Actress Was Looking For Work

Atlanta based actress Karla Droege was looking for work. She sent out an inquiry to a number of producers across the country and her headshot fell across the desk of Rich Christiano, producer of the movie Time Changer. Rich was not casting at the time, but knew his brother Dave was, and so he mentioned it to him. Dave asked for Karla's number and gave her a call.

"I was planning to shoot a movie in North Carolina called Me & You, Us, Forever and Karla was from Atlanta, so since she was on my side of the country, it made sense to check it out," said Dave.

"I sent an audition tape to Dave Christiano years ago when the project first originated," remembers Karla. "And while the project ended up being delayed, Dave and I became friends and kept up over the years in hopes of working together. We were unable to connect on one or two other projects, but when MYUF was green-lit, it all finally came together."

"Karla later told me that she was not happy with her initial audition," recalls Dave. "But I saw enough there where I wanted to see more. I asked her to send over other things she had done, which she did, and from there I could see that she was really very talented. I knew I wanted to work with her and eventually that opportunity came."

Me & You, Us, Forever is a love story Dave Christiano had for almost 20 years before production actually began. He sat down and started writing the script in the year 2000 and production was slated to start in 2003. But when funding fell through, the project was put on hold. When things finally did come together, production started in June 2006 and wrapped after 34 shooting days.

"Karla plays a major supporting role in this dramatic film," states Dave. "And to show her ability, when she arrived on the set and we walked through our first rehearsal, Karla was going to play the character much more differently than I had imagined. I spoke to her briefly about it, we got on the same page, and it went as smooth as it could go. This shows the great ability that she had. She went from one extreme to another in a matter of minutes without missing a beat."

Karla Droege as "Nikki" in Me & You, Us, Forever

Karla Droege (pronounced Dro-gee) was born in Valparaiso, Indiana where she lived with her family until she left for college at age 17. She received a BA with honors in theatre arts from Lenoir-Rhyne College in North Carolina and then studied intensively for a year in Atlanta before getting into the on camera side of the business.

"I started acting in grade school and played a gingerbread child in the Valparaiso University production of Hansel and Gretel in 7th grade," said Karla. "I was hooked, arriving to the theatre hours early to watch the set up and the lead actors get in makeup. After that, I participated in several one acts in junior high, and was a very active member of the drama club in high school."

Since coming to Atlanta, Karla has gained many years of acting experience both on stage and on camera. She has been cast in a number of films, but her role in Me & You, Us, Forever could end up being her most significant to date.

Me & You, Us, Forever is a love story and something "Hollywood doesn't make anymore" said one theater chain executive. "They make romantic comedies, but not love stories."

Christiano is hoping that his love story hits home with audiences. "We shot a film which is basing its strength on the story and the quality actors bringing it to life," said Dave. "There is no sex in this love story, but hopefully, there is a good story. I'm convinced people, when they watch a movie, still want to see a good heartfelt story."

The film is about a 47 year old Christian man who is on the other side of a divorce and thinks back on his old high school girlfriend and first love of 30 years ago. The movie takes place in both 2004 and 1974. "It's about a lost first love and there are so many people who can relate to that," thinks Dave. "It's also about two people who had a very real and true love in high school and I think a lot of people can feel for that as well."

"This was a wonderful project to work on," said Karla. "The whole crew from Dave (Director) and Philip Hurn (Director of Photography), on down, were great to work with. The shoot was fun and smooth. And the lead, Stacey (J. Aswad), and I became friends and are now roommates in Los Angeles. So not only did I get the opportunity to work on a quality project, but I made some real life connections as well."

Karla Droege and Stacey J. Aswad in Me & You, Us, Forever

Shortly after the movie wrapped, Karla packed her bags and moved to LA. She and lead actress Stacey J. Aswad met on the set of the movie, shared similar dreams for acting and both moved to Los Angeles in hopes of finding additional work.

"Acting is without question what God has for me at this juncture in my life," states Karla. "I love acting, it is my heart, it is my passion, it is my gift and I can not not do it. So I strive forward in all that I know to do, but my trust rests solely on God. And I'm so grateful for that because I could not be out here doing this without Him."