Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
I come from an acting background. I grew up in NYC and then RI, and I started acting in theater from the time I was a kid. After studying neurobiology at Harvard, I deferred [Harvard Medical School] and went to Circle in the Square Theater School’s conservatory and then moved to Los Angeles. I didn’t like waiting around for auditions, so very quickly, I decided to start directing. I made my own first feature “Kiss the Bride” [starring Alyssa Milano, Sean Patrick Flannery, Talia Shire, and Parise] and then “Jack and Jill vs. the World” [starring Taryn Manning and Parise]. [Parise wrote/directed/produced both films, which won many awards on the festival circuit]. Those were my training grounds for directing.
Tell us about being the Producing Director and Co-Executive Producer on the new reboot of CHARMED. The first episode you directed of the season, “Let this Mother Out” [airing this Sunday at 9p on the CW], has many action and visual effects, which doesn’t seem typical for women directors. I thought you did an excellent job. And could see you come from acting – the performances across the board were so strong.
Oh good, thank you! I love directing action. And anything with a specific style, and original world. If there is humor and shades of grey in the characters, even better. [Parise is also a graduate of Second City’s Two-Year Conservatory]. This show has brilliant EPs, excellent writing, a stellar cast and crew, and smart studio and network executives.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Definitely not smooth. It has been a road alternately filled with massive boulders, slippery mud, and whirling dust!
Tell us about your business/company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I’m a filmmaker. I direct, produce and write for television and film. I focus on stories with interesting female characters.
You’re one of the very few female Producing Directors out there. Why do you think that the numbers are still so heavily skewed toward men? Has that issue always been on your radar or did it come from growing into your own success and witnessing the lack of women first-hand?
I started out in the indie feature world – I made two features [starring Alyssa Milano and Taryn Manning] that I wrote, directed, produced and starred in. I raised the money myself. And I never felt any discrimination. But, as soon as I wanted to get into the system [directing and producing episodic television and studio features] – the system where you make a lot of money, I felt a huge shift. Since then, it’s felt like I’m pushing a boulder up a mountain. And I have seen firsthand my male director friends being offered many more opportunities than my female director friends who are equally talented. I don’t think men are intentionally not hiring women – they’re just hiring the people they know, who are other men. We are finally at a point where I see change happening. It’s exciting.
Can you see/feel the status of women in the industry changing in real, practical terms? Is there a shift in the stories being told? about women?
I want to direct series, pilots specifically, so I can help set up the look of the show. I’m really into visual style and creating the world of a series. I also want to direct higher budget feature films. The number of women directing in those areas is even lower. But if we look at the award show wins this season, women are winning! “The Handmaids Tale” and “Big Little Lies” are amazing series.
How do you, personally, define success? What do you think makes a person successful?
I think practice makes a person successful. The more you practice, the better you are. After two features, twelve television movies, a backdoor pilot, a bunch of series episodes and now directing on “Charmed,” I’m so grateful to be able to practice. When I was at Second City, they taught us to “Dare to Suck.” I do my best to live by that motto. I take risks, and sometimes I fall flat. But sometimes, I win. And the win is big. Success comes more often as I practice, learn, hone and… do it.
What’s your criteria for success, the markers you’re looking out for, etc?
Success for me is when I’m able to be completely in the moment, fully invested, and present. When I’ve done my homework and I’m feeling well-oiled from practice, then I can let go and be with whatever magic is happening at the moment. Success!
Who are five local entrepreneurs in Entertainment, professionals or creatives that you know and admire?
Lesli Linka Glatter, Jill Soloway, Sheryl Sandberg, Dana Walden. Beyonce!
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