Great Barrington— On Tuesday, August 8th at 5:30 p.m., Save the Triplex, the grassroots nonprofit group that bought the Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington last week will kick off its first fundraising event, “Bring Back the Movies” Saint James Place on Main Street in Great Barrington.
“This entire event came together quite magically when a few of our local well-known actors reached out to volunteer their talents to help raise money for the Triplex,” said Nicki Wilson, President of the Board of the newly formed group. “Suddenly, I realized, we had enough incredible local talent to have a special event.”
“The idea of doing a stage reading of iconic movie scenes seemed like a no-brainer.” Wilson continued, “It would be a chance for us to bring an audience together and remind them of the importance that movies have played in their lives and of the communal experience of watching movies together.”
The actors participating in next Tuesday night’s event will be Karen Allen, Lauren Ambrose, Jayne Atkinson, Gregory Boover, Maconnia Chesser, Michel Gill, and David Rasche. Tom and Gigi Teeley will perform the music, and Michelle Joyner will be directing.
Joyner said she was thrilled to be directing this event to help raise funds for the Triplex. “These spaces for gathering the community are essential to the heartbeat of a town. And who doesn’t love sitting in the dark with a bag of popcorn as the lights go down? The anticipation, the stories, the memories? This is intrinsic to our lives.”
Many of the area businesses have enthusiastically supported this event. Hannah Wilken, Vice President of the Board, said, “I’m in awe by the outpouring of support from the local businesses. It certainly takes a village to put on this kind of event and I’m so happy to be in this one with this community.”
The businesses who have sponsored this event include; Bella Flora Berkshires, The Berkshire Edge, Berkshire Food Co-op, Berkshire Film & Media Collaborative, Berkshire International Film Festival, Blue Point Design, The Bookloft, Caligari’s Hardware, Crystal Essence, Greenhouse Yoga, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Hammertown, Haven Café and Bakery, Jess Cooney Interiors, Mark Rosenthal, Illustrator, One Mercantile + sett, Pearson Wallace Insurance LLC, Robin’s Candy Shop, SoCo Creamery, Saint James Place, and Theory Wellness.
General Admission tickets will be $50. Tickets for the reading, plus a post-show reception, co-chaired by Barbara Newman and Lisa Newmann, with drinks, bites, and an opportunity to meet the cast and see plans for the new Triplex, will be $150. All proceeds go toward renovating and reinvigorating the Triplex. Purchase your tickets for the event here.
