Nina Concepción & Rachael Drummond

Nina Concepción is a Latina actor, writer, and Upright Citizens Brigade performer in Los Angeles. Her UCB credits include being a member of the house team "Elefante," Harold night, and numerous sketch shows. She attended New York University's Tisch School of Arts where she received a BFA in acting and was a founding writer/actor for Elizabeth Banks' femme-driven comedy website, "WhoHaha." Nina's horror-comedy short film, "No Thank You," was an official selection of the 2021 Los Angeles Latino Film Festival. Nina adapted the short film into a feature-length script, which was a Quarterfinalist in the 2021 ScreenCraft Comedy Competition. She is also the co-writer and star of "Schmotts," an indie award-winning comedy series.

Rachael Drummond’s credits include Shameless, Good Trouble, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Bombshell. She can often be spotted in sketches on Jimmy Kimmel Live! or in your living room trying to sell you a new car, cleanser or cable provider. Other tv credits include: 9-1-1, From Scratch, Unprisoned, American Horror Story, Promised Land, Great News, Speechless, Fresh Off the Boat, and Parks & Rec. Instagram: @rachael.drummond TikTok: @rachaeldrummond

How did you first meet each other, and when did you realize you wanted to collaborate?

We met doing improv at UCB, and the way I remember it is that I just like…claimed her as my own, like YOU ARE NOW MY FRIEND FOREVER! Nina is hilarious & has an infectious energy and is also so kind and caring. I had started directing a few of my own shorts and she asked me to direct this gem she had written.

Why do you think horror and comedy are genres that work so well together? Have you both always gravitated towards comedic storytelling?

Yes! There are a lot of comedy folks making great horror right now. And we have both always gravitated toward both. There is a similarity to the rhythm of comedy and horror in the way they build and release suspense. In a comedy, you laugh at the release of suspense, and in a horror you scream. They are both visceral, communal and cathartic. Nina always wanted to play the lead in a horror comedy and so she took the initiative and made her own.

"No Thank You" responds so logically to these valid questions I've always had about the apocalypse, like where will we get tampons? When you legitimately consider the "survival" skills required to endure an actual world-ending event, few of us are actually prepared to handle it. Nina, where did you first get the idea to write the script?

I love that you thought of these things before! I always love the scenes in zombie movies where people have to go find practical things or medicine. It brings in the elements of daily life that are sometimes horrific. We have to deal with our periods every month as menstruating people, and honestly I feel like I will never get the hang of it. It’s always gory. The characters in No Thank You talk about glasses and contacts and I am just starting my journey needing glasses but that is also kind of a horror. Not being able to see well, not being able to rely on one of your 5 senses is scary. I don’t want to speak for Nina, but I believe this concept was born of realizing how far she had come dealing with the horrors of her own inner world. Anxiety is a huge dragon to slay. What would it look like if you had slain the inner beast and now had to fight actual monsters. You might just say… no, thank you.

What else are you both working on next?

Nina and her husband, Kyle, are raising funds for a feature film, “Ruthie Joins a Death Cult.” Nina is the lead and I get to play her stepmom, I’m so excited, the script is phenomenal. They explore themes of loneliness, anxiety and depression and also include high comedy and action. But I bet you gathered that from the title. (@ruthiejoinsadeathcult on instagram)

Are there any upcoming shows, events, or productions that your friends or peers are creating, that you'd recommend we check out?

You HAVE to see The Retreat with Anne Gregory & Rebekah Johnson. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.