Longtime CBS Daytime fans will definitely want to check out the upcoming digital drama series Asunder because the soap opera just announced three of its first cast members, and they all have ties to the network's classic soaps.
Monti Sharp (ex-David Grant, Guiding Light; ex-Lewis McCloud, As the World Turns), Kim Brockington (ex-Felicia Boudreau, GL), and Lauren B. Martin (ex-Camille Bennett, ATWT; ex-Jenkins, Another World; ex-Nurse Sheryl, GL) have all signed on to the series.
Asunder follows the affluent yet dysfunctional Chandler family, who owns Chandler Parfums and Cosmetics Corporation in New York City. CEO and CFO Thomas Chandler (Sharp) and Adele Chandler (Brockington) are always trying to stay one step ahead of their archenemies the Blair family, who own Blair Natural Fragrances Ltd. Thomas and Adele are juggling being at the head of a fragrance empire while trying to train their children to take over the business one day. Their middle son Xavier struggles with his bisexuality; their oldest daughter Kamryn and her husband Elijah are dealing with infertility; and their youngest daughter Khloe is hiding her secret relationship with the Blairs' youngest son Dallas. The Chandlers will deal with a series of scandals, lies, and betrayals that will rock the Big Apple to its very core.
Martin, who has also appeared in the digital series Pride, is set to star as antagonist Serena Hanes, and ISA nominee Tony D. Head will play Austin, the patriarch of the Blair family.
"I feel excited about collaborating with this new generation of filmmakers and storytellers," Sharp shares. "There are so many possibilities in the digital realm. The digital soap opera exists now in what is still largely uncharted territory, and I am honored to be included in the process of forging new paths to success for the genre. The whole process of making a soap opera has changed so much since I was last on a soap set. It will be interesting and challenging for me to adapt and further expand my own abilities, while getting to know a whole new community of viewers and audience members."
Says Brockington: "I am so thrilled with this opportunity to portray Adele Chandler. The role seems tailor made for me! Adele is a really well-written, juicy, complicated woman. I can't wait to bring her to life."
Meanwhile, Martin is also excited about taking on this new role. "The name alone gets me going," she says with a laugh. "It's going to be fun to play a character with a backstory and show all the colors of Serena. If one is an antagonist, there are reasons either manifested or based on truth."
The actress is also thrilled to be reuniting with Sharp (with whom she shared the screen on As the World Turns) and Head (with whom she starred on Pride).
"I am going to squeeze Monti so tight I will cry. I'm such a crier," she says. "Tony is a class act, and such a gentleman. I always feel great in his presence. They are both tremendous actors."
Asunder is the creation of up-and-coming writer, director, producer, and actress Landra V. Phillips. She is CEO of Six Feet High Productions LLC, a boutique film and theater production company based in New York City.
"In 1981, there were 15 daytime soap operas on the air, and today there are only four," Phillips says. "The soap world has been cast as a dying genre, but as a lover of episodic and serial dramatic storytelling, I wanted to create a digital series that pays homage to the traditional soap opera medium but has the ability to garner a new generation of viewers as independent soap operas have transitioned to the World Wide Web."
Production on Asunder is scheduled to begin this August.
What do you think about the premise of Asunder? What are your thoughts on Sharp, Martin, and Brockington joining the digital series? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
