extra.
The film is written and directed by Buffalo, New York, native Ed Kaplan, who also worked as a writer for the 1993 TV movie “For Their Own Good” and the 2020 film “2 Graves in the Desert.” The film is produced by Magenta Light Studios, which has also done work on the 2023 horror film “Strange Darling.”