We all adored Kacy Boccumini from the moment we were introduced to her on the iconic TV series The Real L Word. (Could someone please produce another lesbian reality show? We have drastic, gaping voids in our already empty lives, OK?) And we have missed her presence deeply. Which is why we were teeming with excitement when we learned that the former reality star, Hollywood executive, and overall badass has not neglected the art of queer lady media.
In fact, she’s only getting started on her journey of creating female-focused content. She’s currently working as a producer on the badass new series Take One Thing Off, a “digital series of existential proportions.”
Take One Thing Off stars the electric chanteuse/comedian Scout Durwood and throughout the duration of its 22 fiery episodes, touches on topics we at GO happen to wildly relate to: homophobia, drinking, horrendous sweeps of anxiety and the complex trials and tribulations of creating art on the internet. The series not only has themes of interest, but it’s also hilarious, captivating, and super queer.
We decided it was high time to sit down and chat with Boccumini about the new series and what life is like as a producer.
GO Mag: So, tell us ALL ABOUT this new series. What are the characters like? What are the themes it touches on? Why should we *tune in*?
Kacy Boccumini: Take One Thing Off is basically Ulysses if Ulysses had been written by a chanteuse/comedian named Scout Durwood, and her “odyssey” was a journey from being a cabaret singer and burlesque emcee in New York City to a writer/comedian living in Los Angeles. The series opines on various topics, like alcoholism (in a fun way), homophobia (but in a fun way), and the her-storical subjugation of the female body and voice in popular entertainment (but in a super fun way).
Also, her perspective on the world is non-normative, to say the least. For example, to Scout, “love” is a chemical reaction lasting no more than 18 months. Also, that “palm trees” in Los Angeles are bullshit and make the city 10 degrees hotter than it should be.
Take One Thing Off will shake off your opinions about what a female-driven digital series can be about. It’s not about dating. It’s not about self-esteem. It’s not about coming out. Take One Thing Off is about throwing a better party and showing the world that there are better ways to live than inside the confines of traditional norms and roles.
In summary, it’s a visually stunning, existentially minded comedy series based on the original music of a very smart, very queer, very beautiful woman with a lot on her mind.
GO: Now that we’ve figured all that out, how the hell did you get involved?
KB: Scout and I met in Los Angeles in a Tuesday night women-only recreational basketball league. We became close when we went through breakups around the same time.
When you’re married, your nights and weekends are spoken for. So when I stopped being married, I suddenly found myself with about 88 hours of time to fill outside of work and sleep. Scout, knowing that I always wanted to pursue a career in filmmaking, asked if I wanted to come on board and learn how to make things. We thought that we’d get a seasoned producer to come on board to help train me and show me “the ropes” but when that didn’t work out I just had to learn as I went. At my day job, I am the boss and usually the expert. Here, I was literally the greenest person on set by a long shot. It was like learning a new language, but worse because everyone needs you to be fluent enough to do the basics on Day 1.
GO: Do you like being behind the scenes? What has ~the process~ of producing this project been like?
KB: Because I was so green, I think this was the most difficult version of producing. I got better as we progressed, trying not to make the same mistakes twice, but every single shoot was a new challenge and new learning. We have 22 episodes, and every single one of them required me to stretch myself in a new direction. Either booking entirely new cast on the day because of a flu strain or literally creating a fake persona to talk my way out of a huge permit fee, I have had to learn to backflip on the spot, and I can barely touch my toes.
I never felt entirely comfortable on camera unless I was being interviewed. I’m not an actor, nor do I aspire to be. This was an incredible challenge, and I have started to find my groove, usually as more of an AD or script supervisor.
GO: Do you want to be doing more projects like this? Do you see this as a part of your future?
KB: What was once something to fill my time has now become my greatest love. Scout has created a femme-pire, and I have a place in that as a creative producer. I am still writing and have a few projects in the works including a horror film script (for all my movie quote game lovers out there!)
Queer women need to make stuff, and that is the plan from here on out.
GO: How do you balance working on projects like this with the rest of the hustle and bustle of life?
KB: I have stopped sleeping. Which sounds bad, but really, you get used to it. I am one of those very high-energy people and when I love something it becomes an obsession. I think I could be considered a workaholic. But honestly, because I’m an intense person, I don’t have any other modes. I am either doing something or not doing it.
So I go to work, then leave work and go to work again and do that most of the night and then on the weekends. I stop to work out and to go to therapy, but mainly, I am at work.
GO: Are there any surprises in episodes or exciting guest characters we should look out for?
KB: Yes! So many surprises. I called upon some of my previous castmates to come out and support me: Sada Bettencourt was perfect in Episode Three – “Frenemies” and the lovely Whitney Mixter was down to clown for Episode Eight – “Falling In Love.” Matt McCarthy from “Corporate” who is wonderful and kind, plays a homophobe for Episode 9 – “Hate Crime.” The talented and badass Allison Scagliotti got her Tyler Durden on for Episode Seven – “Palm Trees.”
My favorite surprise is having people figure out how many I appear in. It was only intentional when I dance backup for Scout. Low budget means that you use what you have, and in many of my appearances I was literally there, so I was cast!
GO: Where can we find this?
KB: You can find the entire series on YouTube by searching Scout Durwood and looking for her playlist called Take One Thing Off.
GO: What advice would you bestow upon the young aspiring content creator?
KB: The internet is not real. Algorithms favor a certain type of creator, and views or likes should NOT be the goal of your work. The more heart and authenticity you can keep in your efforts, the better your product. Remember, cat videos go viral because they are simple, sweet and show the reality of existence. There are lessons in cat videos. Yes, I said it, and I’ll say it again: There are lessons in cat videos.
GO: Where can people find you?
KB: Scout is performing at Club Cumming on November 10th in New York City, so everybody can come to see me there because I am one of her backup dancers, which is a lifelong dream come true. Literally, the most fun I’ve had, maybe ever.
On Instagram and Twitter, you can find me @kacychristine and now on Facebook @KacyRealLWord. It’s a new page because my first one was a couple’s page. I only have 300 likes as a single fan page now. I am sort of proud of that because it means that people were still willing to accept just me.
And if the series is my first great love, our monthly party in Los Angeles called Everybody GoGo is my mistress. You can find us at @everybodygogola. It’s a cabaret variety show with tons of surprises and fully delivers on the promise that naked is a better way!
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