Newton South Grad Stars In Her First Feature Film 'Lemon Drop'

NEWTON, MA — Newton South High School graduate, Sammi Lappin’s first feature film, "Lemon Drop," was released worldwide and is now available on Vimeo and Amazon Prime.

"Lemon Drop" is the story of a fledgling actress haunted by her mother's success. She impulsively follows an eccentric film director whose empty promises propel her down a road of reckless self-destruction.

"I am so proud of this film,” said Lappin in a statement. "We affectionately refer to it as ‘the little film that could.’ This project was a true labor of love. We brought this story to life through creative problem solving and collaboration, and I could not be more excited to share it with the world."

Writer and director Stephanie Greenquist describes this female-led film as a "gritty, psychedelic, coming-of-age story." Both Greenquist and Lappin produced the film.

Lappin stars alongside Marcus Henderson of the film "Get Out" and TV show "Tacoma FD," Steele Sciberras, David Pinion, and Lappin’s husband, Lee Pollero. Editor Michael T. Marlett and Cinematographer Travis Nelson bring credits from "Game of Thrones," "Deadpool," and Ryan Reynolds’ newest film, "Free Guy."

"Lemon Drop" premiered at the Olympus Film Festival in Los Angeles in 2019, where it won "Best Drama." It's also won itself designation as an official selection of the Lift-Off Sessions Festival and the Rome Independent Prisma Awards.

While this is Lappin’s first feature film, it’s certainly not her first artistic endeavor.

"I'm extremely proud of her," said Lappin's mother former Newton City Councilor Cheryl Lappin. "She knew what she wanted to do when she was 3."

After performing in her first stage play at the age of 10 at The Chestnut Hill School Summer Camp, Lappin spent her high school years immersed in Newton South’s drama program, taking every elective class available and performing in 10 productions.

"Mr. Knoedler and the team at South Stage treated us like professionals, even as high school students. They took our passion seriously and pushed us to grow as artists. South Stage provided me the tools and inspiration to pursue my love of acting professionally," said Lappin.

After graduating from South, Lappin received a B.F.A. in acting from the College of Visual and performing arts at Syracuse University where she was awarded the Edward Greer Prize for Classical Acting.

Since moving to L.A. in 2012, Lappin has accumulated credits on feature and short films, television pilots, contemporary and classical plays, web series, animated projects, and audio dramas. In addition to her accomplishments as an actor, Lappin also holds credits as a writer and producer.

Lappin and Greenquist founded Peridot Rose Productions in 2016. They are currently in post-production for their next film, an indie-comedy road trip feature titled "The Way It Is" set to premiere in the fall.

Watch the trailer for "Lemon Drop" here (The film is recommended for audiences 16+.):