There’s nothing that I love more than curling up on my couch on a Sunday afternoon and binging on a new web series…or two…or five. My new fav is a fairly new series that is currently creating some major buzz in the webisphere, ‘Love @ First Night.’ There are so many reasons why I’ve found myself glued to this show, but here are just a few reasons why I think you’d enjoy it as well.
1.) Produced and Directed By Same Sex Power Couple
Can I just say that I absolutely love seeing couples who not only flourish in their personal unions but also in a joint working environment. From Will and Jada, to Reggie and Gina Bythewood, to Caleb and Roni Davis of the Tough Love series, Sean and Terry Torrington make just one more duo on my imaginary Power Couple Dream team roster. Not only do Sean and Terry slay together but they’ve also produced some amazing projects over the years such as the widely popular series No Shade and of course Love @ First Night all on their network SlayTV.
The pair has collectively taken their love for film production and the love that they share for the LGBTQ community to create a safe space to share content that the young, black and queer could relate to.
2.) Apps Down & Eyes Up:
This may seem minute to some of you, but for me, it’s a big deal and part of the reason why I love Jayden and Spencer’s relationship. Let’s face it, we’re living in a time where social media and dating apps have almost completely illuminated the desire for real, in-person connections. Why walk up to someone at a bar and risk the chance of public rejection when you can just log onto social media, shoot your shot in someone’s DMs and risk only privately getting rejected? Although it may save you from a load of embarrassment, there’s really nothing like making that face-to-face connection with someone and so I appreciated the fact that the Sean and Terry allowed for the initial meeting between Jayden and Spencer to meet way he did. When Jayden looks up and sees Spencer glancing at him from across the room. Lost in each other’s eyes, the two completely forget that there’s a whole birthday party and speech taking place in the background.
*Sigh* How romantic!
3.) Positive Portrayal of Minorities In The LGBTQ Community
Umm, it’s 2017. If you have a hard time watching same sex interactions on your screen, then maybe tv and life just aren’t for you. Being gay, or lesbian, or transgender doesn’t make you some mythical creature that only exists in Narnia behind a wardrobe. They are real people, in real life, in real love and they deserve an equal place in entertainment just as the rest of us. So I am and will forever be HERE for the inclusion of the LGBTQ community in any capacity whether it be in television, movies, theater, etc.
4.) OMG, I Know Him!
There’s no greater feeling than turning on your screen and seeing one of your good friends living out their dreams. Kyle (who plays the role of Spencer) and I met a few years back and… you know how when your friend tells you that they’re going to do something BIG and they see the vision and you see the vision, but then when it actually happens you’re like WOW, you really did it!
Well that’s how I felt watching Spencer Kyle on the show. He’s worked so hard to get to where his is now in his career and it’s truly a heart warming feeling to see that it’s all paying off.
I actually got a chance to catch up with Kyle recently on everything from the series, to his personal dating life, to professional career.
INTERVIEW
Sasha Nycole: Walk us through the concept of ‘Love @ First Night.’ What is the show about?
Kyle Price: “Love @ First Night” tells the retelling of the story of two guys, Jayden and Spencer (played by myself) who fall in love after hooking up one night at a house party. Usually after a one night night stand you don’t really stick around but these two actually end up falling in love with each other and pretty quickly. The twist is Jayden (my boyfriend on the show) was originally supposed to be there for my roommate and a crazy, shady turn of events. Now that we’re into season 2, It’s the present day status of their relationship and they are being heavily tested by friends, co-workers and ex-lovers.
S.N.: You play the role of Spencer, one of the leading male characters. How would you describe Spencer’s initial reaction to having hooked up with Jayden?
Kyle: Well Spencer is a little pretentious so I don’t think he would have normally done anything like that. But thank god he decided to loosen up a bit and take a chance with Jayden to actually find love. It worked out in his favor so I’m sure he’s ok with it; at least now anyway.
S.N.: Have you ever personally hooked up with someone on the first date? If so, do you think the initial hook up helped or hurt the relationship?
Kyle: I have before in the past but now a days I’m a little more cautious with that. I think it’s on a case by case basis whether or not it hurts or helps; some people can hook-up and think nothing of it while others look at it like “Oh this person be taken serious” or “they must do this with everyone”. I just say get your life lol.
S.N.: In the series, it seems as if Jayden and Spencer’s relationship is moving backwards in a sense. How much more difficult do you think it is to build a foundation after feelings are already involved?
Kyle: It’s difficult but not impossible. My motto is always “Use Your WORDS!!” A lot of potential problems can be avoided if you just say how you feel or what’s going with you before it becomes a bigger problem than it needs to be. You can’t build a relationship built off of feelings because often times they’re very fragile.
S.N.: The series seems to do a great job of presenting real and relatable situations for the audience. I found myself saying that some of the scenes I can picture happening in real life. What was it like working behind the scenes with Terry and Sean Torrington?
Kyle: It was always a good time working with the Torrington’s; it didn’t even feel like work at all! The great part about working with them is they let us have a lot of input into conceptualizing some of the themes and how we go about certain subjects. Plus it really is a family atmosphere with everyone on the cast so we’re always bouncing ideas off of one another and helping each other through our scenes.
S.N.: How were you introduced to the project?
Kyle: I was actually approached by Terry to do the show because he saw my previous web series that I was in called “Quarter Century NY” and loved my character on the show. I’ve known him for years but only in passing; he had this idea for the show and asked me to be a part of it. The rest was history!
S.N.: I can imagine that at this point in your career, you have to be very cautious and particular at times of the projects that you take on. What was it about this show that grabbed your attention?
Kyle: I loved the angle that this particular story took with the telling of a Black Gay Male narrative. When I try to look for roles I want to first challenge myself as an actor and secondly look for roles that have a unique perspective in the way they are told. Especially with a LGBT web series which can often times be stigmatized as being only overtly sexual and with no substance. The way that this story is being told was such a breath of fresh air and relatable but most importantly universal to where everyone can see themselves in at least one of the characters. I’d be a fool not to be apart of it.
S.N.: We’re living in a day and age where dating apps and social media seem to play a major role in how people connect and form relationships now-a-days. Terry could have made it so that the characters met off a dating site, but he didn’t. Why do you think he created the characters to meet the way that they did?
Kyle: Just for the reason you just described; there’s such a disconnect when you meet people off of the internet or dating apps but it’s becoming the norm so much that actually meeting someone in person is taboo. There’s an intensity and intrigue from the unknown in meeting someone for the first time in person that that was the most effective way to tell the story. Plus, it’s a good way to remind people that you can actually still do that. lol
S.N.: I must know, what is up with these bathroom stall confessionals? [lol] Is the bathroom stall really these best place to relieve from all of your stressed?
Kyle: The bathroom stall confessionals has really become one of the show’s main staples. It completely happened by happenstance and just became a thing. We figured you’re already at your most comfortable on the toilet so why not let your hair down a little bit and talk your problems out while taking a number 2 lol.
S.N.: How has the response been from the show’s fans? What do you hope that they take away from watching the show and seeing the relationship between Spencer and Jayden?
Kyle: The response has actually been overwhelming and mostly positive! The goal we originally set out to accomplish was normalizing same sex relationships within the African American community in a way that was not only responsible but true to life and the people are really picking up on that. We go through the same shit everyone else does and it’s about time we got to tell our stories in our own way.
About Kyle Price:
Kyle Price is an actor, model, TV personality and brand ambassador based out of the New York City area. Currently starring in the second season of SlayTV’s Love @ First Night, Kyle has previously worked with BET, O2 Luxury Eyewear, The Tenth Magazine, DreamNation TV, and Vibe Magazine. He’s spent the past 3 years focusing on his craft, and is passionate about turning challenges into opportunities. Kyle is looking forward to doing more acting, commercial work, and correspondent work in the future
