Kuhn's Market in Wilkins Twp. Turned into Movie Set Friday

For regular customers at Kuhn's Market in the Beulah Road Shopping Center, the store and parking lot were a bit busier than normal Friday morning.

The neighborhood supermarket in Wilkins Township was an on-location set for the new independent film, "The Umbrella Man," currently being shot around Pittsburgh. The parking lot had cars parking parallel across spaces in front of the store rather than pulled in.

An equipment truck was set up in the lot, too. Crew members walked through the aisles carting equipment back outside.

Between the salad dressings and candy in an aisle that also contains coffee, tea and juice, a small group huddled around a monitor—in perfect view of the deli counter workers, who watched the action between slicing meat and cheese.

"The Umbrella Man" is an independent feature film project based on an original story by Michael Grasso and his brother, Joseph Grasso, who serves as director of photography. The film's Facebook page says: "From a Moose Lodge in Swissvale to Dealey Plaza in Dallas, 'The Umbrella Man' is one couple's story of love, loss and the 'against all odds' survival of their relationship."

The story is set in 1983 in Pittsburgh as Peter and Annie Brennan face the tragic death of their young son. According to the Facebook page, "the boy’s death and the acquittal of his killer kindles a conspiratorial paranoia in Peter that threatens his marriage."

While Annie tries coping with her grief, Peter, who is also burdened with a certain amount of guilt, escapes from reality and is drawn into a group of conspiracists obsessed with the Kennedy assassination. Eventually, Peter is driven to the brink of insanity as the lines between the assassination and the events surrounding the death of his son begin to blur.

The stage version of the project made its world debut at The Pittsburgh Playhouse for the opening of its 2010 season.

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