|Peg.Cafferty|

I was working with Dan Bucatinsky and Lisa Kudrow at Is or Isn’t Ent. when I met Peg. She had the rights to a format based on a popular Irish show called, Paths To Freedom and we fell in love with both the IP and Peg.  A writer was attached and we were able to sell it to FOX, but (unfortunately) it didn’t make it to pilot. However, she was wonderful to work along side; collaborative, smart, and most of all… an amazing human.

She is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of PLAY HOUSE STUDIOS. She’s a passionate activist and her mantra centers around going after projects that shine a light on women’s issues, gender equality, social justice as well as topics that move the needle as far as seeing change in the world.

What better way is there than to spend your days being the change you want to see in the world… and having fun in the process?

RS: Pitch your job like a TV show… what would it sound like in a logline?

PC: “A pale, freckly, ginger, single mother runs an international production company – juggling film and TV projects, soliciting post production jobs, driving carpool with smelly rowers from a HS crew, making a right mess of all things domestic – attempts to have some sort of social life in the midst of a global pandemic. She misses the business lunch terribly; and yearns for the opportunity to wear gorgeous shoes outside of her closet.” 

RS: Describe a day in the life of Peg.

PC: My days are rarely the same. Being a partner in a company that is based in the Republic of Ireland, my days always start early. I try desperately to make a daily 5:45am hot yoga class, but it doesn’t always happen. A typical day is filled with multiple Zoom calls from my loft to connect with my team and clients. Periodic trips back and forth to Ireland or travel to a set location keeps my calendar full and active.

My activities are varied and dominated with energy and focus on building PLAY HOUSE STUDIOS. I do spend time assembling some sort of boring, undercooked dinner when I am home with my children. My children have great appreciation for take-out. My evenings are spent reading. Weekends are reserved for dinners with dear friends and family time.

RS: How many projects are you currently juggling? 

PC: We have a slate of about 15 projects that we are producing in Ireland, UK and US on our production side, and on the post production side we have about 8 projects at the moment.

RS: What’s the most thrilling part of your job? The most difficult? 

PC: I love storytelling in all of its forms and I really enjoy collaboration with brilliant people. I love working with directors, writers, actors, and designers and watching vision come to fruition. Every day I am on a set is a good day.

Best part of job:

Collaboration with brilliant people

Most difficult:

Contracts, negotiations

The loads of contracts, negotiations, cash-flowing Minimum Guarantee’s and tax credits need my attention and time but don’t spark joy. Thankfully, my partner, Lorcan excels at these skills and tasks – all things I am troubled by.

RS: What is different about your Irish production company than your previous American one?

PC: Being an Irish-based company gives us access to tax credits, and we are a “High Potential Start Up” with Enterprise Ireland. Being part of Enterprise Ireland has been such a gift to us as entrepreneurs. The professional and financial support from Enterprise Ireland keeps us focused and aligned with a network and collective vision for innovation and opportunity.

We are committed to financial transparency and have mentors and accountants in place that manage our growth plan; that accountability is invaluable. Lorcan manages the office and work flow for post-production in Greystones, County Wicklow, just south of Dublin. Kathleen Glynn and I work from the States to expand our portfolios and manage productions.

As our post-production is 100% remote, we had a film – SAVAGE WATERS – where the editing team collaboratively worked from six different countries. It was fortunate that we had set up a remote post-production facility just before the pandemic. We have exceeded our first year revenue goal by miles (or reams) as a result.

RS: As far as producing, are there things other countries are doing better than the U.S.? 

PC: The treaties that exist between Ireland and every other country makes shooting with tax credits attractive. Also, the work hours are not as taxing for the cast and crew(s). Work days are far more humane.

RS: Do you work closely with writers? If so, what does that process look like? Are you someone that likes to give general notes or someone that likes to roll up her sleeves and get in the weeds with the writers? 

PC: I do work closely with writers, both in general notes and rolling up my sleeves – depending on the project. There is a writer we are working with at the moment on several projects named Jeremy Massey, and he is brilliant. He listens to notes but really creates characters and narratives that are so nuanced and thoughtful.

The adaptation process is so tricky and not my specialty. The book to screen adaptation is much harder than managing a spec project in my experience.

RS: Any desire to give writing a go? 

PC: I have written and co-written plays and scripts. I have a screenplay that I started during the Covid-19 lockdown, but need to steal the time to finish it. I have too many projects that take priority at the moment. 

RS: What was the first thing you ever produced? 

PC: I produced, “MEN AND OTHER INSECTS” with Melissa DeWaters in NYC in 2000. I also wrote it and was a part of the ensemble of actresses in it. The play was a series of monologues that looked at relationships between men and women in all stages of life. (It ended with a monologue about the praying mantas who eats her mate after sex).

I was largely influenced by Eve Ensler at the time and loved that series of monologues linked together to study a social topic as a format. It was very much a f%ck you to the patriarchy. The play was developed at the Neighborhood Playhouse and the dramaturge was Mary Baldrige, who passed away last week. It was such an honor to work with her.

RS: What is a mistake you learned from right away? 

PC: Gosh, there are so many. I guess expecting your reps to do all the work was an early one. It takes such a focused, strategic team effort to pull together a film or series and sometimes that means staying with something for years.

On mistakes learned:

Expecting your reps to do all of the work. It takes a focused, strategic team effort to pull together a film or series.

Every story has its moment to be told and being mindful of when that time has or should come is important. Having a plan B is always a good idea and considering outside-the-box solutions is also important.

Patience and tenacity are the most important parts of producing.

RS: Do you find there are mistakes you still make now and again? 

PC: Absolutely. Mistakes are a part of being human and the gift in making mistakes is in really learning from them.

I am much better now at walking away from people or projects that my gut tells me are not a good fit or honorable or worth my time and investment.

I usually make mistakes when I don’t trust my inner voice.

RS: What do you consider “Producing 101”? Something every newbie should know right out of the gate? 

PC: Your job as a producer is to find a story that you want to tell and to assemble a group of collaborative, creative people (writer, director, actors, designers, editors) who work together to tell the best story.

Producing 101:

Half of what you do is creative and the other half requires a powerful business acumen.

Your management skills and ability to stay motivated and to keep everyone focused on realistic timelines are what will move things forward.

Your management skills and ability to stay motivated and to keep everyone focused on realistic timelines are what will move things forward. Half of what you do is creative and the other half requires a powerful business acumen. You can assemble accountants and attorneys but you still have to read and process all of the details.

The job is largely sales, management, and operations on the business side. 

RS: Is there a film and/or TV show out there today you wish you would have produced? If so, why? 

PC: I was truly blown away by Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, THE LOST DAUGHTER. I had read the book a few years back and found the story to be like Ibsen’s, A DOLL’S HOUSE, but on steroids and so much of the book was internal. 

Maggie’s adaptation was brilliant visual storytelling as well as exquisite dialogue. It was also timeless. The film was incredibly well shot and every detail was perfect. The rhythm of the film was remarkable and the characters were all so well defined. I could smell the beach; the sound design was spot on and every single performance was gorgeous. Maggie did an amazing job of soliciting every mother’s deepest, darkest thoughts as well as the long term impacts of our decisions as parents. Olivia Coleman was beyond vulnerable and human and so filled with pain as was Jesse Buckley. I am haunted by the film and would love to work with Maggie.

RS: Do you miss acting? 

PC: It’s funny you should ask that. A director we are working with just wrote a lovely supporting role for me and I have decided to take it. It has been a long time since I was in front of the camera but I am ready for this role and I am looking forward to stepping into it. 

I really admire people like Marielle Heller who are not afraid to go between directing and acting. Eric Stoltz and Dan Bucatinski also navigate those spaces really well. For a long time I felt like it was frowned upon to go between different parts of the filmmaking process, but now I know that there are skill sets built from each part of the art form, and the more you understand each one, the more powerful you are from any position.

RS: Proudest moment to date? 

PC: I think INDIA’S DAUGHTER winning the Peabody was an incredible moment. I learned so much from director/producer Leslee Udwin; Leslee literally moved in with me and my family as we were raising funds and seeking distribution and managing award campaigns.

Leslee not only created a film about ending rape culture, she ignited conversations that led to changes in legislation. She started an NGO about gender respect that has rolled out globally. INDIA’s DAUGHTER left audiences weeping and that led to action. It made me understand the power that a film can have.

My heart is in these types of films, for sure. Ending violence against women is a journey and INDIA’S DAUGHTER paved a way for change. It was an honor to be a part of that project. The women from Women Moving Millions and Vital Voices were so inspirational as well. The film opened my eyes and my network to people that are now dear friends and a part of my life today. I am so grateful that Leslee offered me the opportunity to work with her.

RS: How did you come to finding partners in your business? Was there a specific moment when you thought they were the perfect fit for you? What was it? 

PC: I was working with Zanzibar Films in Ireland on the adaptation of Johnny O’Callaghan’s play, WHO’S YOUR DADDY? about his journey as a gay, caucasian, Irishman who adopted a black baby boy from Uganda at a time when it was punishable by death to be gay in Uganda. Lorcan Kavanaugh was running development for Edwina Forkin there. Lorcan and I would speak a few times a week as we worked together. 

On finding the right partners:

There was a lot of grace and ease in creating this company and our skill sets are different, but complimentary.

He was creating a post budget and I thought he had made a huge mistake as posting in Ireland is less than half of what is in the  U.S. An American (producer) friend had asked me to run the numbers on what it would take to open a post house in Ireland so they could establish one there. Lorcan created the business plan as he had run a post house for ten years previously. When the friend said, “Let’s put a pin in that,” we decided to open it ourselves. Technically I poached Lorcan away from Edwina, whom I adore. I hope she has forgiven me for it.

Lorcan has skill sets that balance mine. He is strong in numbers, operations, and legal, but he is also a prolific writer. He can dissect a script very quickly. He is direct and open and really a pleasure to work with.

I met Kathleen Glynn through INDIA’S DAUGHTER. Kathleen had produced things like, FAHRENHEIT 9/11 and BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and had become a friend and mentor. She is one of those people who has no idea how talented and fabulous she is and she has mentored so very many people, especially women in this business. I rang her and asked her to join us and she said yes. There was a lot of grace and ease in creating this company and again our skill sets are different but complementary. 

RS: What are the qualities you look for when contemplating partnering on a project? With both content and your collaborators? 

PC: I think a good partner provides a skill, world view, disposition, connection, value or competency that you lack and need. Good partners must trust each other’s judgement and voice. A good partner is collaborative, trustworthy, and understanding. Having work partners whose work ethic is the same as your own and who can communicate effectively are paramount.

On contemplating projects:

Good partners must trust each other.

A good partner is collaborative, trustworthy, and understanding. Having work partners whose work ethic is the same as your own and who can communicate effectively are paramount.

Producers need both patience and perseverance.

Regarding content, sometimes we are looking for a specific genre so we are reading through heaps of scripts to find the next one. Many projects come to us randomly. The wand finds the wizard. I really believe you produce what you are called to produce and this is imperative, as it can take 5-7 years to get a movie made. Producers need both patience and perseverance. 

RS: What is a project you would not pursue or you consider off limits? 

PC: We are not fans of gratuitous violence or projects without a defined narrative. Both are highly offensive.

RS: Describe an embarrassing moment you experienced… in the job. 

PC: In the summer of 2019 I had just arrived at my family’s home in Ireland. It was a 4.5 hour journey from the airport and I was bathed in jet lag. My mother had poured me a lovely glass of rose. As I settled in I decided to check my texts. There was a text from a writer with a very dark take on a project, and all of his previous communications were also quite dark and serious for a project that required levity and humor. I typed out, “I don’t think ‘Writer’ is a joyful enough human to take on this adaptation” and pressed send… only instead of sending it to Lorcan, I had sent it to the writer whom I was supposed to meet in Dublin two days later.

This writer replied quickly saying, “ It is no longer necessary to meet on Tuesday. Joylessly yours, Writer.” I was mortified and hugely embarrassed, of course. To this day my mother will sometimes say, “Joylessly Yours” and have a good laugh at my expense. I no longer send texts after a glass of rose.

RS: What piece of advice can you share with emerging talent starting out? (Producer, writer, etc.) What do you wish someone would have shared with you?

PC: I would say get on as many sets as possible in any capacity that you can to observe and ask questions.  Cultivate a group of people pursuing the same things or in the business you want to be in. Understand every aspect of the business, as you may need to pivot between positions.

On advice for producers starting out:

Get on as many sets as possible in any capacity; observe and ask questions. Be open and flexible. Read, watch, study the craft. And have FUN!

Be open and flexible. Read scripts, watch interviews. Study the craft – know its history in order to understand its future. And, have fun! Pursue joy and work your arse off. Work smarter than anyone in the room.

RS: If you only had time for one: A great book or a great podcast? 

PC: A podcast allows me to multi-task: walking, hiking, folding laundry, burning a dinner or driving and, dear Lord, I need to multitask. 

RS: Who are you dying to work with? 

PC: The list is so long….Kari Skogland, Glenn Close, Simon Curtis, Aaron Sorkin, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marielle Heller, Nancy Meyers, Gabriel Byrne, Jamie Dornan, Viola Davis, Kenneth Brannagh, Kate Winslet, Idris Alba, Maysoon Zayid, and Timothee Chalamet. They all have a voice that inspires me. 

RS: If you could drop yourself into one genre, which would it be and why? 

PC: It would definitely be a musical. A big, crazy musical with amazing ensemble pieces, tight harmonies, glamorous costumes, and fabulous, well-written solos for a middle-aged female lead. I grew up in a home where tin whistles and fiddles were constantly blaring in the background. Irish folk music and some American country were the soundtrack to our lives – myself, my parents, and four siblings. Every major family gathering ended with a session and I have always been a singer. Musical theatre is what opened all of the other doors for me.

My children are both singers and musicians and my loft is constantly filled with music. There is occasionally a grand jete or an awkward, but joyful leap through the air of my loft. Wild, insane kitchen dancing is encouraged in our home. As I am typing these answers my son has asked, Please listen to my new song. Is it better in A or C? The musical format never takes itself too seriously and that is always a good thang. We are co-producing a new musical drama that will shoot in Wales in March and we are very excited about it.

RS: What does the perfect work-life balance look like to you? 

PC: I don’t really believe that a balance is possible, so I am trying to be deeply present wherever I am. My children are both artists as well and they love when I am on a set and want to hear all of the details, which is really lucky. The work world and life world intersect sometimes and I love it when that happens. But time to work, time to be with family and friends, time to relax and reflect are all priorities and if I can find time for all of them I have some sort of balance.

I feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by collaborators that I really admire and am fond of. I recently spent five hours in a car with director James Seale on a chilly recce in the wild, west of Ireland. I was never bored or fatigued. It is great fun to work with him as he is constantly honing his craft with research and understanding.

I think living my best life, supporting the people I love, honoring the work of collaborators, doing no harm, and telling stories that inspire conversations around elevating the human experience are what I strive for.  

RS: Do you like to binge watch or wait a week until the next episode? 

PC: I like to binge watch, for sure. Watching YELLOWSTONE during the COVID lockdown provided such delicious escapism. Those wide open spaces and gorgeous mountains provided an outlet I craved so desperately. I hate to admit it, but I am also a full immersion person. I can become obsessed with a topic, a genre, a film, a series, a philosophy, a diet…

RS: What’s a recent film or TV show that emotionally resonated with you? 

PC: I loved UNORTHODOX as a limited series. It was brilliantly cast, directed, and shot. CHERNOBYL was also really well done and I am hoping to work with Anne Mensah. CODA is such a beautiful film also.

 Belfast, The Lost Daughter, Tammy Faye, The Tender Bar are all amazing.

RS: Are you a “I’ve got a ten-year plan” or “fly by the seat of your pants” type of person? 

PC: I think being a partner in a venture backed production company has forced me to become a ten-year plan type of girl. We are really focused on our growth plan and development process and committed to a very specific path for success. My recent divorce has taught me that I can successfully pivot if needed, to invest in my own path (a new life), but I definitely prefer a GPS and an itinerary with a new turn.

RS: What’s a favorite song that you could hear on a loop all day, every day? 

PC: Hmmm, that is a tough question. This month it is difficult to choose between Joni Mitchell’s, “Both Sides Now” (because I loved the adaptation from the Kennedy Awards)  and “Uptown Funk.” One causes needed introspection and the other spontaneous dancing in my underused kitchen.

RS: What’s a question you wish I would have asked (that you think would benefit someone out there)?

PC: Cultivating a group of mentors and a professional support system have been everything. I am beyond blessed with family. My siblings are not in the entertainment industry, but always have an ear, and they are practical, soul-centered people who believe in service and storytelling. 

I am also so happy to help anyone along the way. I proudly mentor a few people.

Lastly, we are so bloody blessed to work in this industry – it is so much fun to create interesting content and to tell extraordinary stories about the human experience. Every film that gets into production is a miracle.

And there you have it! Perfectly Peg. She’s absolutely right about cultivating a group of mentors and a professional support system. It’s crucial. So… who makes up your board of directors?

One of my favorite quotes comes from Mother Teresa. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.”

By no means am I claiming to be Mother Teresa here and I’m going to go out on a limb and say nor does Peg claim to be, but… and it’s a big but; I think it’s inspiring to know that there are people out there like Peg doing their part.

I alone cannot change the world, but I can certainly cast a stone across the water and hope to create many ripples… and I will continue to try to be one of those ripples. I hope this q&a was one.

For more Q&A’s, check them out here: www.rebecca-stay.com/blog

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