By SCHARON HARDING
CULTURE EDITOR
What do you need when you are searching for your first apartment? A pair of clicking heels, your finest pearls, a white cable-knit sweater to rest upon your shoulders and your best friend, of course. The stars of “Gentrified,” a comedy web series by Fordham alumnae have this formula down as they move out of their parents’ pool houses into a city of bold characters.
“Gentrified” follows two best friends with shopping, dolls and indepence on their mind as they search for the perfect apartment. Rachel, played by Emily Tarpey, FCRH ’09, and Brittany, played by Leaa Borst, FCRH ’ 12, take on Brooklyn the way only fast-talking, good-natured ditzes could.
The web series started shooting in June of this year. A show about gentrification, or as Merriam-Webster defines it, the process of “companying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents,” came from the mind of director, Allison Taylor, Marymount College ’09. The idea formed after Taylor watched an obvious outsider walk carelessly down the street.
“One night I was watching a girl walking deep into Crown Heights by Nostrand Avenue; rappers shout it out still,” Taylor said. “Emily and I bounced ideas back and forth, and we thought, ‘Gosh, we should just write something about a bimbo trying to move into a new neighborhood.’”
By the next night, Tarpey had written the first episode and cast herself as Rachel. Tarpey, who was once secretary of the Mimes and Mummers and starred in plays such as Footloose, had known Taylor since her pre-Fordham days at Marymount. Still, they needed another actress to slip into the short dress of Brittany, Rachel’s best friend.
Borst, also a former Mimes member, had previously created a YouTube link for her segment on “Fordham Nightly News,” called “Leah Defender of the Downtrodden” where she mimicked stupid criminals.
“I made my own criminal video of stealing my roommate’s chocolate milk,” Borst said. “Emily was the one person in the world who watched it on YouTube.”
Tarpey was a fan of the video, and immediately contacted Borst through the Internet to offer her the role.
Thus the epic journey of creating “Gentrified” began. The team held auditions for the rest of the cast, eventually choosing Samuel Traylor and Ryan Barker from a couple 100 auditions due to their diverse, sketch-style acting skills. Then, the girls accumulated funds with a Kickstarter campaign. After that, it was a journey of laughs as the team wrote, filmed and edited the episodes.
“When we were shooting, it was kind of like being on the set of ‘SNL,” Taylor said. “Everyone was laughing.”
Brit and Rach hit up different neighborhoods each episode to try to find the “right fit.” They meet hipsters, children and Orthodox Jews along the way, but struggle to find a neighborhood that is “them.”
“Gentrified” would be nothing without the dynamic chemistry between Tarpey and Borst.
“When someone [like Tarpey] stalks you, they tend to learn all your habits,” Borst said. “So when we came together it was like we were friends forever…from her perspective.”
With the stalking and laughs however, also come yawns. Shooting for “Gentrified” began at 6 a.m. on weekends and continued until 11 p.m.
“It’s misery traveling there, but once you’re there it’s like, ‘Okay. Let’s stay longer,” Borst said.
Hard work continued off the set. Tarpey and Taylor took their shots at editing for the first time. Using Final Cut Pro, the two challenged themselves while juggling their other jobs.
“When we were shooting, I’m all in, balls-to-wall,” Taylor said. “Monday, I’m back to work, tired as hell, wishing I was back on the set of ‘Gentrified.”
“I had never produced or written anything, and I ended up doing all of that plus editing,” Tarpey said. “I’ve never edited anything in my life. I’m not that much of a nerd. Now I’m an awesome nerd.”
The YouTube series gave the cast and crew a chance to create and enhance friendships.
“We just drink a lot more,” Tarpey said. “I learned a lot about producing. I also learned a lot about drinking, and I’m very good at it.”
“We kind of created a network of people that would never be together unless this series happened,” Taylor said.
“Gentrified” also taught everyone involved that they can continue to pursue their dreams after graduation.
“It’s a really tough time when you graduate,” Borst said. “My passion is acting. Do I pursue acting? But how will I financially support myself? This made me realize you can do both. Doing a web series is something you can do on a weekend, and never say never even though that sounds really cheesy like Justin Bieber.”
Although “Gentirified’”s soundtrack does not include Biebs, there is some catchy music from various local bands. One band, La La Lush, of which Borst is the lead singer, also features current Fordham students Cashel Barnett, FCRH ’13, Stephen Federowicz, FCRH’13, and Steve Scarola, GSB ’13.
The team still has a few more episodes to shoot, and they are also working on some “extra tidbits.” Season 2 is in the works, and the cast already has big plans for it.
“I would like to wear pants in Season 2 or a longer dress,” Borst said. “There was a lot of butt and hoochie showing before.”
Until then, the goal is to get “Gentrified” out to the public so they can enjoy Brit and Rach’s antics.
“We’re hoping someone will look in our direction one day, and we’ll get some notice that is obviously well deserved with all the hard work that’s been put into it,” Borst said.
For now Tarpey, Taylor and Borst and the rest of the “Gentrified” crew will continue working hard and making their best out of a post-college world.
“What I’ve learned from graduating, going to job interviews and hearing ‘No, no, no,’ over and over again is the answer is yes, and you’re the only person who’s going to tell yourself that,” Taylor said. “That’s what we’ve done […] We’re not on network, but this is our starting ground and, as everyone on ‘American Idol’ says, you will see my name again.”
