“Riding with Pride” World Premiere @ Madison Theatre

By Joshua Scarselli on July 28, 2025

Words and Photography by Joshua Scarselli.

“Riding With Pride” is a brand new television show by New Light Media. Producer Shane Alden takes us on a harrowing tale ripped straight from the headlines. “Riding With Pride” had a world premiere at the Madison Theater in Albany, NY. Alongside the actors and creators of the show, I had a chance to see this and three other short films.

This event had a very intimate setting. While a lobby full of people waited to be seated, they got the chance to see the creators of “Riding With Pride” and the other films being interviewed by the host of the show, Billy Anne Wolf. A small, select group was able to experience these films first. I was lucky to be a part of them.

“The Owl,” by Elisheva Novella, is a true video art piece reminiscent of when artists were first given camcorders in the late ’70s and early ’80s and told to just make art. With great cinematography and interesting themes, this one will make you think.

“Lasting First Impression” was a tear-jerker for sure. Director Chris Gaunt said, “It was hard to find authentic drag queens who could act.” His tireless search definitely paid off. Kelly Mantel gave a performance that was grounded in realistic, raw emotion. The twists and turns drag you into becoming an emotional investment.

“Killer Music” by Palangi Films brought a touch of horror to the night. “Killer Music” takes us on a wild ride as a radio DJ searches for what he calls the perfect sound. This one was super entertaining. At one point, I even found myself rooting for the killer. Definitely a job well done.

Our feature was “Riding With Pride”. There is so much positive stuff to say about this show. Marissy Rose Brightman and Aaron Schwartz tell a story ripped straight from the headlines of 1995. Who among us is old enough to remember what happened with Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan? Our main character, Maya, has inherited a horse from her mother. We see how she deals with her mother’s death as she returns to her hometown to take care of her horse. Billy, played by Aaron Schwartz, tries to prey on Maya in her time of need, despite her not being interested in him or any other man. Being both entertaining and funny, “Riding With Pride” will keep you coming back for more.

Marissy Rose Brightman took the time to speak to us after the premier was winding down.

RRX: You worked with a lot of talented people and animals on this show. Who was more difficult, the people or the horses?

MRB: Honestly, the people, I really thought that the animals would give me, especially horses, would give me a little bit of a challenge. But it was really remarkable to see how mature they were, and their unspoken language was able to carry through the scene. So it was actually really easy. But I would choose humans on that one.

RRX: How much of the riding and the actual performance of the horses did you do yourself?

MRB: We did, I would say, about 80% of it. It was a lot of times on the horse, and a lot of times getting on and learning exactly who these horses were and their personality. But we were able to go to the school where they were able to teach us a little bit about riding etiquette, and that was really, really helpful. It was very important.

RRX: One of the biggest things that I enjoyed about the show was the representation of Maya as a gay character. She wasn’t presented as a character that has nothing to do with the story besides being gay. She was a character that just happened to be gay. Was that something you thought about ahead of time?

MRB: Yeah, so when Shane brought me the project, he mentioned that this would be a role that’s part of the LGBTQ community, and I was just in “Against the Ropes” a few years ago, in which I was also able to play a role that was part of the LGBTQ community. That was so very fulfilling. So when he said that this time, I said absolutely. We need to get more out there, more exposure, more reliability, and I was truly honored.

RRX: Where can we follow you and keep up with your work?

MRB: So you can follow me at Marissy Rose. That is on all platforms. You can keep up to date with New Light Media Films. They will keep you updated on the viewing of the rest of the series.

“Riding With Pride” will be streaming. Keep up at www.NewLightMediaFilms.com for an announcement about when and where to watch!

Gallery by Joshua Scarselli