May the Force

Today is May 4, 2021. And, of course, May 4th is “Star Wars Day,” because, you know, “May the force be with you.” I can’t say I am a die-hard Star Wars fan, but I did quote the opening rolling credits of the first movie, kinda, in the Acknowledgement of False Assurances.

With that link in mind, it was coincidental that today, I was asked to tour a local cinema where renovations had been underwritten by Sacred Heart University (SHU), here in Fairfield, Connecticut. The “Community Theater” was established some 100 years ago as a vaudeville stage, and it morphed into a one-screen movie theater. Then it was converted to two screens, with a wall so thin dividing the space that you could hear the other movie playing without difficulty. Needless to say, perhaps, but that probably led to the decline of the theater, as it was eclipsed by larger, more modern multiplexes. The Community Theater shuttered about ten years ago.

Right after the tour of the space — which is fantastic, by the way — the first movie to be played in the newly-reopened theater began to roll. Star Wars, of course. While I couldn’t hang around, it felt good to know that not only the Community Theater was showing a film, but also good to see people enjoying a movie (distanced, naturally, according to local guidelines).

What struck me, however, was the vision that SHU had for this theater: cinema, performing arts, and education. They won’t just screen films. They plan to have music and orchestral acts, theater performances, and ways to tie film/music/stage together with education, including after-school programs for the local schools.

One of the other people touring the new space today was actor Michael Weatherly (NCIS, Bull, among other credits). Like me, he’s also a Fairfield native, and, in fact, he was instrumental in introducing me to the agent who represented the film option for False Assurances and the Ben Porter series. Another coincidence — and, I hope, a good omen to the continued work that Spyglass Media is doing behind the scenes to bring Ben to the screen.

All so very cool. Thanks, SHU, for your commitment to your community. Maybe, with any luck, we can premiere the cinematic version of False Assurances in the Sacred Heart University Community Theater!

The abandoned projection room, saved for posterity.

I could imagine myself watching the premiere of False Assurances from one of those director’s chairs! Let’s hope!