Ps in a Pod, a new web series, created by and starring Alex Pires, co-starring Stephanie Windland and executive produced by Richard Wingert starts on a blind date between Pete (Pires) and Polly (Windland) at a bar in Brooklyn. At first, they seem to be “two peas in a [neurotic] pod” but something is off. After a ton of awkward fumbling – including an uproarious attempt at sex – they simultaneously realize they are perfect as friends. As luck would have it, Polly is looking for a room and Pete needs a room-mate. A best friendship is born! “Pod follows how funny and real it is to have a close, platonic friendship between a man and a woman,” says executive producer, Richard Wingert.
“By eliminating the “Will they? Won’t they?” dynamic we make room for a ton of very funny and very touching situations that audiences have been deprived of in an episodic sitcom format,” creator and star, Alex Pires, exuberantly exclaimed; while co-star, Stephanie Windland chimed in with “The world is going through a paradigm shift in terms of the roles men and women play separately – this series shows how they come together under this new way of thinking,” she said regarding the evolving friendship the series depicts.
Pod follows the characters through semi-story lined episodes “a day in the life” style. We see them struggle – both comedic and realistic – with germaphobia, stereotypes, cultural-diversity, identity, romanticizing the past, relationships, depression and so much more.
We learn something new about the Ps – Pete & Polly – every episode. Things that we know or will learn about ourselves as well. It seems the stronger their friendship, the wilder things get. They just want to be happy and healthy but between self-sabotage and the universe who knows what will happen!
Stephanie, voluble and excited, had plenty to say about the fun she’s having on Ps in a Pod
Tell us about yourself.
This is the annoying answer, but I’ve been performing since I was able to speak. At any family party or public event, you can bet that I was in the center of the room singing Old McDonald had a farm like it was my 11 o’clock number. I grew up in the Theater world doing musicals and plays, and it wasn’t until recently that I decided to try my hand at film. Comedy in particular is something I’ve always gravitated towards so I’m really spending time exploring that now, with improv and variety shows and P’s in a Pod of course. Alex approached me at the perfect time in my life because I had just decide to switch focus to film and comedy. He was like “Hey I’m working on a sitcom, would you…” and I was like “yes yes I’m in let’s go”. -Stephanie
What inspired you about Ps in a POD?
Alex had the original inspiration, and approached me with the concept and characters. In building the world from there, I was very inspired by shows like Broad City and Friends and Seinfeld. I’m also constantly inspired by the things I see in NY every day, and the characteristics of the people I meet. I’m very attracted to the minuscule things that everyone has in common but no one talks about.
In terms of creating Polly, I’m most inspired by comedic actresses who aren’t afraid to be silly and look ugly. (Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Julia Louis- Dreyfus) Comedy has to be free of vanity and that’s something I really want for Polly. -Stephanie
Share with us, your creative process. Collaboration, delegation, storyboards, brainstorming, moral/message, etc.
When Alex asked me to be his partner, he already had a lot of the show written. So we started out by reading through some of the episodes and getting a feel for their relationship and quirks and their individual perspectives on life. Then over a few weeks, we started to carve out what it was we wanted to say with this show and with our characters, and how to do that while still making it funny. My favorite part of the creative process is when we disagree strongly with each others ideas, and then and even better idea comes out of it.
As an actor, the challenge is forgetting what has to be done on the production side and really focusing on the character and what they’re thinking in the moment. We have a team that’s really dedicated and focused, which makes it easier to just concentrate on acting for shoot days. But sometime you can’t help but think about whether or not you ordered enough food for crew, or if you ever sent that important email to your editor. -Stephanie
Tell us about your vision for the future in terms of TV, sitcoms, programming, networks, etc.
We just finished crowdfunding so now we’re working to complete the rest of our season. We’ve started meeting with future directors, and discussing ideas and it’s all very exciting. First and foremost, our goal is to get our show out there and make people laugh. However, to be able to do that on a larger scale, requires some major support. Our ultimate goal is to be picked up by a major platform that will want to produce P’s in a Pod and show it to the world! I’d love to see our show somewhere on Comedy Central, or explore these characters in a raunchier way with a platform like HBO. I’m just excited to see how people react to the characters and where this adventure takes them (and us). -Stephanie
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