Page 77 - AVN July 2019

“It’s kind of an homage to my
favorite wrestling characters
of my childhood. ”
Lux. They go through the moves slowly, to begin with. “It’ll speed up later,”
Greenwood tells them. “It’s okay if I accidentally get hit,” James says, and
Lux concurs: “I signed a consent form.”
“It’s not!” Greenwood blurts out.
Greenwood gathers the performers in the ring to set up a climactic dialogue
scene. The performers line up in a half-circle around him as he outlines the
action, blocking the moves the actors will make as the techs watch and plan
shots. The scene involves Nina Hartley explaining that Layla isn’t working
there any more and then taking over as wrestling coach, pep-talking them
(“We can do this!”) and then setting up two wrestlers to spar while the others
watch. “Twelve girls quiet and listening. I’m impressed,” Stokely whispers to
me as we observe.
Greenwood calls “Action!” Hartley gives her explanation, then sets up the
sparring, clearing the ring. The script calls for Sage’s character Sophie to
get injured during the sparring as everybody’s anger comes out. Between
the performers lining the ring and the camera crew shooting hand-held
inside the ring it’s tough to observe without getting caught on camera, but
the groans and the squeals—and the thump of bodies colliding—make the
point: This is a serious fight. I catch a glimpse of Sage falling to the canvas
with an ear-splitting “FUCK!!” and the wrestlers jump into the ring and gather
around her. Somebody snaps “Call 911!” and Wright sprints to the ropes,
drops to the floor and rolls out of the ring toward her phone like she’s been
doing it all her life.
Greenwood calls “Cut” as the other performers surround Sage, checking if
she’s all right. “Yeah, no. I’m fine,” she responds with a smile.
“Was my acting that good?”
Girls of Wrestling is set for a July release from Mile High Media.
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