Tales of an Illegal Subletter: My Rent-Control Life on the Lam

Mary Birdsong otisbird@mac.com 1455396159547

BIOGRAPHICAL COMEDY MEMOIR

1980s & '90s,2000s,Contemporary

Mary Birdsong

Logline

This is a true story about how I illegally sublet an Upper East Side, rent-controlled apartment in NYC for 15 years before getting caught, by pretending to be my Beverly Hills agent’s cousin.

Genre

Biographical,Comedy,Memoir

Short Summary

In the late 90s, after being priced out of Manhattan and renting a dismal place in the ironically named "Sunnyside" Queens with a roommate, a real estate miracle fell into my lap: a rent-controlled one bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side, all to myself. $550 a month.


After 15 years, this Park Ave Princess might be hopping humbly back to Queens, or Jersey, with her tail between her frog's legs. Or maybe leap-frog out west, from Sunnyside Queens to Sunny L.A. But no matter where I land, I'll know in my heart that I DO belong, no matter whose name in on the lease.

Setting

New York City

Based on a True Story

Yes

Plot - Premise

Rags to Riches,Internal Journey/Rebirth,Voyage and Return

Plot - Other Elements

Coming of Age,Happy Ending,Meaningful Message

Mature Audience Themes

Information not completed

Main Character Details

Name: Mary Birdsiong

Age: 29

Gender: Female

Role: Protagonist

Key Traits: Adventurous,Aspiring,Charming,Complex,Empathetic,Engaging,Honorable,Insecure,Underdog,Sexy,Outspoken,Funny,Sarcastic,Strong Moral Code

Additional Character Details

The author has not yet written this

Additional Character Details

The author has not yet written this

Additional Character Details

The author has not yet written this

Development Pitch

I see this as an episodic dark comedy (most likely a half-hour series) aimed at streaming platforms that explores issues of social class and financial freedom through the eyes of an ambitious young woman who grew up in poverty, now plopped down into the world of the privileged elite. It would take the fish-out-of-water trope and ease the audience into the fish-tank of "one percenters" Mary finds herself in. Like being in a petting zoo filled with exotic rich people. I see it as a lighter, more humorous version of Maid, where the audience gets to be in on Mary's secret-- that she's not really who she says she is. She didn't go to private schools, or an Ivy League college. But she's pretty good at faking it. Until she's making it.

About The Author

Mary Birdsong began writing at the tender age of six, prolifically churning out a series of “sick notes” under the assumed name Katharine Birdsong, (a name which happens to belong to her mother). Her roots are in the Deep South, but she grew up on an exotic island in South Jersey, a place that can best be described as “Deliverance, but with surfboards.” She’s written for Comedy Central, Quibi, E!, ABC, NBC, AXS TV. She’s also written several one-woman shows including Judy Speaks, which went to the HBO Comedy Festival in Aspen, earning her a spot on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Top 10 Talents” list. Mary just finished writing her second feature script—EVERY ANXIOUS WAVE, an adaptation of the novel by Mo Daviau. As a writer/performer, Mary has worked on The Daily Show w/Jon Stewart, Late Night w/Conan O'Brien, & ABC's Late Friday. She is also the sole everything-er of her punishingly ambitious project: 365 Characters In 365 Days on YouTube.

Target Audiences

Age: 18-34,35-54

Target Gender: Female Leaning,Universal

Publishing Details

Hard Copy Available

No

WGA Number

Information not completed

Logline

This is a true story about how I illegally sublet an Upper East Side, rent-controlled apartment in NYC for 15 years before getting caught, by pretending to be my Beverly Hills agent’s cousin.

Short Summary

In the late 90s, after being priced out of Manhattan and renting a dismal place in the ironically named "Sunnyside" Queens with a roommate, a real estate miracle fell into my lap: a rent-controlled one bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side, all to myself. $550 a month.


After 15 years, this Park Ave Princess might be hopping humbly back to Queens, or Jersey, with her tail between her frog's legs. Or maybe leap-frog out west, from Sunnyside Queens to Sunny L.A. But no matter where I land, I'll know in my heart that I DO belong, no matter whose name in on the lease.

FEEDBACK

I see this as an episodic dark comedy (most likely a half-hour series) aimed at streaming platforms that explores issues of social class and financial freedom through the eyes of an ambitious young woman who grew up in poverty, now plopped down into the world of the privileged elite. It would take the fish-out-of-water trope and ease the audience into the fish-tank of "one percenters" Mary finds herself in. Like being in a petting zoo filled with exotic rich people. I see it as a lighter, more humorous version of Maid, where the audience gets to be in on Mary's secret-- that she's not really who she says she is. She didn't go to private schools, or an Ivy League college. But she's pretty good at faking it. Until she's making it.

About The Author

Mary Birdsong began writing at the tender age of six, prolifically churning out a series of “sick notes” under the assumed name Katharine Birdsong, (a name which happens to belong to her mother). Her roots are in the Deep South, but she grew up on an exotic island in South Jersey, a place that can best be described as “Deliverance, but with surfboards.” She’s written for Comedy Central, Quibi, E!, ABC, NBC, AXS TV. She’s also written several one-woman shows including Judy Speaks, which went to the HBO Comedy Festival in Aspen, earning her a spot on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Top 10 Talents” list. Mary just finished writing her second feature script—EVERY ANXIOUS WAVE, an adaptation of the novel by Mo Daviau. As a writer/performer, Mary has worked on The Daily Show w/Jon Stewart, Late Night w/Conan O'Brien, & ABC's Late Friday. She is also the sole everything-er of her punishingly ambitious project: 365 Characters In 365 Days on YouTube.

Mature Audience Themes

Information not completed

Characters

Main Character

Name: Mary Birdsiong

Age: 29

Gender: Female

Role: Protagonist

Key Traits: Adventurous,Aspiring,Charming,Complex,Empathetic,Engaging,Honorable,Insecure,Underdog,Sexy,Outspoken,Funny,Sarcastic,Strong Moral Code