Action! Rep writer recounts fun as extra on Minerva holiday movie set
"Where's Ed?"
That was my cue. My chance at stardom, screen time, a role in a movie.
Stardom is a Grand Canyon-size stretch, admittedly. I was cast as an extra in "A Christmas Drawn Together," a Hallmark-style romantic movie recently filmed in Minerva, Carrollton and the Magnolia area. It was the bittiest of roles.
But I've always been on the other side of the camera. This time the tables were turned. Butterflies had fluttered in my stomach since the night before. And before my name was called, I had assumed my cameo wouldn't be needed. I was fine with merely giving readers a behind the scenes look at "A Christmas Drawn Together," directed by Josh Menning and written by Duane Abel , a Minerva resident and cartoonist.
Caught off guard, my mind raced as Nicole Ice, assistant director, led me through Walker's Cafe to a booth near the front door. Adrenaline pumped. Excitement built.
I was among roughly 150 extras used in the film.
Hype for the moment soon replaced jitters. After all, I had deliberated intently on the selection of my wardrobe − a faded maroon Chaps sweater, deeply discounted Calvin Klein khaki pants, black overcoat and brown Sketchers loafers. My wife approved of my ensemble − never a guarantee. And, boom! I was ready.
Although my role was phantom-like and fleeting, it was still immense fun. Getting an insider's view of movie magic was even better.
Here are the 10 coolest things I learned about "A Christmas Drawn Together" during my time on set Jan. 17. Scheduled for release around Christmas in 2026, the movie will be pitched to Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and other streaming platforms, along with the Hallmark Channel.
1. Salad eating champion of the universe
During my scene as an extra, I was seated across from Amy Pymm, a good friend of Carroll County native Katie Atwood-Baston, the film's executive producer. Both live in Oklahoma City. Pymm was tasked with eating a mountainous salad, topped with pecans, cranberries, cheese and other items.
Eating a salad sounds easy until the camera rolls. Pymm was a trooper, however. Eating with precision and grace, she hung in there take after take and bite after bite. Meanwhile, I simply sat there, with no food to devour. Statue-like, occasionally gesturing my hands in pretend conversation.
Cinematic charm Christmas movie magic comes to Minerva, Magnolia and Carrollton
But kudos to Pymm. She poked at her salad and munched on it with the concentration of a world champion chess player. If salad consumption were an Olympic sport, she would represent Team USA capably.
2. Fifteen days of filming
The film crew and actors were ridiculously dedicated.
Fifteen days of filming took place in Stark and Carroll counties. Workdays lasted 10 to 13 hours.
Every member of the crew was focused. Even after marathon days and countless takes, including lead actors Angela Cole and Sam Myerson, who filmed a scene at Walker's Cafe with pep and adorability.
Props also go to the restaurant server who did numerous retakes for a scene. She had first arrived about 5:30 a.m. at Walker's Cafe for the breakfast crowd. And she returned to shoot scenes until around 10 p.m.
3. Eleanor from 'Three's Company'
"A Christmas Drawn Together" has a fun touch of movie trivia.
Ohio native MaryAnn Black, who portrayed Eleanor in a 1978 episode of the hit sitcom "Three's Company," has a supporting role in the holiday film. She was also in the late '70s sitcom, "Sugar Time!"
The Atwood Lake area resident nailed her role. Professional and poised, she was flawless in delivering her lines from a couch when conversing with the lead characters. Black was also a pleasure to chat with, reminiscing about "Three's Company" and its fan base.
"She was (Duane Abel's) dance instructor when he was younger," said Ice, the assistant director. "He promised her a couple years ago that he was going to put her in his movie, and he made good on that promise with 'A Christmas Drawn Together.' She has not done screen acting in a very long time."
Added Abel: "MaryAnn was my college professor (and) musical choreographer at the University of Akron, and with Broadway (and) classic sitcom credits, she had yet to make her feature film debut."
4. Oklahoma City Thunder emcee lands a role
"A Christmas Drawn Together" has numerous ties to Oklahoma City.
Most fun is that Malcolm Tubbs, emcee for the Oklahoma City Thunder , appears in the movie. The Thunder are the reigning champions of the NBA. Tubbs also has worked in television broadcasting.
Walking onto the set of Walker's Cafe, he immediately brightened it with his upbeat personality. And his voice recalls the golden age of radio. Deep, smooth, distinct.
"We know Malcolm from our time going to the (Oklahoma City Thunder) games," Atwood-Batson said. "... It's through our son, Ian, who began talking to Malcolm before every home game that we really got to know him. When I read the script for ('A Christmas Drawn Together,') Malcolm was the first person I thought of for the part of Preston."
5. NORKA soda gets product placement
Product placement has been featured in filmmaking for decades. Big brands come to mind − Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Apple, Grey Goose, etc.
But "A Christmas Drawn Together" will spotlight NORKA , an Akron-based sparkling beverage. NORKA is Akron spelled backwards.
The NORKA Beverage Co. first opened in 1924 at 608 Spicer St. The NORKA bottling plant was a two-story building that covered 25,000 square feet and employed more than 50 workers with a fleet of 15 trucks, according to NORKA's website.
Mainly sold in a six-county area, the factory cranked out 24,000 bottles of the beverage per day in the late 1930s. The brand was revived in 2015.
NORKA bottles adorned the table of extras at Walker's Cafe. Cherry-strawberry and ginger ale kept the Christmas theme, representing red and green.
6. Flick from 'A Christmas Story' has movie role
Abel said his script pays homage to classic holiday movies such as "A Christmas Story," which was filmed in Cleveland and released in 1983.
"A Christmas Drawn Together" even features Scott Schwartz in the supporting role of Mr. Ashton. Schwartz played Flick in "A Christmas Story," the boy whose tongue famously gets stuck to a frozen flagpole in a triple dog dare.
"The production really wanted to honor Ohio's Christmas movie traditions," said Abel, who is also co-producing "A Christmas Drawn Together" with his wife, Coral. "And Scott is Ohio holiday film royalty. He had previously worked with Nicole (Ice) and was kind enough to lend his talents to us as well."
7. Minerva mayor is an extra
Standing out among the extras was Minerva Mayor Mason Boldizar .
Boldizar and other extras ordered food and sat and ate in a booth during scenes at Walker's Cafe. The kitchen was busy, serving a taco salad, jumbo fried mushrooms and other eats.
Boldizar was thrilled to have large portions of "A Christmas Drawn Together" filmed in Minerva.
"This is definitely one of the most interesting things that has come to Minerva since I've been here," he said. "Just watching everybody and the buzz surrounding this and all the social media stuff that's been here, (and) it's been great to see the 27 people, I think, who are in charge of our film visiting our local businesses and enjoying our town. And I can't believe how many compliments we've had about how cool and how much everybody has loved our town, and it just goes to show what we have going on here in Minerva."
"We've always felt that Minerva had something to offer," Boldizar said. "And I'm just so happy that our small-town feel is exactly what they were looking for in this film, and I think from all the comments that everyone has given us, we have absolutely delivered on that small town quaintness, (and) we're so happy that they came here."
8. Quiet down, Yeti
Downtown Minerva was happening on a Saturday night.
Roxy Theatre featured entertainment. Customers packed Sandy Springs Brewing Co. And heavy trucks rumbled past Walker's Cafe occasionally, forcing the sound crew to pause a few scenes.
Disruptions were comedic, too, including when a large decorative Christmas Yeti outside of Walker's Cafe unleashed a monstrous growl.
Ice, the assistant director, hollered out: "Can we find out if we can kill the Yeti?" Her demand triggered laughter among the crew, and the Yeti was promptly turned off.
9. Who plays Santa?
"A Christmas Drawn Together" is loaded with Carroll County connections.
That includes Tom Konst, who has a background in live theater there. Konst makes guest appearances throughout the movie as a different Santa each time. He also does Santa work in real life.
"He has a bunch of different Santa outfits and even had Scott Schwartz from 'A Christmas Story' wear one of his Santa coats for a scene," Ice said.
10. Will Rep writer appear in 'A Christmas Drawn Together'?
My role was so microscopic that I'm highly skeptical it will be seen.
But as filming concluded at Walker's Cafe, I sheepishly asked the assistant director whether my side profile would make the final cut.
She assured me it would. How cool. How quirky. Seriously, I'd take a miniscule role in a Hallmark movie over a bit part in a Hollywood blockbuster such as "Avatar" or "Superman."
Sure, Hallmark movies aren't high art. But who cares. The thought of my wife and daughter cozying up on the couch for a Hallmark binge fest ... and spying the back of my head for milliseconds ... would be a hoot. A bucket list moment all the way.
Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com. Follow on Instagram at ed_balint and TikTok at @edwardbalint
This article originally appeared on The Repository: 'Three's Company,' OKC Thunder and other cool things about Ohio movie
