In cinema terms, this place got a “sneak preview.” The Southampton Playhouse, which first opened its doors in 1932, was shuttered for a while. Then COVID came along. And all other theaters joined them. This spring, the revamped four-screen “mini-plex” reopened slightly ahead of schedule to give locals a look. Now coming into their first big summer season, Executive Director Maria Ruiz Botsacos and Artistic Director Eric Kohn gave JLP a tour. And an audience scorecard so far.
How have the crowds been enjoying the “sequel on Hill Street?”
Maria: (Laughs) It’s been going really well. We’ve been pleased with the comments. People are coming in and exploring — back to their old stomping grounds. And we’ve been able to do some really wonderful things like student screenings. Our neighbors love it. And they love the IMAX. So it’s been really exciting and positive.
Eric: I think Hamptons audiences are reflective of many parts of the country where you don’t have a lot of cultural resources, and a movie theater stands out as a crucial one in a very specific landscape. I mean, of course, we have wonderful museums and musical programming, but in terms of a seven-day-a-week movie theater? We’re the only game in town. So, we have a constant sense of what audiences want to see. We’re cultivating a community. And we can create a much more intimate relationship with that audience.
Even in this day and age, when more people are staying home? And theatrical windows are shorter?
Maria: I think the sense of community and being in the room with others experiencing the same thing is important. I think that people miss that. It’s rewarding to sit in the room and hear the reactions, laughing together.
Eric: Also, building a movie theater is building a cultural hub for the community. So we embody what a lot of cinemas around the country are doing. Trying to create an independent path forward. And by being a not-for-profit, we can do that. We’re first-run and repertory. We’re working for the community. And we want to work with local filmmakers. There’s an opportunity to bring more film production to the East End, and we want to support that in any way possible.
Maria: Don’t forget the wonderful and unique experience we had with “Anora.” While it was streaming, people still came back to the theater after it won its award. They wanted that visual pleasure that a movie in a theater brings.
Besides showing movies, how does a not-for-profit film theater raise money?
Maria: Saturday, May 24, is our inaugural “Summer Kick Off” fundraiser. We’re basically fundraising for the year-round operational costs. We want to continue to serve first responders and the schools in the area. We want to have films for the synagogues, churches, and other cultural organizations on the East End. Maybe do a film in connection with an art exhibit. We’re rolling out a membership later this year. Because it’s not just summer months.
Besides the fundraiser, what are the plans for the next few months? Gimme the “trailer.”
Eric: We’ve got lots of plans for summer. It’s exciting. We have some major new releases like “Thunderbolts,” but a lot of our repertory programming is going to play off of these films. Because every new movie is serving as a portal to other movies that came before. And that relationship between past and present is what we’re trying to do. “Minecraft” is fast and fun and has a sarcastic vibe. It reminds me of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which was also a Marvel refresh. “Superman” is coming. “Mission Impossible” and “F-1,” so at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if you can eventually watch it at home if the theatrical experience is superior.
Eric, is Brad Pitt going to die in ‘F-1’?
Eric: (Laughs) If I knew the answer, I wouldn’t tell you.
Maria alluded to one other secret weapon: the only IMAX theater within 50 miles. How does that help, and how is the programming different?
Eric: IMAX has almost 2000 screens internationally, and what plays in one often plays in all of them, and that’s great. There’s a lot of muscle in that because you have what’s playing everywhere. But we brought “Led Zeppelin” back a bunch. Because it’s worked well for us. We’re hoping to bring more music documentaries. It’s an ongoing conversation with IMAX. We have some of the big movies and then some that not every other theater is leaning into. It’s an exciting time now… We’ve seen a “generational turnover” where a new audience is coming to movie theaters for the first time.
You mentioned screening older films. We get those at home, too.
Eric: Repertory movie watching at home is almost overwhelming. And the quality can be terrible. So why not trust the “curator in town” and get the best experience possible?
The James Bond franchise is huge to movie theaters. Amazon owns it now. What can they do to make Bond fresh for new audiences?
Eric: I don’t think James Bond stops being fresh. I don’t have advice for Amazon. But I will say Amazon has shown an interest in getting movies into theaters, and I hope that continues.
If this was a movie and the credits were about to roll, what would the epilogue on the screen say?
Maria: There’s a lot on our radar. And we are ready. Because you can’t get all this at home. It’s a unique human experience.
The Southampton Playhouse is a year-round four-screen cinema with a private screening room available for orchestral soundtracks, podcasts, and invitation-only presentations. In addition to IMAX, it also houses one of the areas only 35MM projectors. More at southamptonplayhouse.com.
Bill McCuddy is a frequent contributor to James Lane Post. He is the last of a breed of something called a “Movie Critic,” cohosting a PBS/AllArts review program and several film-related podcasts. He also co-hosts a monthly NPR radio show. He lives in Bridgehampton with his wife, two dogs, a cat, and a 100-inch television. He occasionally goes outdoors.