Over The GW

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	Nick Gaglia Director/Producer Nick Gaglia knew he wanted to be a filmmaker since he was 11, when he picked up a camera for the first time and wrote, directed, and acted in his first short film. He was the youngest kid in his theatre group and studied acting at Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan. His personal life, however, started to deteriorate when he got into drugs at age 13. Subsequently, his mother checked him into an unregulated “tough love” drug rehab that would change his life forever. The rehab boasted of being the only place in the world that could keep kids safe and sober, but what really went on behind closed doors was quite the contrary; corporal punishment, humiliation tactics, sleep and food deprivation, false imprisonment, and mind control were daily routines for Gaglia and group members. After enduring the abuse for 2 ½ years, Gaglia escaped the rehab and went on to study filmmaking at Hunter College. After honing his skills with several short films, Gaglia made his first narrative feature, Over the GW, based on his unique experience in rehab. GW premiered at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival, where it was the first “under the radar” feature in the festival’s 13-year history to get a distribution deal after its first screening. The film went on to play theatrically in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Maryland and was received with enthusiastic praise: “…Mr. Gaglia has produced a work that’s as much an act of emesis as of filmmaking…the rehab drama is here to stay.” – Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times “‘OVER the GW” is an assured first feature by 25-year-old writer-director Nick Gaglia.” – V.A. Musetto, New York Post “Not to be missed” – Chicago Sun-Times “shocking…the film accrues a learned sense of what it feels like to have the very fibers of one’s soul placed under a magnifying glass.” – Rob Humanick, Slant Magazine “…emotionally potent…” – Joe Leydon, Variety Immediately following the successful theatrical run of GW, he was hired by publishing company, Ace Academics, Inc., to adapt their novel, The Cult Next Door (also based on a true story) into screenplay. Up next, Gaglia is developing the narrative features, The Babydaddy, a Little Miss Sunshine-esque story about a teenage girl dealing with her war veteran father and Freedom Fighter, based on true events, about a young man who flees Cuba in the aftermath of Castro’s revolution only to find himself fighting in Vietnam on the American side.
	George Gallagher In 2007, Over The GW became the first feature-length film in Slamdance's twelve year history to get a distribution deal after it's first screening. This was aided, in no small part, by actor George Gallagher's intense performance. The film tells the story of a drug-addled teen's fight to not only overcome his addiction, but the vice-like grip of the unorthodox rehab facility where he's admitted. Running the gamut of exteme emotions , Gallagher's portrayal of the main character belies the fact that he is a newcomer. Well, newcomer to film, that is. For years, George has been accruing experience on stage all the while studying with some of the most respected acting teachers working today: Wynn Handman, Harold Guskin, Milton Katselas, and famed Actor's Studio alumnus Gene Frankel. This training, and George's background, helped him mine the character's reality. Although born in New York City, an itinerant youth meant Gallagher was always the "new kid in town". According to him, this was his introduction to acting. "I found myself taking on different personas in different environments," he says. Always drawn to sports, Gallagher became a star athlete no matter where he lived. It wasn't until an injury forced him to stop that he put his energies elsewhere: "Unfortunately, I fell in with the wrong crowd at the time and soon after, things began to spin out of control." So much so, that George found himself in the hospital after a night of serious mischief. Reflecting now, George says, "I knew that kind of life was a dead-end." It was during his recuperation that George says he found salvation: "I was home one night when On The Waterfront came on. The performances really hit me--right then and there, I knew what I'd be doing for the rest of my life." Years later and Gallagher's hard work is starting to pay off. In addition to his starring role in Over The GW, he will be in its director's next project, Straight. C urrently though, he's preparing to be the lead in Neal Fenton's up-coming film No Parade; the story of a soldier returning home from Iraq. And, as he had done on Over The GW, George will help produce and cast, not to mention star in Allan Knee's (Finding Neverland ) next project. Clearly, actor George Gallagher has the kind of momentum every actor at the beginning of his career dreams of. Look for his star to rise.
	Kether Donohue Kether Donohue was born and raised in Manhattan and expressed her passion for acting at a young age. After asking her mom to enroll her in acting class at age 9, she quickly signed with an agent and started modeling and booking commercials. Since then, she has been a series regular on a WB pilot, Saving Jason, with rapper Bow Wow, guest starred on the ABC sitcom Hope and Faith, performed at Playwright’s Horizons Theatre in New York City as the lead in the play I Want to Bleed, and works regularly as a voice over actress for various Japanese Animation and cartoons on FoxKids and Nickolodean. Her most recent project was a leading role in the independent feature film Over the GW. She currently studies at the Actors Center and privately coaches with Harold Guskin. Donohue is in the process of producing and directing her first short film. Click here to view Kether Donohue's reel - http://myspace.com/ketherdonohue
	Albert Insinnia A veteran actor, Albert Insinnia has been acting in film, television, and theatre for over thirty years. He made his Broadway debut in Joseph Papp's Tony award winning musical Two Gentlemen of Verona. Since then, his theatre credits include: Donald in The Me Nobody Knows, a co-starring role with the Village Gate cast in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well Living in Paris (in New York and Los Angeles), Sonny in the original Broadway production of Grease, and Mordred in Camelot (co-starring alongside Richard Harris). His TV and film credits include: co-starring alongside Steve Guttenberg in the NBC series Last Chance, co-starring in The Stockard Channing Show on CBS, Sgt. Ray Tornberg in MASH, Mike with Adam Arkin and Erin Moran in Sweepstakes on ABC, Deacon in the ABC "Movie of the Week," Crazy Times, creating the character Lt. Pizelli on Law and Order SVU on NBC, co-starring with Linda Blair in Roller Boogie and Mark Hamill in Corvette Summer for MGM, Lyle Britten in James Baldwin's Blues for Mr. Charlie, Det. Halloran in John Guare's Landscape of the Body, Dr. Hiller in Over the GW, and Dr. Dupree, a disturbed gynocologist/hypnotherapist in Hot Baby.
	G.R. Johnson Aside from lead roles in several independent films, G.R. Johnson has performed extensively at regional theaters across the eastern United States, including the Huntington Theater in Boston, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia, and many others. He has also originated roles in new plays at a number of New York theater companies, including La MaMa E.T.C., Circle East, Mint Theater Company, Alter Ego, Vital Theatre Company and the NY International Fringe Festival. www.grjohnson.net
	Justin Swain TV and film credits include: Law&Order SVU, NBC/Universal; Breaking Vegas, The History Channel; Catch Me if You Can, Dream Works; A Beautiful Mind, TriStar Pictures. Theatre credits: Sweet Bird of Youth, Williamstown Theater Festival (director David Hughe Jones); Miss Julie, Williamstown Theater Festival; F%&king Ibsen Takes Time, SOHO Playhouse and BAM; Office Sonata ,Irish Arts Center; Post Mortem, 29th Street Rep; 9/11 Tribute, Irish Arts Center; What Sprang Off a Gypsy Rooster, Access Theater. Justin Swain is also the author of Treesfall, part of "DreadAwakening," perfomed at Primary Stages 45th Theater produced by The Thursday Problem as well as the play Bump: Miami and New York City at the Henry Street Settlement and the Ground Floor Theatre, produced by Jay Harris and The Juggerknot Theatre Company. The Sleep Talker/My Tasty and The Fortuneteller performed in New York City at the Irish Arts Center. His work has also been seen at the Galapagos Art Space. Justin Swain is represented by Mary Erickson Entertainment.
	Steve Stanulis A decorated former NYPD officer. After retiring from the NYPD through injury, Steve became a security consultant, providing security to a host of international superstars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Alanis Morissette. Encouraged by some of these clients, Steve branched into yet another career as an actor, making his screen debut with a small role in The Replacements. Among Steve's other acting credits are The Sopranos, Rolling, and the upcoming Cupidity, Interpreter, Manchirian Canidate, Gangs of New York and the new Adam Sandler film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.
	Jessika Graff Jessika Graff first stepped on the stage at the age of five in Bob Mcgrath's Sesame Street show. Since then she has graduated from the Julliard Pre College Voice department and The Actors Center Conservatory I and II. One of her most recent credits include the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof, playing the role of Hodel. Jessika is a current student at Columbia University.
	Michael Mathis Michael Mathis can now be seen on ABC's Daytime series One Life to Live in a recurring role. He has been acting, writing and directing in New York City for close to eight years. Michael has produced and directed several video projects for Google Inc. where he works as a lead video production specialist and journey man script writer. His most recent project for Google's world wide Code Jam can be seen on Google Video. Michael studied acting with Wynn Handman and acting and directing with Lenore DeKoven of Columbia University. In the coming months, Michael will be shooting a ten minute short film for the festival circuit.
	John Presnell "I love music from the past," says singer-songwriter John Presnell. "Those songs had real meaning, and were, of course, very melodic, very catchy. And when they were poetic, it was never at the expense of clarity." This quality of music, says Presnell, is what he aspires to create as a songwriter--but with a difference. "I'm not interested in being a retro act or reviving the past," he says. "My aim is to update those sensibilities. By this I mean memorable melodies combined with meaningful words. This kind of songwriting will always have an audience, but I feel the sentiments need to be updated from time to time." This approach is evident in Presnell's haunting piece "Don't Leave Me," a song where the classic roles of cheater and cheated are reversed. Presnell likens the unfaithful lover depicted in the song to a butterfly flying 'from man to man, like plant to plant.' Upon hearing the song, it becomes apparent Presnell isn't your run-of-the-mill male vocalist. His distinctive-sounding tenor has been described by some, he says, as soothing. Presnell confesses his preference for singers like Nat "King" Cole, Dionne Warwick, and Gordon Lightfoot. "When a singer can tease the meaning out of a lyric, using the art of subtlety, well, that just does it for me. I'm a little tired of being bashed over the head by strident vocals, " he says. "It's overdone." In the current landscape of male singers, Presnell could fill the void of balladeer. However, on songs like his high-energy "Can't Live For Today", whose character is a man determined not to go down the wrong path, Presnell displays his range and versatility as a singer. His background in acting also makes him a natural for the stage, and he refined the live performance of his work at some of New York 's most popular clubs, including CB's Gallery, The Elbow Room, and The Lion's Den. Due to the large crowds Presnell regularly attracted, he began headlining Friday nights at Shine--which, at the time, was named "best new club" by New York magazine. At the height of this popularity, Presnell decided to stop performing for a few years, in order to explore other musical genres, and write in those styles. "Some people would be surprised by the kind of songs I wrote at the time," he says. "Straight-up jazz, electronica, songs with a gospel feel...musically, I was all over the place! I even wrote the score for a feature-length film." The diversity of his musical explorations have helped Presnell to further hone his craft. Now that he's returned to his first love--popular music--it is with a broader musical palette. "Anyone can find something to appreciate in my music--young or old," says Presnell. "Regardless of musical preference, on some level they will be able to connect with my music."