Stage Talk with Rick Koster
Where every show has something to say.
STEP INSIDE THE RING WITH A NICE GUY
Boxer Muhammad Ali was renowned for a one-two punch combination that involved a quick jab followed by left uppercut. Lethal.
When Atlanta resident Shawn B. Fletcher arrived back in New London hometown last week in preparation for a Thursday screening at the Garde of his new SAG-AFTRA short film Nice Guy, he was surprised by a quick jab of intense heat and a left uppercut of smothering humidity.
“I did NOT expect it to be like this. Oh my gosh,” Fletcher laughed during a phone interview Friday. “I’m used to it in Atlanta, where I live now, but I was looking forward to, you know, nice summer New England weather. This is ridiculous. It’s awful. But I am glad to be home.”
The boxing/meteorological metaphor is perhaps overwrought but nonetheless appropriate because Nice Guy tells the story of Victor, a personable young man who, when overwhelmed by a series of personal setbacks, has an emotional breakdown. Only when he meets a kind and wise boxing coach can Victor, portrayed by Shawn, establish the proper emotional boundaries necessary to maintain healthy relationships.
The free screening of Nice Guy takes place at 4 p.m. Thursday July 9 with a red-carpet processional at 3 p.m.
Shawn’s return to the Whaling City follows years of work and study in Atlanta. He graduated from Morehouse College and Nice Guy was made as his thesis project in getting a master’s degree in fine arts and acting at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). Last summer, Shawn attended the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center’s National Theater Institute internship program, and he’s a committed social activist whose activities include work as a Morehouse College and National Education Equity Teaching Fellow.
In addition to starring in Nice Guy, Shawn served as executive producer and co-wrote the script with his friend and SCAD colleague Nikki ShupaVu Thompson. The film also stars his twin brother, Shane B. Fletcher, a fellow New London native and alumnus of New London High School.
In conversation, Shawn is humble and enthusiastic, given to phrases like “Oh my gosh!” and quick to offer credit and appreciation to others. Here are excerpts from our conversation, edited for space and clarity.
The Garde: What’s it what’s it like to come to New London and screen Nice Guy before an audience at the Garde?
Shawn: I am so floored with different emotions. Obviously, I’m very excited. Here in New London is where I got the theater bug to begin with, so it feels very full circle.
You know, I started doing plays at the BP Learning Mission on Shaw Street when I was eight and nine years old. I got my first real speaking role as a sultan in Aladdin. I just remember I was just so excited that I remembered all my lines!
I have an identical twin, Shane, and he’s in Nice Guy, and we’ve always shared this vivid imagination. So, to screen the film at the Garde is amazing because it’s such a special place to share this with the community and friends and family and show them the hard work we put in to get this done.
Garde: We’ve provided a brief capsule of Nice Guy above but give us a bit more about the nuances of the film.
Shawn: The protagonist, Victor, is a people pleaser. He cannot say no and he doesn’t know how to set boundaries. This plays out with different relationships in his life — his father, his girlfriend and classmates, and one day, you know, everything just starts to boil over.
He has an emotional breakdown, and this alter ego starts to manifest. It’s him, but in his mind, he starts seeing this person and there are very negative aspects. He ends up, um, meeting with a boxing coach to learn how to, you know, controls emotions and set boundaries, right? He learns how to reclaim his voice, so to speak, so he can become the assertive man that he wants to be.
Garde: Of all sports, boxing is probably the most explored in cinema, not just because its action is so symbolic of human and emotional conflict, but also because everyone likes an underdog story and what’s more “underdoggy” than boxing? But address that in the context of Victor’s specific situation.
Shawn: I really wanted to showcase Victor’s growth. But this is a short film, so we needed a way to do that quickly. At first, I thought about wrestling because I wrestled at New London High School. That didn’t quite work, so I thought about some popular contemporary sports like MMA and kickboxing.
But boxing is a sport where it’s realistic that someone could get the pacing and basics down pretty quickly — and it could be plausible he could win in a matter of like weeks or so, you know? A friend let me train with him a little, and you really can do the work and see results.
Garde: You and your team were able to use boxing and explore a lot of different ideas, right?
Garde: There have been so many boxing films. Were you worried about being overwhelmed by the legacy?
Shawn: Yes! I think that was the biggest hurdle. I love the sport of boxing, but there is so much out there. (Laughs) And I watched a lot of boxing films. I watched all the Creed movies and the Rockys and more just so make sure, story-wise, we had something different. Because if we couldn’t bring something new, it wouldn’t work.
Garde: It comes down to Victor, right?
Shawn: Exactly. But I also had to see it for myself. Only when I actually was taking boxing classes to get prepared for the role did I think to myself that it was the right decision. I could see Victor doing this. My brother plays Victor’s alter ego and, even though we’re identical twins, he brings real authenticity to that role.
So at a certain point, I believed in the character in all its aspects, and I didn’t worry about other boxing films anymore. I just went with it.
Garde: And you were able to bring something new.
Shawn: I think we did. I like to say Nice Guy kind of deals with a little bit of fantasy. The way his alter ego comes into play. I guess the pitch would be Creed with a little bit of Karate Kid and Fight Club all in the mix together.
Garde: Given as this was a master’s thesis project, how did you take care of the expenses?
Shawn: Oh my gosh! Do we have all day?! I think I’m tenacious and hardworking, but since it was my thesis, I really had to get it done. Still, it was a shock, because Nikki and I worked for months on a 17-page script that would be a four-day shoot. We had producers who were also students at SCAD, and they were able to work up a budget — and it was, like, $12,000.
I was, like, “For a 17-page script?! How?”
They said, “Well, Shawn, you’ve to a lot of boxing elements in there and that complicates things.”
Well, obviously, those elements had to be in the film, so… it was pretty challenging. It’s a very delicate thing. You’re asking people for money.
But I was a community organizer once, and I learned the value of knocking on doors and posting on social media. I learned about incentivizing and rewarding contributors. I made a video saying what we needed and why. Equipment, feeding the crew and cast, flights for some of the crew members. Transportation, costumes… (Laughs) Somehow, we got it done.
Garde: What’s next for Nice Guy and Shawn B. Fletcher?
Shawn: I’ve always loved acting and throughout my studies, I think my view was that I’d focus on the craft of acting. But in participating in Nice Guy as the executive producer, I really loved that experience. I’m pretty methodical and I love, you know, handling logistics and figuring out, okay, what needs to go where and what can I do? Where does it need to be done?
I enjoyed showing up on the set and being part of an amicable crew and helping out — anything to serve the story and the film. I wouldn’t mind directing as well. I went to the O’Neill Theater last year and learned so much from that program. And seeing Nice Guy go from script to screen has been fascinating and educational.
As for what’s next with the film, our goal is to get this into film festivals and hopefully get noticed. And the goal after that would be to work on a feature length version of the project. Get the attention of a major studio, maybe get an agent. (Laughs) You can probably tell I’ve got big goals, but they’re exciting and it’s fun.
Garde: Well, congratulations and good luck. And while we have you, where have you revisited since you’re back home for a week. Any favorite places?
Shawn: Oh my gosh. I went to one yesterday. I love Pizzarama. I stillI think they have the best pizza, and no one can argue with me with it about it! Well, they can argue, but they won’t change my mind!
I miss empanadas. I miss, um, Golden Wok. I miss Ocean Beach. I miss Fresh ENT. I’ll be going there during my time here throughout and taking some food with me back to Atlanta. Of course, hearing Youth Voices. They had a Sip and Paint yesterday and I was there. It was very therapeutic and amazing. And a trip to Eugene O’Neill! A lot of their students will be at the Garde and I can’t wait to see them. It’s all a little overwhelming but I’m really grateful to get to experience this.