I miss the power of a crowded theater.
Last year, in September of 2019, FilmScene’s state-of-the-art theater opened in the newly constructed Chauncey building in downtown Iowa City. To celebrate the occasion, I brought my family, decked out in 1920s themed-apparel, for a cocktail party and the premiere of the Downton Abbey movie. As we gathered, every chair filled with eager moviegoers, a photographer at the front snapped a shot of the completely packed theater. There was a lot of joy in the room that night. When I look at the photo now, I can see my family in the middle of the frame, our spirits buoyed by cider and Champagne, clutching warm tubs of popcorn, and beaming with glee as we wait for the lights to dim and the film to start.