By KRISTIE LINDEN
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“American Rust,” a television show set to air on Showtime, will begin to film in Donora Monday, the latest Mon Valley and southwestern Pennsylvania town to go Hollywood.
American Rust is based on the novel, “American Rust,” by Phillip Meyer. It’s set in the 2000s in the fictional town of Buell in Fayette County. The region is referred to as the Valley and the fictional Buell mirrors the formerly booming steel towns in which it is set.
According to the Showtime website, “American Rust” “is a compelling family drama that will explore the tattered American dream through the eyes of complicated and compromised Chief of Police Del Harris (Jeff Daniels) in a rust belt town in southwest Pennsylvania. When the woman he truly loves sees her son accused of murder, Harris is forced to decide what he’s willing to do to protect him.”
Buell’s main street will look familiar to Mon Valley residents because it will be McKean Avenue in Donora. Showtime intends to film an establishing shot and then what is known as a driving loop of McKean Avenue for about an hour on Tuesday.
Drew Nicholas, location representative for the production company, said there will be a camera between Second and Third streets on McKean on the sidewalk as a vehicle drives toward the camera. Traffic won’t be stopped, it will just be in the midst of normal traffic flow. There will be one point where traffic will be briefly altered as production wants to film a pickup truck going the wrong way on the street in order to complete a big loop around the block.
When a character in the show drives in Buell, viewers will see McKean Avenue pass outside the car windows.
The show has filmed in Monessen and may also film in Elizabeth and Glassport, Nicholas told Donora council. The filming may go as far north as New Castle, as one character needs to travel.
In addition to Daniels, the show stars Maura Tierney as Grace Poe, the mother of the accused murderer and the police chief’s love interest.
The cast also includes Mark Pellegrino, Bill Camp, David Alvarez, Alex Neustaedter and newcomer Julia Mayorga as series regulars.
Traffic changes in Donora
The cast and crew will be in Donora Monday and Tuesday and there will be some street closures and some traffic that will be rerouted to accommodate filming. The production will return to Donora for another two days in June, but it is uncertain when.
“I think it will be a pretty high profile project for Pittsburgh and I like that for once we are filming Pennsylvania as Pennsylvania,” Nicholas said.
A building that used to house a bottling facility at 100 Meldon Ave. will be the site of the fictional Steiner Dressmakers. It’s a critical exterior location for the show as it is where several characters work and the investigation brings Daniels’ character, Chief Harris, there.
Production will be there Tuesday and two dates in June. Nicholas said they will cover the doors with new doors that will make the building look more like a factory.
The cast and crew will also film at a location on Thompson Avenue, where Tierney’s character’s house will be set.
Nicholas said that set will be the only real residential filming in Donora and he intends to talk to the residents affected by letter.
The other set is in the 600 block of McKean Avenue at the Community Building. Nicholas said characters will be filmed getting dropped off and picked up there and he will need traffic assistance from police and road closures.
The production company will pay overtime expenses for the police officers’ wages.
The production will use various other sites around town for non-filming purposes as well. Catering will be set up in the borough building. They are also going to the borough parking garage.
The production basecamp, where the largest trucks and trailers will be, is going to be set at the Valley Skating Center.
They rented the American Legion hall for the extras, which is where they’ll eat and get changed.
Nicholas planned to reach out to the residents whose cars will be displaced during filming to offer gift cards for local businesses. He said he isn’t going to displace residents with handicapped placards, he will instead be working with them on alternatives.
“We want to thank you for coming to Donora and taking a look at us,” said Mayor Jim McDonough.
Nicholas said he will continue on as the location representative and he’s trying to get more scenes to be filmed in Donora as the show moves forward.
“I’ve certainly come to love Donora and I’ve made it a fun routine to come and have lunch at Jim’s (The Early Bird Diner) as often as I can,” Nicholas said.
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