Massé, a film starring Johnny Alonso, right, will be filmed in York. Some of the cast rehearsed lines Aug. 16 at Cobblestone s in York City. (Bil Bowden photo)

A fight at the pool tables is escalating when a beautiful blonde walks into Cobblestone's on South George Street.

All eyes are on Sara. For Jack Pappas, a type of "rebel with a heart," this emergence of an old flame triggers a chain of events he can't yet anticipate. She asks him to talk.

"I'm already trying to visualize the duct tape over your mouth," Jack snaps back.

That's the opening scene of Massé, an independent, low-budget film that will be shot almost entirely in York next month.

It's a "twisted love story" with a contemporary noir flair about a pool hustler who's "just kind of getting by in life" when Sara reappears, said Jay Taylor, one of the filmmakers.

Creative partners Taylor and Courtney Shumway own and operate Bad Ferret Films at 17 W. Market St., where they make money by filming events and producing videos for clients.

But, for now, they're focused on making the movie they've been planning for the past 18 months.

The filmmakers are hoping the one-hour movie will make a splash and find an audience at independent film festivals.

"You never know," Taylor, 42, said. "There's no guarantees. You have to come up with something you enjoy and believe in and see where you can go with it."

Second film: Taylor and Shumway are working on their second film together. The first, a recently released film called "Broken Down," was also shot in York County.

Jack Pappas will be played by Johnny Alonso, a Baltimore native who's been acting professionally since the early 1990s.

Alonso has made regular appearances on television shows, including "Dawson's Creek" and "One Tree Hill," and more recently starred alongside Kevin Sorbo in "Coffin," a 2011 thriller.

Sara will be played by Barb Myers, a 24-year-old Dallastown High School graduate who's about to embark on her first major acting experience.

"She nailed the audition," Taylor said.

The locations: Except for one scene in Harrisburg, the whole movie will be shot in and around York City.

The opening scene will be filmed at Cobblestone's Restaurant & Sports Emporium, 205 S. George St., where the crew plans to take advantage of the bar's pool tables.

Then, filming will move on to the 19th-century mansions in York City known collectively as 900 S. George St. That's where Alonso's character will go to free Sara from the romantic grasp of a rich district attorney.

Hoping to capture a normal evening at Cobblestone's on film, the crew plans to grab some footage on an evening when the restaurant is open to the public. Tentatively, filming is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 13.

Those who show up could see themselves later in Massé, though there's no guarantee.

"We want the bar to be as alive and happening as possible," Taylor said.

-- Erin James may also be reached at ejames@yorkdispatch.com.