Meet the Cast & Crew: Molly McKee

How did you get started in writing and directing?

​I have been acting for as long as I can remember and it was after college (where I got a BFA in Acting) when I was going on every available audition, that I became very frustrated with the lack of three dimensional female characters out there. I began writing films with an emphasis on strong female roles in 2012. When I began writing, I could see the story very clearly--not just the characters and the words, but also the images that told the story, which is why I began directing my own scripts.

How did you first get involved in the short?

The idea first came to me while I was stuck in traffic years ago. It was a lightning bolt of inspiration, but I wasn't sure how to express it. I wrote a rough draft in 2012 and a second, very different draft in 2014. Then we began our web-series, The Naked Feminist, and the project was put on the back burner. In early 2017, I took the two drafts and pulled my favorite scenes and lines and combined them into a new script. ​

How has its message about finding yourself through breath affected you?

I feel very lucky that my mother taught me about conscious breathing when I was a kid. It is the number one tool that I use when I am feeling sad, angry, or anxious. It calms me down, helps me find perspective, and grounds me. I want to share the gift that I was given and also make a film that is fun and interesting to watch. ​

I love Seed & Spark as a crowdfunding platform. I feel like the founders genuinely care about helping independent filmmakers take the next step in their careers. There is a lot of great information on the website that has been invaluable to me as we've been planning this campaign. ​

When do you feel worthy?

I feel worthy when I take the time to quiet my mind and listen to the voice of my intuition/inner guru. That is when I know that I am being authentic and not trying to live my life by someone else's standard. ​

If you could change anything about your last breakup, what would it be?

The short answer is that I would have celebrated rather than being depressed for months. The long answer is that my last breakup really sucked because I had compromised so much of myself to be the partner that I thought he wanted. I didn't hang out with the friends he didn't like and made choices based on what I thought he wanted. When that wasn't enough and he broke up with me, I felt totally lost and it took me a long time to find myself again. I learned that you have to be yourself (weird parts and all) and that someone can't really love you if you don't show them who you really are. ​

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​Molly is a writer, director, improviser, producer, actor, and dreamer living in Austin, TX. She co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in The Naked Feminist (Team Teamwork Productions, 2016). Other screenplays include Bacon Lover, Midnight's Dream, and Switchblade Darlin'. Molly co-founded The Ladies Room, an all female improv troupe based in Austin. The troupe has performed at the New Orleans Comedy and Art Festival 2015, Seattle Festival of Improvised Theater 2016, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival 2016 (Austin, TX). Her first love was the theatre and she has been preforming professionally since the age of 12. She continued her passion in college and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in Acting, graduating Summa Cum Laude. While in college, she specialized in Classical Theatre and studied abroad in Stratford-upon-Avon, England with the Royal Shakespeare Company. ​