Duck Dynasty Brings the Reality of TV to Phoenixville

Barkley Elementary School was turned into a reality TV promo sound stage Wednesday and Thursday as crews working for A&E Cable network shot a promotional spot for the wildly popular reality series Duck Dynasty.

Shhhh... Keep this Under Wraps

Despite A&E's best efforts to keep things under wraps, the promo shoot was one of the worst-kept secrets in town. It was mentioned at a recent school board meeting and has been the talk of Twitter and Facebook as local fans share notes, hoping to share information about how to catch a glimpse of someone famous from the show.

Chances are they were disappointed on Wednesday and Thursday. Numerous people connected with the shoot, all who declined to reveal their names to Patch, said the show's stars would not be part of the shoot.

Professional Actors Play Reality TV Stars Through the Years

Several local professional actors did appear outside the door on the way in or out of the "closed set."  One, identified himself to Patch by saying "me? I'm nobody" when asked.

According to one crew member who spoke to Patch outside the auditorium door, the promo is designed to look like a school play with actors playing the main characters from the show at different ages.  

A&E, the cable network that carries the wildly popular reality show appears to have made it clear to actors and crew not to talk about the promo shoot. Those who did offered only the very basics of the shoot with no specifics about the script.

It appeared that the vast majority of the actors had been hired through Philadelphia or New York casting agents, although one child actor confirmed this was a new experience for several kids.

Keep it Off Facebook, That's an Order

A sign on the front door of the school instructed cast and crew not to post any photos or information about the shoot on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

At one point, a man who identified himself only as a locally-based producer asked this reporter to leave a public street because he was getting "pressure from A&E" to get Patch out of the area and stop interviewing passersby and fans.  

Many fans walked or drove by the school with cameras Thursday afternoon. Local fans who tried to bring gifts of get autographs were turned away at the door and told that none of the show's stars were part of the promo.

Several sources said the shoot involved a set up day on Wednesday and a day of shooting on Thursday.  The shoot was expected to be wrapped up by Thursday evening.