WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP NEWS REPORT - 8/4/05

Township life show on screen

Audiences have been captivated for years while watching drama unfold in busy cities and exotic settings on the Hollywood big screen. Washington Township, though, is about to enter the mix.

“Township,” starring a host of local talents and directed by one of the community’s own, will premier at the commerce Bank Arts Centre on August 17 in the heart of the director’s alma mater.

“I figured it’s only fitting to [premier in Washing Township High School] because the movie’s called “Township” and takes place in the township with people from township,” said Michael Licisyn, the movie’s director, producer, and writer. “It wouldn’t work anywhere else.”

The premier comes on the heels of nearly two months of filming and years of writing and planning. The final draft of the movie suffered multiple rewrites as well as a brush with disaster.

“My computer actually crashed a year-and-a-half ago and everything on my hard drive was gone, including my drafts,” said Licisyn.

After a lot of hard work a rewritten draft was finalized in December, leading to character auditions, some 12-hour workdays, and finally to the feature’s premier that Licisyn nervously awaits later this month.

“My main concern is just to have a good time. Take the brain out, put it on the seat next to you and enjoy the ride. It’s no meant to win any Oscars,” said Licisyn. “Township,” the community, not the movie,” is just going to come in, sit down, have some laughs, and have a good time.”

The movie is, after all, a comedy about everything and anything with which Washington Township residents are familiar.

“I can safely say that 75 to 80 percent [of the movie] was shot in the township,” said Licisyn, before reeling off a laundry list of locations.

Drissel’s Hardware, Washington Lake Park, the high school, and Five Points diner were all shooting locations of the cast and crew. They also made road trips into Philadelphia and spent a day in Ocean City to collect footage.

“Filming around the town made everyone curious,” said Jeff Viens, a lifetime resident and assistant director who also plays Norm, a character who “waters his driveway when it’s no wet, something you see around the township sometimes.”

“Everyone’s been helpful. Even the mayor wanted to be sure [filming] was good for us and the township helped out.”

Norm’s odd driveway antics are only one of the many unique “Townshipisms” that Licisyn embedded into his movie.

“There’s a whole scene about giving directions based on Wawas,” said Licisyn. “The [actors] who were outsiders were a little confused by the logistics of how and why I did some things. It’s really funny trying to get some of them to adopt Townshipisms.”

“It’s like taking the jokes that everyone says about the township and gets it out there,” said Kristin Vitt who plays “Angelina,” the ex-girlfriend. “I think township people will get the joking parts of it more than others.

The community’s inside jokes help the cast and crew to portray the life of a 20-something struggling writer that crawls back to Washington Township after leaving Philadelphia. The story then follows “mark,” played by Scott Skversky, actually from North Philadelphia, through a series of comedic and romantic events that help him discover what home really is.

“I’ve always liked that idea of home is home,” said Licisyn, who recalls the films motto that appears on its promotional poster,” Home is where your life is.”

“A lot of people can’t wait to get out of township but no matter what, when you come back, it’s still home.”