By: Ashley J. Cerasaro
Special to the Weekender

“All is Normal” may be the name of the film, but nothing is normal about the summer 22- year-old Desaree Wallace is having. In the past three months, Wallace has received a college diploma, her cosmetology license, and a new last name. As if that weren’t enough to write home about, Wallace recently spent time on the set of “All is Normal,” an independent film about a young woman’s struggle with an abusive boyfriend, where she did the cast’s hair and makeup. Among the cast is actress Linda Blair, best known for her role as the possessed teen in ‘The Exorcist” and actor Tom Stechschulte, who has starred in popular films “The Manchurian Candidate” and “What About Bob.”

Wallace, daughter of Gerald and Rosemary Gryskevicz of Pittston, attended King’s College after graduating from Pittston Area High School. It was during her freshmen year at King’s that she decided to study cosmetology. By the end of her sophomore year, Wallace was a college student by day and a cosmetology student by night. I asked her if she found it difficult to juggle the two, and she recalls, “Actually, it wasn’t that bad. I just had to prioritize and use time management skills. Honestly, it was a lot of fun. I'd work all day at school, and at night, I was doing what I really loved.”

Fortunately for Wallace, those time management skills paid off. She completed both programs and landed the “All is Normal” gig. Wallace met filmmakers, Todd G. Bieber and Juliana Brafa through her husband Duane, whom she married this past May. Bieber and Wallace’s husband attended Bloomsburg University together where they bonded over a mutual love of film and theatre. Duane, a native of Mountain Top, is also involved with the film, cast as Bruce, the abusive boyfriend.

Wallace and I spoke about working with Blair, which she describes as the opportunity of a lifetime. “It was kind of intimidating, but Blair was great! She rolled with the punches. She was getting paid to do a job, but she didn’t mind helping out and giving advice. It’s something I’ll never forget.” But Wallace isn’t totally a newbie to film. She, her husband, Bieber, and Brafa also appeared as extras in Spielberg’s “Catch Me If You Can” starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio. “We did it as a fun thing,” she admits, “Duane was in New York City and he found an open call, so we decided to go.”

Wallace was thrilled to be involved with “All is Normal” and is appreciative for the opportunity, but her ideal career would not be in film makeup. In fact, one day she hopes to run her own salon, “My degree from King’s is in Business Administration, and I really do like business, but I love doing hair, and owning a salon would allow me to combine the two.” As far as the film, Bieber and Brafa are hoping for a winter release date, but if you simply must get a taste, check out the teaser available at www.allisnormal.com.