5 Questions with Rachel Boston
Once the world escaped 2012 unscathed, the apocalypse-themed cinematic offerings veered from dramatic to comedic, with 2013 offering up This Is the End, The World's End, Rapture-Palooza and It's a Disaster, starring Rachel Boston, American Ferrera, Julia Stiles and David Cross.
In the hilarious and heartfelt It's A Disaster, four couples meet for brunch only to learn halfway through the meal the world is ending, forcing each to re-examine their life choices. ETonline caught up with the delightful Boston to talk about this project, the special skill she brought to set and her dream end of world scenario!
ETonline: Was this movie as fun to make as it seemed?
Rachel Boston: It was an extraordinary experience. It was made on an indie budget, so we didn't have trailers. But the producers rented the house across the street, so we'd go from the house we were locked in all day to the house across the street where we spend all night [laughs]. It really gave us the feeling of being trapped in a house with these people, but since they were all extraordinary, it made the experience amazing.
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ETonline: I thought the movie did a great job of mining comedy from tragedy. What's the trick to successfully pulling that off?
Boston: There's nothing funny about an impending apocalypse, but our comedy comes from showing people who have not dealt with what it means to be human. So when that floods to the surface, it creates comedy. Within this incredibly dramatic experience, you're watching four incredibly different couples and eight very different people who have each built up walls throughout their time on earth that come shattering down. They now have to figure out who they are, what they believe in, if they love each other and why they love each other.
ETonline: You play the glockenspiel in the film. Did you learn that for this role or already know how to do that?
Boston: I already knew. I kept listening to albums where I'd hear this very joyful sound -- and it was always the glockenspiel. Then I ordered one online, and I figured out how to play it. Kevin Brennan, who plays my husband found out that I play and told the producers, who wanted to add it to the film. My character ended up teaching me a lot about going with the flow and being open. She enjoys the flow of life ... she just doesn't have a lot of direction.
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ETonline: Do you play other instruments?
Boston: I play guitar, the ukulele and the piano. I grew up on a mountain in Tennessee and we had The Mountain Opry, where anyone could just get up on stage to perform. It was just about the soul and heart of music. My upbringing was less about being great and more about just doing what you love. It was always for joy.
ETonline: Let's say its the last day on Earth. What do you make sure you have?
Boston: Well, you're gonna need water. You're definitely going to need D batteries. But aside from the basic disaster kit, my experience on this film taught me that you need love. Being surrounded by love and people that care about your heart is the dream. That's what I would like on my last day.
It's A Disaster is now playing in theaters and on VOD.