New thing to Worry About explores the feeling we all get when we look at our smartphones, discover the latest earth-shaking calamity, and wonder if it’s even possible to process the very real possibility that the world might be (or already has?) gone to hell in a handbasket.  

It’s a story that openly wonders how an average person is supposed to process all of these random, absurd, infuriating, and tragic stories about people we don’t know, who live in far-flung places we’ve never been to.  It’s about feeling a helpless need to do something, even though we clearly know we can’t.  

ROLE GUIDE–

(Female, Open Ethnicity, 20-30s),

(Male, Open Ethnicity, 20s-50s)

PREMIERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

We’re pretty psyched that Daniel King, writer for the wonderful Netflix show SWEET TOOTH, has come to The Slate to make movie magic with us. For those of you that are unaware, Sweet Tooth is, according to RobertEbert.com, “a show about a devastating virus that leads people to distrust one another, go into hiding, allow their fear to drive their decisions, and ultimately form unexpected bonds. It’s about isolation and grief, but it is also very much about the unpredictable connections that can end up defining us.”

Since initiating our creative partnership with Daniel, we’ve been floored by his ability to create nuanced characters that reside in complicated worlds. Much like his writing on SWEET TOOTH, Daniel creates damaged characters with hearts of gold and then crafts storylines that require these protagonists to get out of complicated jams.

In Daniel’s story Orders for instance, when a soldier faces the consequences of his actions after coming home from active duty, his comrade from the battlefield fights to save him from the psychological trauma that he’s grappling with… only for them both to realize that their blurred memories may be concealing immoral acts they were a part of.

When the pair has to confront past misdeeds, they are forced to answer the question: Are keeping commands worth sacrificing everything?

ROLE GUIDE: (range)

Men (20-40, Open Ethnicity)

PREMIERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

Much like a good scene in the movie THE BIG CHILL or the TV series SIX FEET UNDER, Patrick’s stories are written to explore and examine complex human relationships.

As we see in his latest story, “John and Nancy and Mark and Stacy”: When a couple attends an intimate dinner party at the house of a fellow married couple, dysfunction quickly reveals itself in both marriages. As the night continues, these couples attempt to speak into their disintegrating marriages, only for more chaos to ensue by the revelation of secrets. As mayhem overtakes the dinner, the couples are forced to confront their confusing feelings and decide where they stand.

ROLE GUIDE: (range)

Women: (30-50, Open Ethnicity)

Men: (30-50, Open Ethnicity)

PREMIERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

Screenwriter Kristina Thomas may write for the hip, upcoming J.J. Abrams-produced TV series DEMIMONDE, but beneath all of that cutting-edge narrative ability is a storyteller who writes with heart. In Work it Out, when an elderly woman faces foot amputation, her doctor presents her with an even bigger challenge: Change her lifestyle and exercise before she loses her legs.

After she remains unwilling, her granddaughter takes it on herself to show her grandmother the benefits and enjoyable aspects of exercise, bringing about a far more internal change in the process.

ROLE GUIDE: (range)

Women: (20-30, 60-80, Open Ethnicity)

Men: (40-60, Asian).

PREMIERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

Ever since we saw the kids in the movie STAND BY ME venture out in the middle of nowhere to see a dead body, we’ve been shamelessly intrigued with stories that creep people out and build tension so well that the story itself almost becomes uncomfortable to watch. (Wait…is that a bad thing?)

This is the feeling we get whenever reading the latest script from feature film BLACK FRIDAY screenwriter Andy Greskoviak titled: The Creepiest House on the Block, the story of two nerdy outcasts who attempt to knock on the town recluse’s door in an attempt to win their high school’s magazine drive. This is a story that will require the Slate director Joel Edwards to use filmmaking techniques throughout the production that create an environment that’s tense and spooky.

PREMIERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

Here at The Slate, we love crazy stories with conniving people in them. Call us jaded or sadistic or whatever…, but there’s nothing better than a character that purposely wreaks havoc while simultaneously sporting a wry smile.

Such is the case with Bunko, a story about how the fabric of normal, everyday society can break down when a group of suburban moms plays the popular dice game Bunko, and shortly after the beginning of the game, a tense, thinly veiled conversation erupts, eventually going off the rails when a new Bunko player questions the social hierarchy of their friend-group. 

(How much fun will this be to film?)

PREMIERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

We love Andy Greskoviak’s storytelling because it combines playfulness with polish. He marries a child-like imagination with an ability to tell a great, funny narrative. And he knows how to blend comedy, suspense, quirkiness, and flat-out horror.

In his latest story: Ol’ Mister Brass, a former curmudgeon strolls through his neighborhood with a new lease on life, celebrating the day, when a group of young children asks him to join them in a game of hopscotch. He complies, only to learn that the kids have set up an elaborate trap to torture him for being a dick for so long.

ROLE GUIDE:

Men (30-50, Ethnically ambiguous)

Men (55-80 Open Ethnicity)

Young Actors (10-16)

PREMIERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

Kristen Ruhlin’s latest dark tale is titled Ghosted, the story of an image-obsessed and ego-crazed man that lives his life in a never-ending cycle of charming and dating women before leaving them hanging – he gets their hopes up just in time to cut off all communication and ensure that they never see him again.

However, when he encounters a woman who won’t back down and is caught in a terrible accident in the process, his wicked ways may start to change as he becomes the victim of a different form of ghosting.

PREMIERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

In this dark tale, a young actress gets the opportunity of a lifetime when her agent sets up a meeting with an infamous Hollywood producer. This could give her exactly what she wants: The chance to be a star. However, the pressure mounts as her agent insists that she has to simply go along with everything this producer says and does. Then, upon meeting with the producer, the situation grows more eerie and disturbing before she is forced to compromise her values. She’s faced with a choice of what to sacrifice: Her personal dignity or her dreams of stardom.

In this stylish drama, screenwriter Kristen Ruhlin calls upon her ability to write unique and provoking scenery into her stories while addressing topical issues that warrant serious examination.

ROLE GUIDE (range):

Women (19-29, open ethnicity)

Men (30-65, open ethnicity)

PREMIERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

Kristen Ruhlin is a self-made artist… meaning that she’s figured out how to hone her craft as an actor, while simultaneously writing and directing for productions in Hollywood. Case in point: In 2018, Kristen wrote and starred in the feature film WELCOME TO MERCY. Not only was the thriller well-reviewed, but RogerEbert.com praised MERCY for its ability to tell a highly original story while bringing something new to the horror/suspense subgenre. This quality in Kristen’s writing – an ability to transcend normal storytelling conventions while thriving in a familiar genre- is the principal reason we partnered with her to help tell our stories.

In her latest short film Not a Kid Person, Kristen examines the roles that modern women play in society and the lingering double standards that still exist regarding maternal and paternal instincts. In “Person,” a woman and a group of Gen Z girls bond over a mutual hatred of the loud kids ruining their trendy Sunday brunch while still somehow keeping their status as modern, maternal guardians intact.

Not a Kid Person is a funny story- but one that challenges conventions and makes audiences think as well.

ROLE GUIDE: (range)

Women (18-45, Open Ethnicity)

Men (20-40, Open Ethnicity)

PREMIERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre