(828) 526-0173 | [email protected] | Copyright 2024 – All Rights Reserved.
Roll the Picture
Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: June 2024
Grab your popcorn and take your seat, because the curtain rises this month on Highlands Performing Arts Center’s long-awaited Movie Experience in Dolby 7.1 Cinema Surround Sound.
“We’re finally ready – after years of delays and false starts and a global pandemic – to screen first-run Hollywood movies in Highlands Performing Arts Center’s Martin-Lipscomb Theater,” says PAC’s Director of Operations, Jack Austin. “Though we’re still working on getting certified by the different studios, I’m going to tell your readers that by the middle of June we’ll be showing movies in comfortable cabaret seating. All they need to do is visit highlandsperformingarts.com or thelaurelmagazine.com to see what’s playing.”
The road to Martin-Lipscomb Theater’s Cinema was fraught with confounding circumstances, punctuated by 2020’s Covid-19 turmoil.
“When we began this process back in 2019, there were five companies that were certified to install and calibrate the latest digital movie projection systems today there are only two,” says Austin.
“Of course, none of this would be possible if we didn’t have strong community support – especially from Rachel Friday and Jeff Schenck. Those two really made this happen. One of the mottos of Highlands Performing Arts Center is ‘Built for the Community, By the Community.’ Rachel and Jeff are the embodiment of that sentiment.”
If you’d like to contribute to this community effort, you can do so by purchasing on-screen ads for your business or organization.
According to PAC Executive Director Mary Adair Trumbly, PAC will be showing a mix of first-run movies, previous Oscar Winners, and classics. “And just imagine how much more impressive Live at the Met, Great Art on Screen, and National Theatre Live will be on the big screen with the new system.”
“We’re going to appeal to the general public, and film buffs and people looking for a good time out on the town.”
“I love movies, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw one in a theater,” says Austin. “It’s such a hassle going off the Plateau and driving at night isn’t as easy as it once was. Now I can’t wait to spend a couple of hours watching a movie on the big screen. And with the cabaret seating and sharing a bottle of wine with friends – well, it’s a genuine experience. Stay tuned!”
