Red River Theatres to Open Oct. 12
New projectionists include ex-member

Concord Monitor
September 12, 2007
By Chelsea Conaboy

After more than six years of anticipation, Red River Theatres has a tentative opening date of Oct. 12. Executive Director Robbi Farschman said she hopes the three-screen theater will be ready for an open house two days earlier. If not, both events will be delayed one week.

The nonprofit has worked toward opening an independent theater downtown since it formed in 2001. The theater will be located in the lower level of the Capital Commons building on Main Street.

Farschman recently hired three part-time projectionists for the theater, one of whom is Barry Steelman. Steelman left the theater project last year, after asking the board to consider him for a cinema program director's position. That was before Farschman was hired. The board had said it wanted to first bring on an executive director who could lead the hiring.

Farschman said she asked Steelman if he would like the job before she advertised it. After taking some time to consider it, he accepted, she said.
"There'd be nobody with more skills than Barry," Farschman said.

Steelman ran his own theater, Cinema 93, on Loudon Road for 32 years before closing in 1998 and opening a video store by the same name on Pleasant Street.
The theater will use a platter system for running the 35 mm film - about 12,000 feet of it per movie - that requires a projectionists to piece the movie together with previews and any other elements of the showing to be ready for the projector.

"It's something that I know how to do, that I feel capable of doing," Steelman said.

Steelman recently worked the projector for a Red River showing at the Capitol Center for the Arts. He said he and Farschman had developed a "friendly relationship."

Farschman hoped to open a week earlier but the fit-up was delayed because plumbing and wiring work on the restaurant space in the Main Street level of the building required the theater's ceiling to be kept open. The concession stand and seating are expected to be installed at the end of this month. Farschman is working on finalizing the theater's liquor license so beer and wine can be served during shows.

Farschman said there's no decision yet on what films will be shown during the opening. Memberships will soon go on sale, she said. Those who sign up for the Red River newsletter online at redrivertheatres.org will receive first notice.

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