Comedy Series 'Guap' to Focus on Gentrification in Washington Heights

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A New York City writer/actor is raising money to shed light on gentrification in Washington Heights. And he's doing quite well. Chris Myers, 27, has raised more than $16,000 on Kickstarter for his comedy series about gentrification — "Guap."

Myers, who lives on the Upper West Side, said that he "stumbled into" making Washington Heights the setting for his show. Myers had originally planned on focusing on his native Upper West Side but found that gentrification in the neighborhood was already very advanced. Then, he found the same to be true in Harlem.

"I let my mind wander and thought, ‘hey, Washington Heights,'" Myers told Patch. "This is a very vibrant community with a lot of culture, I have a lot of friends who live up there, and I also feel like there’s not a lot of stories about Washington Heights."

Myers said he wants his show to focus on gentrification because it has become a widely discussed issue in contemporary New York that most people aren't fully knowledgeable of, including himself.

"I know the same two jokes about hipsters and coffee shops that everyone else does," Myers said.

Myers said he hopes that through the story he tells, the audience will have a deeper insight into gentrification when they are done watching the show. The show will tackle the issue of "who has the right to live in a neighborhood” and will focus on telling the story of a family experiencing the firsthand effects of gentrification, Myers said.

The goal of "Guap" is to authentically portray Washington Heights, so Myers is planning on shooting the entire series on location in the neighborhood and hiring actors of Dominican ancestry.

Should "Guap" reach its fundraising goal of $19,967, Myers said production of the pilot will begin in late August or early September. Currently the show is in the middle of casting, hiring crew and securing filming equipment. When the pilot is completed Myers said he hopes to show it to "creative leaders of platforms with huge reach," in order to secure a distribution deal for the series.

As for the show's fundraising performance so far, Myers said he is surprised that so many people have taken an interest in his show.

"It's shocking, surprising, humbling and can be really emotional at times so it’s a good feeling to know we’ve come this far," Myers said.

Learn more about the plot, characters and themes in "Guap" by watching the video below:

[Photo: Courtesy of Chris Myers & "Guap"]