By Julio Martinez

Writer/performer Sheila Carrasco is happily immersed in live theater and shooting the CBS Ghosts, a comedy pilot starring Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar, and written by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, for Lionsgate Television, BBC Studios and CBS Studios.  This while her solo comedy, Anyone But Me, continues its virtual run at iamatheatre.com.

Ghosts follows a struggling young couple, Samantha (McIver) and Jay (Ambudkar). Their dreams come true when they inherit a beautiful country house, only to find it’s both falling apart and inhabited by many of the previous deceased residents. 

“Rose and Utjarsh play an energetic, positive couple whom you really want to root for, and I play one of the deceased permanent residents,” Carrasco remarks drolly. The show is based on a series that’s currently very popular on the BBC in England.  “When I first read for the script, I started watching the British series, and I fell in love with it. All the ghosts died on the property in the last thousand years. It has a really fun Bill and Ted meets Beetlejuice vibe.” 

Carrasco plays Flower, a 1960s flower child, who died on the property in the late 60s while attending a music festival on the property, as she explains, “She wandered around the property, tripping on acid, and was attacked by a bear she was trying to befriend.”

Aside from Carrasco, the series co-stars Rebecca Wisocky, Brandon Scott Jones, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman, Richie Moriarty and Román Zaragoza. “They are tremendous comedic actors, and yes, they are the other ghosts, American characters from the past,” Carrasco exclaims. “Another of the series regulars, Román, is Latino. His mother is Taiwanese/American. His father is a mix of Mexican/American and Native/American (Teema Tribe).  He plays a Native American character from the 16th century, which is really cool”.

The Ghosts pilot was greenlit last February but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, which was shot in December. 

“I am pretty sure Ghosts will start airing in the Fall,” says Carrasco. “We have to shoot the rest of the season. We still have to find out when we’re shooting it, where we’re shooting, how many episodes.  I am thinking it will premiere in October, but I am really guessing. It is all TBD. The only thing I am sure about is my costume. All the ghosts are in the attire they were wearing when they died.” 

While Carrasco is waiting to get in front of the camera, she is determined to write a new play. She muses, “I don’t think this will be a solo show, though. I actually want to write a large Latino ensemble, kitchen sink kind of play. I don’t believe we have enough of those.  I want to write my version of it. And of course, I want to write for television. I’ve always enjoyed writing TV scripts and pilots.  I want to take advantage of every opportunity I have.  I think I am going to take some time to just think about some things. But what is lovely right now is I have some options.”

For now, you can see Carrasco in her virtually solo comedy, Anyone But Me, which she wrote and performs.  It was filmed live at L.A.’s Pico Playhouse, directed by Margaux Susi, and you can see it at www.iamatheatre.com, continuing through April 25. “The play deals with eight different women. They’re based on ladies I’ve known, and there’s a little of me in each of the characters,” Carrasco says. “Anyone But Me is an exploration of all my different alter egos and the insecurities I’ve had in my life.”

Carrasco also has Native American roots but from South America. Half Chilean/Mapuche Tribe, she is originally from the South Side of Chicago and an alumna of NYU. She was selected to perform as one of the JFL New Faces of Comedy CBS Showcase (as both a performer and head writer). She has performed with the Groundlings, American Repertory Theatre, Moscow Art Theatre, Steppenwolf Garage and Chicago’s Court Theatre. Carrasco is a creator for Más Mejor, Broadway Video’s premium comedy studio for Latinx voices. 

On TV, she’s been seen in I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, The Good Place, Jane the Virgin, Outmatched, The Odd Couple, Life in Pieces, American Housewife and #VanLife for NBC/Universal.

— Featured Photo: Sela Shiloni

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