Drew Larimore is a Brooklyn-based writer. His plays have been produced internationally as well as Off Broadway. His film and TV work stream online. He makes killer pumpkin bread, and alternates between black t-shirts and plaid. Since Drew is about to gear up for his new short, Making Waves, let’s make a splash in his queer mind with some questions on the eve of Pride.
What on God’s deep blue sea is Making Waves, and is it true that for the price of my monthly Scruff subscription I can receive a small credit?
Drew: Making Waves is a short film about a young man who lives with his mother in coastal Maine and encounters a merman. The two strike up an unlikely summertime tryst, forcing him to question himself and the way he will live his life moving forward. Quincy Perkins is directing the movie, and Cathy Curtin from Stranger Things and Orange is the New Black is starring in it. We’re shooting in Maine in late August, and I couldn’t be more excited to get this film out into the world. Yes, for your monthly Scruff fee you could be a backer, which you can include in your stats the next time you update your profile!
I’ve been having homoerotic dreams about mermen lately. They keep dragging me under the sea and tempting me to stay there in their affordable housing soggy bottom communities. Is this the era of merpeople?
Drew: Look, you’ve got to be judicious about which mermen you let drag you underwater and which ones you keep at bay. The oceans are getting warmer, so you’re more likely to encounter them since they’ve taken to cruising near the shore. Let’s be compassionate — these poor folks have been scraping the bottom of the ocean floor for thousands of years. Thankfully, I hear Gilead has extended its patient assistance program for PreP to underwater inhabitants, too.
A lot of queers from up north seem to be jumping on the merpeople bandwagon with illustrious Broadway performers. Are you one of them?
Drew: It’s no coincidence that Ursula in The Little Mermaid is one of the greatest musical theatre archetypes ever written. At the end of the day, I’m not hanging with the merfolk in hopes of getting one of my shows produced underwater. But like any playwright in New York, I’m very open to workshopping new work out of town.
Is it wrong to undertake a short film in order to catch the eye of my former acting mentor and secret crush? Should I accept a role in Making Waves to fulfill this?
Drew: While you’d make an excellent addition to the film, don’t overlook the value of good old-fashioned stalking. Have you tried casually spilling coffee on him after a spontaneous chance encounter at his local coffee shop? What about sending him illicit nude photos from a throwaway cell phone until he gives in? Being in a movie is hard, watching him after hours through his living room window isn’t. Remember, you’ve got options here.
I’m tired of throwing money at my agent to support his second house in Provincetown. How can I cut through the middlemen to connect with filmmakers like yourself, who appreciate talented twinks with beer bellies and the voice of an agent?
Drew: That’s a good question. Most of the collaborators I’ve met, I’ve had to seek myself. Watch their work, read their work, buy a ticket to see their work, and then try to connect with them in person. You know? Like people used to do in the last century. Begin with subtle ways of letting them know you’re not crazy, and then initiate a meaningful conversation about their aesthetic. Life is short. It’s important to collaborate with people you admire. Also, is your agent with the second home in P-town single? Asking for a friend.
What’s a non-creepy way to connect with them? And how long before I pump up the tactics should I not hear anything back?
Drew: Yes, non-creepy. That’s crucial. Well, it’s a lot like dating — find out if you have friends or collaborators in common. Word-of-mouth referrals or introductions always reduce the psycho serial killer suspicions. Follow-up emails are crucial, but I wouldn’t exceed three over a three-month period of time. Trust who you meet, but also trust who you don’t meet. Like dating, if you don’t connect or they aren’t interested in connecting, move on. There are lots of other mermen in the sea.
Why film in Maine? Don’t your exes and boy toys have way more connections and makeup in places like NYC and Key West?
Drew: Thankfully, my exes have nothing to do with this movie. Last time I checked, they were still quarantined. Look, Maine is beautiful, but it’s also suffocating. It’s stunning, but also drab. There’s a Norman Rockwell-esque vibe to it that’s just as oppressive as it is quaint.
Is it true that if I invest in your merman gay debacle, and it goes on to win an Independent Spirit Award, I can make more than $100?
Drew: Yes, it’s absolutely true. And wait, there’s more. Along with that $100, you are personally merman-escorted on a customized tour of the Atlantic with three free nights in a new clothing-optional underwater men’s hotel. Who thought investing in a short film would open up so many doors?
In life, is it better to ask for permission or forgiveness?
Drew: I think it’s best to ask for nachos first.
Kevin Assam is an average writer and hilarious interviewer originally from the Caribbean. He can be best described as a forty year old imaginative mind trapped in a pint sized twenty something year old body. His upcoming book is a collection of outrageous things overheard in Key West.
