In PARENTS IN CHAINS, six L.A. parents exchange texts as their 18-year-old daughters drive home from a weekend in San Francisco during the approach of a hurricane. The trip and the inclement weather bring out both the best and the worst in the parents as they confront, as a group, as couples, and as individuals, what it means to let go of their kids. By turns viciously comic and poignant, PARENTS IN CHAINS is a valentine to the most difficult, most failure-prone job in the world.
Jay Martel | Playwright
JAY MARTEL has won Emmy, Peabody, Writers Guild of America, and American Comedy awards for his writing. He was a showrunner and head writer on Key & Peele in addition to many other comedy series, including Alternatino, Teachers, Halfway Home, and Strangers With Candy. His plays have been staged in New York and Los Angeles. His third novel, The Present, was published earlier this year, and the movie version, starring Greg Kinnear and Isla Fisher, was recently released worldwide. He's written numerous movies, including Get Hard, starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, and is a contributor to The New Yorker, where his humor appears regularly. www.jaymartel.com
Andy Fickman | Director
ANDY FICKMAN is an award-winning director, writer and producer, whose work spans film, television, and theater. He recently directed Heathers the Musical, which wrapped a record-breaking, sold-out run at The Other Palace in London, where it won multiple awards, and has completed two successful UK/Ireland tours. Before its transfer to the West End, the show had a successful New York run at New World Stages, where it was nominated for multiple Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Lucille Lortel awards. The show premiered in Los Angeles to sold-out, standing-room-only audiences. He recently completed a workshop of the musical adaptation of the hit film 13 Going on 30 in London. Fickman also directed Reefer Madness: The Musical in both Los Angeles and New York, which won him Best Director awards at the Ovation Awards and Drama Critics Awards, then directed and produced the filmed version for Showtime. His many film credits include the comedies Christmas Again, The Crew, No Good Nick, Playing with Fire, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Parental Guidance and You Again. Additionally, Fickman directed and executive produced two seasons of Kevin Can Wait for Sony TV and CBS.
J. Todd Harris | Producer
J. TODD HARRIS is the founder and president of Branded Pictures Entertainment based in Los Angeles. He has produced or executive produced over 50 films, including Oscar-nominated Trial of the Chicago 7 and The Kids Are All Right, along with five Sundance entries, including Bottle Shock. For stage, he produced Heathers The Musical and musical adaptations of Doctor Zhivago and American Psycho for Broadway. He's currently co-producing Soul Train and Buena Vista Social Club. He is a lead producer on soon-to-be unveiled Phenomenal Woman Maya Angelou and Death at a Funeral. He's a 25-year member of the Motion Picture Academy and a Broadway League member 2015-2018. He has taught at Chapman University and Syracuse University's LA campus. He earned his BA and MBA from Stanford University.