“The Tully Girls is a story about my great, great, great grandmother, Azubah Tully Warner, and her eight sisters”, says film director John MacKay. MacKay is a summer resident on Swan’s Island where filming for his full-length docudrama is underway. The idea for the film came when MacKay’s father died and he received a collection of letters belonging to Azubah. The letters, written to her by her sisters, had been passed down through MacKay’s family, finally ending up in his possession. MacKay started working on the movie in 2005.
The Tully Girls is set in the Connecticut River Valley and spans the years from 1793 through 1880. Janet Bell, who plays the older version of Azubah Tully, acts in some scenes and also narrates portions of the movie as vignettes of Azubah’s life are played out on the screen.
Last summer, MacKay put up a mock movie poster in an effort to attract the attention of would-be actors on Swan’s Island. Many answered his call and made the commitment to be in the movie, which he planned to film in July 2010. Roles were assigned and measurements for costumes taken before the MacKays returned to Sarasota, Florida to their winter residence. Costumes were made in Florida last winter and when John and his wife Paula arrived on Swan’s Island a few weeks ago, their van was towing a trailer loaded with 125 costumes and props, mostly antiques, for the movie.
By the end of filming, between 60 and 70 islanders and summer residents will have participated as actors in the film as named characters and extras. All actors were required to sign a release form and are being paid the sum of one dollar for their appearance in the film. MacKay says, “One dollar and all the notoriety you can stand.”
Not everyone involved in the movie will get to appear on screen. Support personnel-the behind-the-scenes folks-have worked hard making things go as smoothly as possible during the two-week shooting period. The quiet-natured director has stayed pretty much on schedule with filming starting on July 12 and the last day of shooting scheduled for July 23.
Since the movie spans more than 8 decades, multiple people needed to be cast to play the same role, but at different ages throughout the characters’ lives. Four different actresses play the main character Azubah Tully Warner. Young islander McKayla Joyce, 4, played Azubah on the opening day of filming at a picnic scene overlooking the Connecticut River, which was really Blue Hill Bay. Kathryn Chetwynd, Petra Bell, and Janet Bell, play the older versions of Azubah.
“Most of the scenes have only a few cast members acting at the same time, but there are a couple of scenes, a country ball, a wedding and a funeral that have a larger group of actors at the same time”, says MacKay. At the Odd Fellows Hall, where the country ball was filmed, extras for the film arrived early in the morning to be fitted for costumes. By mid-morning, regular cast members arrived to join the extras for dance lessons. Summer resident Cynthia Baker spent several hours teaching contra dances to the group. Later in the afternoon, the cast members and extras, including many children, rehearsed. At 7 p.m. that night, more than 40 actors in 1800’s clothing arrived at the hall for filming. MacKay’s direction to the cast was, “look like you are having a rollicking good time.” Young and old alike, danced, clapped and enjoyed the music, just like an old-fashioned country ball. Despite the long day of preparation for the shooting, all had a good time.
One of the main characters in the movie is Elias Tully, played by long-time summer resident Eric Chetwynd from North Carolina. Three generations of the Chetwynd family are involved in the movie. Eric’s wife Fran, son David and his wife Madge, and three grandchildren, Amelia, Brian, and Kathryn all have roles in the movie. “It’s been a wonderful experience going back in time with the Tully family and to share that experience with my own family”, said Eric Chetwynd. Meredith Chetwynd, another granddaughter, is working behind the camera filming the movie. Meredith is a University of North Carolina/Asheville student majoring in mass communications for film. “It’s been great watching my granddaughter Meredith work as a professional filming the movie”, said Eric.
Visitors who don’t know that Swan’s Island has turned into a movie set must be surprised when they see groups of actors dressed in clothing from the 1800’s. Day-trippers and tourist alike must think they have stepped back in time.
The support of the Swan’s Island community has been overwhelming for the movie. Many residents have opened their old island homes to be used for filming. Along with scenes filmed in private residences and the Odd Fellows Hall, shooting locations have included the Atlantic Baptist Church and the Grindle Hill Cemetery.
The logistics on Swan’s Island would have been more challenging if it were not for the use of a studio belonging to Gene Jellison, the former longtime director of the Hockamock Players, a theater group on Swan’s Island. The Jellison studio was the home base for costumes, fittings, alterations and the meeting place for the start of the day’s shooting.
MacKay, a partner in On Stage Theatre Corporation in Englewood, Florida, said, “The movie is being entirely funded by On Stage Theatre Corporation.” He explained, “On Stage is a theatrical company that provides theatre in non-theatrical venues. We like to do first person history, which comes from letters from people and personal journals. This type of history is far more accurate than any history book.”
Once the post-production work on the video footage and soundtrack are completed, The Tully Girls will be available through Amazon.com and other venues. MacKay expects the movie to be about 80 minutes in length. Swan’s Islanders will anxiously await its release and premiere on the island.
Paula MacKay said, ” John wanted to accomplish two things filming this movie on Swan’s Island. First was inclusion, he wanted everyone who wanted to be in the movie to have a part. The second thing was he wanted everyone to have fun.”
When asked about the difficulty of filming the movie on a remote island, Paula MacKay said, “All the resources necessary are here-the houses, the unspoiled scenery, the quietness. All that was required was right here on Swan’s Island.”