Meet the cast: Mike and Hannahfeatured

When we decided to move forward with producing Break, we knew we had a good script, which laid the foundation for a good project. Next, we needed to build a team with the right cast and crew.

Lucky us — we found them! I’m excited to share a bit about them.

The brainy college sweethearts

The heart of this story rests with Mike and Hannah, the brainy college sweethearts who think they’ve outsmarted the universe by fast-tracking their way to “happily ever after.”

Like any good movie relationship, theirs needed to hit two notes that seem to be in conflict:

• Specific enough to make us believe they’re real people
• Universal enough that we glimpse pieces of our own lives in their experiences

Mike

The first big thing the audience learns about Mike is that he’s smart — really smart. But we wanted to avoid mannered characterizations of the genius nerd. Another tricky thing: Mike’s a true introvert. He keeps a lot inside and doesn’t appear to drive the action.

As I was trying to visualize this person, I remembered something I heard 20 years ago from master acting teacher Alice Winston. She often spoke about people she’d taught or worked with or known, and one time she mentioned Robert De Niro. “His mind is always moving,” she said. “And you can see it in his eyes.” So, she said, he can play a character who’s very guarded or reticent, and his acuity keeps the performance engaging.

In thinking about how this related to Mike, I realized I’d seen a young actor with a similar quality: Darian Bengston. I’d noticed a distinct alertness in him, which brought tension and complexity to his acting. And the more I thought about it, the more he became Mike in my mind.

Darian Bengston on the set of Break with Juri Henley-Cohn. Photo by Mary Ellen Chiles

Hannah

Mike’s love interest, Hannah, is a very different character. She’s much more straightforward; there’s a lot on the page. And she’s incredibly powerful. I kept saying to Richard that when Mike meets Hannah, she comes into his life like the sun.

We needed someone who exuded that kind of warmth and security — someone who could move in and immediately shift Mike’s center of gravity.

As soon as we met with Kate Pennington, we knew we had found her. I mean, pretty much the second she walked in the room.

Darian Bengston and Kate Pennington on the set of Break. Photo by Mary Ellen Chiles

Mike + Hannah

We were so fortunate; these two had great chemistry. They were already friends, and they related to each other with authentic comfort and affection.

I just think they’re wonderful, and I believe the audience will, too.

Bios

A little more about Darian and Kate in their own words:

Darian Bengston was born in Waterloo, Iowa. He is pursuing a BFA in Acting at Missouri State University. Predominantly a stage actor, his previous roles include Booth in Toodog/Underdog and Francis Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Darian is so thankful to Lucie and Rich Amberg for this incredible opportunity.

Kate Pennington is overjoyed to be part of Break. Recent credits include Olivia in Missouri State University’s production of Twelfth Night and Lucy Pinkett in Andie Bottrell’s Seek Help. She is graduating in May 2018 with a BFA Acting degree and plans to move to Los Angeles. She is currently signed with Talent Plus. Break has been one of her favorite projects of her career thus far. Find her on IMDB.

Gallery photo credits, left to right: Josh Pfaff, Lucie Amberg, Mary Ellen Chiles