The Summerland Project
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The Summerland Project is a stage play and subsequent movie adaptation written by Rob Merritt about a dying woman whose mind is placed into an artificial body.
Plot
Amelia and Carter Summerland are a newly married couple. Amelia has an aneurysm and becomes locked in. Carter is approached by a corporation who would like to use Amelia as a test subject for a procedure where they will copy her personality and memories into an android body.{{cite web|url=http://iowatheatre.blogspot.com/2011/11/summerland-is-riveting-and-thought.html|title=Iowa Theatre: Summerland is riveting and thought provoking|work=iowatheatre.blogspot.com|date=13 November 2011 }}
The themes of The Summerland Project have been compared to Pygmalion, Blade Runner (and its source material Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Frankenstein, and The Monkey's Paw.{{cite web|url=http://hooplanow.com/2013/01/12/review-summerland-project-takes-viewers-brave-new-world-possibilities/|title=REVIEW: Flawless 'Summerland Project' takes viewers into brave new world|work=Hoopla}}{{cite web|url=http://iowatheatre.blogspot.com/2013/01/powerful-summerland-project-asks-tough.html|title=Iowa Theatre: Powerful Summerland Project asks tough questions|work=iowatheatre.blogspot.com|date=15 January 2013 }} The story raises questions about the nature of humanity.
Play
The play was initially produced as part of the Theatre Cedar Rapids Underground New Play Festival in 2011. It then again appeared as a TCR mainstage production in 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.iowatheatre.blogspot.com/2013/01/summerland-project-promises-to-be.html|title=Iowa Theatre: Summerland Project Promises to be Visually and Emotionally Stunning|work=iowatheatre.blogspot.com|date=8 January 2013 }} Subsequently, the play was performed at the Olathe Civic Theatre in Kansas City, Kansas.{{Cite web |url=http://olathetheatre.org/Performance.aspx?EventID=81 |title=The Summerland Project - the Olathe Civic Theatre Association |access-date=2014-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220105135/http://olathetheatre.org/Performance.aspx?EventID=81 |archive-date=2014-12-20 |url-status=dead }}
Film
{{infobox film
| name = The Summerland Project
| image = TheSummerlandProjectBanner.jpeg
| director = Adam Orton
| producer = Alex Levine, Enrico Natale
| writer = Rob Merritt
| based_on = The Summerland Project by Rob Merritt
| starring = Ben Whitehair
Ed Begley Jr.
Chris Ellis
Eddie Jemison
Kate Vernon
Debra Wilson
Kamar de los Reyes
Angela Billman
| music = Michael A. Levine
| cinematography = Camrin Petramale
| editing = Izaak Levison-Share
| studio = More Productions
}}
Filming for the movie version, entitled Amelia 2.0 began on September 16, 2014 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The film features Ben Whitehair, Ed Begley Jr., Chris Ellis, Eddie Jemison, Kate Vernon, Debra Wilson, Kamar de los Reyes, Malorie Mackey, John Livingston, as well as Angela Billman reprising the role of Amelia Summerland that she performed in the 2013 stage version.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cbs2iowa.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/summerland-project-begins-filming-cr-29936.shtml |title=Summerland Project Begins Filming in CR - KGAN-TV CBS 2 Iowa - Top Stories |access-date=2014-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924095350/http://cbs2iowa.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/summerland-project-begins-filming-cr-29936.shtml |archive-date=2014-09-24 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.kcrg.com/subject/news/business/iowa-resets-efforts-to-attract-media-productions-20140921|title=Iowa resets efforts to attract media productions|work=kcrg|access-date=2014-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919093822/http://www.kcrg.com/subject/news/business/iowa-resets-efforts-to-attract-media-productions-20140921|archive-date=2015-09-19|url-status=dead}} The film was directed by Adam Orton.{{cite web|url=http://www.kcci.com/news/independent-film-crew-seeks-iowa-actors/27817118|title=Independent film crew seeks Iowa actors|date=9 November 2015|work=KCCI}} The film was targeted for release for the 2016 film festival season. The film had a budget of $1.2 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.thegazette.com/subject/life/people-places/newstrack-summerland-film-nurtured-in-cedar-rapids-almost-ready-for-its-close-up-20151109|title=Newstrack: 'Summerland' film, nurtured in Cedar Rapids, almost ready for its close-up|work=The Gazette}}
External links
- [http://summerlandproject.com/ play website]
- [https://www.facebook.com/SummerlandProject movie facebook]
- {{IMDb title|3831344|The Summerland Project}}
- [http://www.thetable-movie.com/the-summerland-project-pelicula-trailer/ The Summerland Project Pelicula Trailer]
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Summerland Project}}
Category:American independent films
Category:American science fiction films