Legal maneuvers
for Brooke Lewis

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Brooke Lewis made her career choice at age 8 after her mom took her to a Broadway production of Annie.
"That’s it," she told herself. "I’m going to do that."
Lewis grew up on Halstead Street in Philmont Heights and attended the William Loesche School, CCA Baldi Middle School and George Washington High School.
At Washington, she appeared in plays, including the role of Frenchy in Grease. She studied at the Walnut Street Theatre and had a role in an Arden Theatre Company production of Sunday in the Park with George.
At Temple, she studied theater for two years before becoming a pre-law major. Upon graduation, she decided to ditch law school and move to New York to pursue a career in the entertainment field.
"I had to follow my heart," she said. "I’d been singing and dancing since I was born."
In the Big Apple, she landed the role of Donna Marsala in an off-Broadway production of the comedy Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding. She did seven shows a week for three years. She loved the experience but was a bit burned out.
Anyway, as a young actress with a desire to win television roles, it was a natural progression to make the move to Los Angeles.
Among her television roles has been a pilot, Mafiosa, in which she plays Mercedes Brazzi, the daughter of a South Philadelphia mobster who seeks to take over the crime family.
Lewis — who, like a lot of young actresses, declines to give her age — likes the quick turnaround time in television.
"You book the job, you can be on the set the next day and watch it two weeks later," she said.
While Lewis dreams of appearing on the small screen, she’s also the founder of Philly Chick Pictures, an independent film company that develops short and feature movies.
It wasn’t hard for Lewis to pick a name for her company. "I’m such a Philly chick through and through," she said.
As head of a film company, Lewis receives scripts all the time. Most are lousy, she said, but she loves working with the one in 100 that has potential.
While it usually takes several years between the time a film is written and released, the finished product is special. "It’s like, ‘Wow. We created that from nothing,’" she said.
In addition to running a film company, Lewis works closely with others in the industry.
She appeared in 2 Minutes Later, a film that was shot in Center City Philadelphia in October 2006 and is on the festival circuit. She’s in negotiations to team with that movie’s writer/director/producer, Robert Gaston, on a film that would be shot in Philadelphia in the winter.
Lewis has no problem flying from Hollywood to Philadelphia for a film shoot. "Any opportunity to act in Philly, I’m there," she said.
Lewis also has a good working relationship with Kenneth Del Vecchio, president and executive producer of Justice For All Productions. She’s been in five of his films and co-produced two of them.
In Polycarp, she plays the lead role of Dr. Grace Sario. The horror/thriller also stars veteran actors Charles Durning and Michael Paré.
The film debuted on June 1 at the Hoboken (N.J.) International Film Festival, and the local-born actress had a chance to walk the red carpet.
Already, she’s scheduled to star in and produce Revelation in the Wilderness, a sequel to Polycarp that will be filmed in Hoboken. Then there are four independent films either in development or pre-production. Perhaps the most prominent is The Sinatra Club, a mob film. She’s co-producer, and Gabriel Bologna, the son of actor Joseph Bologna and actress Renee Taylor, is the director.
"I have a lot going on," Lewis said.
The actress, who is single, misses New York. She produces a lot of her independent films there.
She also longs for her hometown. Her mother, Sherry Hartman, lives in Delaire Landing. Her dad and stepmother, Lewis and Nadine Cohen, reside in Center City. Her grandmother, Selma Briskin, is in Atlantic City.
Next March, her younger sister, Annie Cohen, will be getting married, so Lewis will be in town for the bridal shower, bachelorette party and wedding.
Besides spending time with her family, Lewis is fond of the Italian Market, Pat’s and Geno’s steaks, and the local bar scene.
"I miss everything about Philly," she said.
Lewis has had some big breaks and little breaks in her career. Either way, she’s happy to be acting and producing rather than practicing law.
"I love what I do," she said. "It’s my passion. It’s what makes me wake up in the morning." ••
For more on the career of Brooke Lewis, visit www.phillychickpictures.com
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com