By Rick Winterson

     Back here again by way of Brighton, New York City, Los Angeles, and Abington, Lara Marcelonis works in many areas of the performing arts.  Under the name “Broadway Productions of South Boston”, she is producing a feature film called, “Green Street”, as well as teaching her own workshops.

     Lara Marcelonis is the daughter of Lillian (Maloof) and Alfred Marcelonis.  She split her early years between South Boston and Brighton, and spent her teen years in Abington.  Her interest and talents in drama got her a touring role for a year after high school with the AIDS Action Committee.

     After that, Lara spent a year at N.Y.U. Drama School majoring in Performance Arts.  She then spent three years at U.C.L.A., receiving a degree in Film and Television Production.  During her college years she interned at Paramount Pictures (with the big mountain for a logo). 

     Presently, she works ten days per month as an Associate Producer for Paramount – now owned by Viacom – on the development of various projects for TV.  The Paramount studio where she works is located in Santa Monica on Westwood near Wilshire Boulevard, so she commutes a mere 3,000 miles between the West Coast and her headquarters at “Broadway Productions of South Boston”.

     Lara has become an integral part of the South Boston scene.  She was the producer of the short film, “Bails Is Ten in the Hole”, last year.  A second short, “Dress Rehearsals”, followed.

     This summer, she produced and directed a third short film called “Project Steps” on her own.  This became the genesis of her film-making and workshop enterprise she has named “Broadway Productions of South Boston”. 

     It has become a busy life for Lara.  She is working on two short films right now.  “Typecast” is a backstage farce similar in nature to Michael Frayn’s “Noises Off”.  She also is working on a submission for the Cannes Film Festival entitled “One Winter Morning”.  Requirements for Cannes are tight.  For one thing, the film length must be 12 minutes or less – no exceptions.

     In addition, Lara is running two workshops for young actors, both of which are at the Curley Center.  The children’s (up to age 12) workshop is held on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m.; the workshop for teenagers is on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m.  There will be five sessions in each workshop, from now through the first full week in December.  Actual performances will be presented at the completion of the workshops.  Both workshops have a few openings left, if you are interested; her next classes will start early in January.  Lara’s contact number is (781)857-3003.

     Lara’s biggest project is producing a feature-length film entitled “Green Street”.  Award-winning screenwriter Dino Dinofrio of California has created the script, which involves an Irish family experiencing hard times when they move to South Boston.  To give a feel for the magnitude of this project, it will require upwards of $500,000 in financing.  Lara has secured $250,000 already by using her entrepreneurial talents.  She hopes to begin shooting early in 2006.  Open casting is planned for January or February.  Star struck South Bostonians should keep an eye open for the tryouts.

     Right now, Lara is living with her parents in Abington, but she will relocate soon to West Fourth Street.  When asked about her spare time activities, she mentions that she teaches children’s theater at Massasoit Community College.  She has nine years of children’s theater experience to offer the college and her local South Boston workshops.

That may not exactly be a relaxing pursuit, but it shows Lara’s deep love of the theater.