Staples Alumni Premier "Breaking Upwards"

Staples alumni Daryl Wein and Peter Duchan were once actors with the Staples Players and studied directing with David Roth, who instructs the student acting group.

Now, with actress and co-star Zoe Lister-Jones, the Staples graduates held their independent film premier of "Breaking Upwards" at the Fairfield Community Theatre Sunday. The writers also star in this new romantic comedy that some are comparing to early Woody Allen films. The film has attracted national press in the New York Times.

The film follows the young, real-life New York couple of Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones who star as themselves in a fictional narrative loosely inspired by their open relationship, according to the film's Web site. After four years together, the two have grown stifled. Desperate to escape their ennui, but fearful of life apart, they decide to intricately strategize their own break up.

Based on an actual experiment in real-life, the film interprets a year in their lives exploring alternatives to monogamy, and the madness that ensues. An uncensored look at young love, lust, and the pangs of codependency, 'Breaking Upwards' follows its characters as they navigate each others' emotions across the city they love. It begs the question: is it ever possible to grow apart together?

At the film premier, friends, family and fellow Staples graduates attended to support the Westporters.

Roth said Wein and Duchan  "were in the first play I directed at Staples High School, Guys and Dolls. Peter was Nicely-Nicely and Daryl was Nathan Detroit."

At the time, Roth said he remembers saying, "these guys had talent."

He wasn't the only one who thought so.

Alice Lipson remembers the two were in her chorus class at Staples High School and said "they were both great singers."

"I remember Daryl always being a little antsy and had a hard time keeping him focused until he was a senior and his film-making started to become important to him," Lipson said. "It helped him to focus and everything fell into place."

"Peter has been writing as long as I can remember," Lipson added, saying that he collaborated with Justin Paul to write the lyrics and create the music for the graduation piece."

The crowd at Sunday's premier attracted many former and current Staples Players as well as their fans.

Daryl's "unofficial uncle,"  Michael Jacob,  said Daryl's interest in film-making might have come from his parent's support. His father, Mitch, used to "make these unbelievable birthday videos with splicing and editing, adding in scenes with Maddona and funny stuff," Jacob said. "I guess he was inspired a little from that. He also received a lot of energy and confidence from his mother Jan."

Former Staples Player Jacqueline Broder said she went to school with Wein and Duchan and was in "a lot of shows with them." She remembers Wein as "creative and motivated" and someone who always had a dream and a vision with the drive to make it happen.

Duchan's father, Brian, said, "Peter is still working with Justin Paul on "Dog Fight," which will be produced later this year at The Linclon Center in New York City.

For those who missed Sunday's premier, IFC Films is distributing the film in theaters and VOD starting April 2 in New York City and April 30 at the Garden Cinema, April 9 in Los Angeles, April 16 in San Francisco and then in Connecticut, Boston and Minneapolis.

The all original soundtrack is also now on iTunes.

THE CAST:

Starring:  Daryl Wein ("The Hebrew Hammer"), Zoe Lister-Jones ("State of Play" with Russell Crowe."  Upcoming films include: "Salt," with Angelina Jolie, "All Good Things", with Ryan Gosling "The Other Guys" with Will Ferrell).

Co-starring: Olivia Thirlby ("Juno," "The Wackness"), Julie White ("Transformers," "Transformers 2", Tony Winner "The Little Dog Laughed" on Broadway), Andrea Martin ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding," Tony Nominee "Young Frankenstein" on Broadway), Peter Friedman ("The Savages", Tony Nominee "Ragtime" on Broadway), Ebon Moss-Bachrach ("Damages, "The Lake House"), La Chanze (Tony Award, "The Color Purple" on Broadway)and Pablo Schreiber ("The Wire," "Vicky Cristina Barcelona").