Growing up in modern society can be a taunting task for children, but maturing has unexpectedly become even more stressful for their parents. Erin, the protagonist of the new comedy pilot, ‘Running Erins,’ is proving how true that sentiment is as she strives to regain control of her life. She’s grappling with social anxiety while raising her young son as a single mother on New York City’s Upper East Side.

Filmmaker Erin Fogel wrote the episode, which was directed by Guillermo Ivan. The duo also served as producers on the comedy with Zeev Feldman and Bryan Capri. Fogel and Ivan also star in the pilot with Nancy Nagrant, Deborah Rayne, Adrian Mahawaduge and Milo Fridman.

‘Running Erins’ follows Erin as she embraces the fact that she has everything pretty much where she wants it. She and her ex are successfully co-parenting their son. Her best friend just moved in. She’s dating again. Her parents moved to the neighborhood.

While she’s still sad about closing her yoga studio, Erin has a fantastic community of moms at her son’s school to sustain her. But then a new mom joins their group, and she clearly has an axe to grind with Erin. Suddenly, everything she has worked so hard to build is in jeopardy, and she has to figure out how to hold on.

‘Running Erins’ initial episode screened during the Pilot Series Block 6 on Saturday, December 7 at 4:30pm during Dances With Films: NYC 2024. The screening was held at Regal Union Square during the festival’s third annual event in New York. To help promote the comedy’s screening, Fogel generously took the time to talk about penning, starring in and producing the episode during an exclusive interview over Zoom.

Film Factual (FF): You wrote the teleplay for the new comedy pilot, ‘Running Erins.’ What was the inspiration in scribing the script?

Erin Fogel (EF): Throughout an actor’s entire career, they’re always asked the same question. That question is, “If you could play any dream role, what would it be?” I would always hesitate to say the genuine answer, which would be to play myself.

I hadn’t executive produced in a couple of years, so I was making my comeback. So when it came to creating a project, I really wanted to make an authentic piece that lent itself to being relatable to as many people within the net that could be cast as possible.

So I took my collection of experiences in my real life, with the real people around me, to create ‘Running Erins.’ I describe it as a pretty realistic docu-comedy.

More than half the cast is played by the actual people in my life who inspired their roles. Then I added some elements of drama to make it as captivating as I could.

FF: Like you mentioned, besides penning the teleplay, you also play the titular character on the episode. What was your experience like of bringing the eponymous character to the screen?

EF: Even from the beginning of the production, having to speak about myself in the third person constantly was always interesting.

Guillermo Ivan, who is my producing partner and was also the director of ‘Running Erins,’ also makes an appearance as the hot super. He and I really took Erin and did a characterization of her as if she was any stranger that we hadn’t met before.

So the approach of me playing myself was always going to be there. But we were able to hone in on the vulnerability that Erin has, as well as the range of emotions that she needed. We also focused on how she also has the ability to push it forward and pull it back whenever it was needed.

The feeling of alienation, as well as the need to be accepted, is one that I think most of us can relate to more than any other feeling. So we took that and blew it up a little bit to put more of a microscope on those feelings of being insecure.

We also wanted to focus on people trying to find their purpose in life, which we’re all trying to do. It’s something I’m still trying to do!

So we approached it the way we would approach any character that I could play that I had never met before.

FF: Like you also mentioned, Guillermo Ivan directed the ‘Running Erins.’ What was your collaboration with him like throughout the production?

EF: Well, we’ve been producing together for over a dozen years He is my favorite director.

He knows me as a friend. He’s seen me through the ups and downs of my life. So he really approached me as a family member who is rallying for you and wants you to succeed.

So I couldn’t have thought of a better director for the show. He knows exactly the language to speak to me in to get precisely what he wants.

So I become very submissive. I take no control over any of the directing. I really prefer to do as I’m told.

The instinct is to be yourself. So he left that part alone and then would add all of this spice to it that he could see from the outside that I wouldn’t be able to see.

FF: You also serve as a producer on the comedy with Guillermo, like you mentioned earlier. How did you approach producing the pilot together throughout the production?

EF: Over 10 years ago, Guillermo and I created a company called Golden Sabre Productions. There we have a stock group of crew that when it came to all these years later, it was like getting the band back together. So every single crew member, from the DP (Director of Photography) to the editor, is somebody that I have known for a majority of my adult life.

So the collaboration was very instinctual. I work best when I’m collaborating. I never think that I know the most about any particular thing. So I defer to the professional because that’s what they love and that’s what they’re good at.

So it becomes more playtime than work time. So every day, you show up and it’s like, what’s the theme of the party today?

That’s what keeps everybody with us from project to project. We’ve done a diverse number of projects, from music videos to feature film.

So something like this, everywhere I looked in the cast and crew were people who recalled memories to me that you can’t manufacture with anybody else than the people who know you and love you. So the collaboration was the easiest part of the entire process, and it was very natural.

FF: Speaking about the collaborations you had with your co-stars, how did you approach working with them? What was the casting process like for the episode?

EF: Well, as I said, over 50% of the cast is played by the real people in my life who inspired their roles. I found that to be the most exciting part of it.

Everyone from my son, who plays my son in the episode, to the moms at my son’s school who came in to play the moms at East River Prep on the show, came in as a blank slate. They were not jaded at all. They just were like, “Yes, and tell me what to do.”

They found it so exciting to step out of their real lives and their corporate jobs and become movie stars for a few days.

So the excitement that they had, I can’t find as easily with other actors who have been doing this for years. So it wasn’t just another day on the job – it was their first day on the job.

We can all look back to our first jobs and how excited we were. I wanted all of that enthusiasm to show.

Even my parents play my parents on the show. But I put them in every single thing I do! (Fogel laughs.) My father had his BFA in acting, and he had wished he pursued it.

So when I was a teenager, I said to him, “You know what, Dad? One day I’m going to make things and I’m going to put you in everything I do.”

So ever since I produced a film called ‘The Strike’ with     Guillermo – I guess that was in 2012 – my father has been in my work. He was supposed to have a wife in that movie. So my mom said, “Well, who’s going to play the wife?”

I said, “Oh, well, I’m going to cast that part. Would you like to play it?” She said, “Oh no, no, no, no, no, no.” But she kept asking about it like, “Well, who are you calling in?” So I said, “Mom, just play it.”

Then when you look at the scene in that movie, she is excellent. She never knew how open-minded she could be. So now they’ve been a duo ever since.

So ‘Running Erins’ has a lot of running jokes from the present and the past. My parents are a good example because if you see any of my project, they’re running in as my parents. But now they actually really get to play Erin Fogel’s parents.

Then I called in some ringers, who are more recognizable actors. Deborah Rayne, for example, plays Debbie Downer, the homeless woman who lives outside of my (character’s) yoga studio. Deborah and I went to college together. So I’ve known her since I was a teenager.

I just think she’s a tour de force. So I wanted to create a role for her that would really show to the extent of the character work that she’s able to do that she doesn’t often get to tap into in the primetime shows. But with this project, I think, she really got to dig deep and play around a little bit more.

Also, Nancy Nagrant plays the villain, my nemesis, Cameron’s mom. Nancy and I met back when they were doing in-person auditions, which are kind of unheard of now.

Ever since the beginning of my career, we were always in the waiting room together – so much so that we became friends. We always wanted to book the same project at the same time, but it never came to pass. So I said to her years ago, “One day I’m going to make something and I’m going to put you in it so that we can finally work together.”

This is another actress who’s very recognizable, especially from her recurring role in ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’ But she has never played a role like this. So again, she really got to make a character for herself that she doesn’t often get to do. She was able to dress a different way and have a whole different aura about her. But I knew she could do it because I think she’s one of the best.

FF: You shot the comedy on location in New York City. How did you secure the locations where you filmed during the production?

EF: Well, I’m actually on one of my sets right now, which is my living room behind me! (Fogel gestured behind her.) My apartment is Erin’s apartment on the show. Also, we changed the name of Milo’s school, but it was really my son’s school.

The little cafés, the clothing stores and the places where I do parties are places I go every single day. So the locations were actually the easiest part

Since these business owners have known me for so long, they were also very yes people.  I’d ask, “Can I use your location?” They’d say, “Absolutely. We would love for you to do it.”

You’re surrounded by these people who want you to do well and believe in you. So their willingness to provide and be helpful came so easily, so finding those locations was the easiest part to do.

Not many people can say that about their projects – locations are sometimes the hardest things to find. But with this project, it came relatively easy and instinctually.

FF: ‘Running Erins’ (screened) during the Pilot Series Block 6 during the Dances With Films: NYC 2024 on Saturday, December 7. What does it mean to you that the episode (played) at the festival?

EF: I don’t have enough good things to say about Dances With Films. It’s the first time one of my projects is playing in the festival.

But over the years, I’ve done many festivals. I’ve been to the market at Cannes and the Berlinale to sell projects.

So I can tell you wholeheartedly that this is a festival that really sets up the filmmakers for what would be the next step of their journey, which is being acquired and distributed.

The organizers at Dances With Films are really helpful in helping filmmakers get everything that they need for the festival to run their film in the theater, like all of the paperwork. So Dances With Films really lends itself to the Ivy Leagues of festivals.

Most independent festivals are not very well organized. They don’t have events every single day or panels with professional people who can really change your life.

So I couldn’t compare Dances With Films to anything else because it is absolutely the best independent film festival I have ever worked with. So I could not be more excited.

They even (had) an opening night party (the day after the interview). They really give you all the glitz and glam.

We worked so hard as independent filmmakers under sometimes extraordinarily difficult situations. We worked without a lot of money to find solutions to our unsolvable problems. They really celebrate that and want to show you how much they care about you by treating you as brilliantly as possible.

FF: After showing the comedy at Dances with Films, what are your plans on moving forward in continuing the project?

EF: Once we started screening it, watching the audience watch it is the most exciting and informative thing. It allows you to see the characters that they’re really resonating with and the types of scenes that they wish they could see more of as it moves forward.

So I couldn’t help but continue writing. So I actually wrote the show into a feature film. I then took that feature film and started to cut up what would be the episodes moving forward for a limited series.

So it became very flexible and versatile in my imagination. In my dream, it would be a series – I would love that. I love television, and it’s my favorite thing.

I don’t think there’s a lot of shows like this. The few that are out do extremely well. So I know that the audience is there.

But at the same time, my vast majority of experiences are in filmmaking. So I couldn’t help but write it into a feature

So depending on the meetings I’m taking, I can change the project. Some of them say, “You know, our company really excels with feature film.” I say, “Well, I’m so glad then that I have this proof of concept for you for what could be your next feature film.”

I’m also having meetings with TV people. The proof of concept is a perfect pilot. It has a beginning, middle, and end to keep audiences in suspense, and also let them see where it would go.

So I’ve long since let go of the attachment to anything. So I can throw these things out there and know that the right thing is going to come to me to move me to the next place. So I’m looking forward to seeing where I can take this story next.