Local 'Mars Attack' stars will receive red-carpet treatment
Local actors will receive red-carpet treatment for the debut of "Mars Attacks Mt. Pleasant" on Thursday at Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale.
The comedy was filmed in Mt. Pleasant last year.
A limousine will bring the actors -- including Kat Post and Philip Haddad of Scottdale -- to the theater for the 7 p.m. show.
Roger Marsh, director of the film, said the premiere and subsequent showings will be a celebration of the support he received from local communities.
"It will be the first time it's ever been shown," Marsh said. "We're kind of making a big production out of it."
He said that as each of the five featured actors exits the limousine to enter the theater, he or she will be interviewed by radio personnel from WLSW-FM 104, which will be broadcasting live at the event.
Kat Post, one of the lead actors in the movie, also is education program director at the Geyer. She said revenue from half the ticket sales on opening weekend will benefit theater programs.
"We bought a screen just to be able to show this," she said. "We've wanted a screen for a few years, and we're still trying to raise funds to cover its cost."
Post and Haddad are complemented by Deborah Franzen of Sewickley and Alex Etling and Jack Simon, both of Greensburg, in starring roles in the movie.
The movie is based on a stage play written by Marsh called "Mars Attacks Chicago."
Marsh was in Mt. Pleasant last year to record a documentary of reported ghostly events at the R&R Station Restaurant and Hotel on Main Street. He developed relationships with local actors and community leaders that compelled him to film "Mars Attacks Mt. Pleasant."
Marsh returned to Chicago to edit and produce the movie, which will be available for purchase on DVD.
In the movie, a husband and wife make a false report of an attack on the wife. They are seduced by media attention and concoct another story, drawing national attention.
Marsh said the comedy is filled with wordplay and Hollywood references. In addition to the leading actors, dozens of other local people play smaller roles and act as extras in the movie.
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Tickets for the premiere of 'Mars Attacks Mt. Pleasant' are offered by invitation only. Tickets for the remaining shows -- Friday at 7 and 9 p.m., Saturday at noon and 2 p.m., and June 22 at 7 and 9 p.m. -- cost $8. Additional shows will be presented June 26-29, at 7 and 9 p.m. each day.
