TIMLENNOX.COM: From the Capri---Montgomery's Community Independant Movie Theater

THE SHUTDOWN – WEEK 3

photo courtesy Tom Michael

The robocalls are back. Is that a good thing?

Lockdown Week 4

Wednesday, April 15 marks one month since our last screening at the Capri Theatre. Although we are confident it will not be our last screening, we have now idea when will be our next.

Although optimistic projections are for businesses to reopen in June, social distancing may need to go on for up to a year. And while the Capri Theatre is usually the home of social distancing, theatres in general are, by intent, places for people to gather and be close.

Even if we are allowed to reopen, should we enforce mask wearing? Instead of T-Shirts, should we be selling Capri branded masks, or just give them away with every ticket sale. One hundred years from now, will they be collectors items?

One thing is certain, the health and safety of our audience and staff is the first concern. Like most arts organizations, our audience is disproportionately in the over 60, virus vulnerable demographic. Attendance has been bad enough in the last few years, we don't need to lose anymore to communicable diseases.

Keep in mind, every theatre of every sort, from Cloverdale Playhouse to Alabama Shakespeare Festival to MPAC are all weighing the same considerations and facing the same challenges. No one wants 2020 to be the year without theatres.

Stay Safe. Stay Home.

Among all of the other cancellations we've had to make, the truly unprecedented one is the Summer Children's Matinees. For the first summer since 1984 there will be no Summer Children's Matinees at the Capri Theatre. Everyone who as ever attended the kids shows knows, short of wrapping each child and their keepers in hazmat suits, there is no way to prevent 200 plus children from sharing airborne diseases with each other.

Here's hoping the world is safe for children's shows in 2021.

As many of you know, the Capri Theatre was in the "quiet phase" of a capital fundraising campaign when the world changed. We had hoped to have made a formal kickoff announcement by now; instead we have suspended the campaign. The good news is, we have over $400,000 in pledges and donations already, towards our target goal of $750,000. This means we will be able to hit the ground running when we are able to hit the ground again. The bad news is, we probably won't be able to start the project until 2021.

The "project" is to replace the Capri Theatre marquee with one that is more evocative of the original Clover marquee, and more stylistically attuned to the Capri Theatre's architecture. Besides being a much needed upgrade for the Capri Theatre, it will be a much needed upgrade for our section of Cloverdale. We still hope to have the new marquee in time for the 80th anniversary in July 2021. To us, it will be a sign of hope and a commitment to the future of the Capri Theatre. We hope the rest of Montgomery feels the same.

There are other projects connected to our Marquee Magic campaign. Redoing the front of the theatre and furnishing the lobby are two parts of the proposal. Also, paying off the Capri's construction loan from the remodeling. Getting the Capri debt free will go a long way towards a secure future for the Capri.