I was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Some of my earliest memories are of watching movies with my mother. We had several large theaters in town we would attend. My favorite theater, The Paramount Theatre, was an ornate, gilded palace with box seats along the walls, a massive balcony and a tile and glass ticket kiosk outside. For a child it was very grand. I went with my mother regularly and remember seeing The Sound of Music on a 30’ x 50’ screen. It had an organist playing before the film and during intermissions. He would rise out of the floor – it was very Phantom of the Opera. I remember going to one last film there before it closed for good – it was Cabaret. This time, no organist, no intermission, and there were maybe 10 people in a theatre built for hundreds. By this time it was pretty seedy and downtrodden. It’s closure left a gaping hole in our downtown. Eventually, they put a parking garage where the theater was and the downtown business district never recovered.

I enjoy working at The Playhouse Theatre because I can easily imagine the escapism of seeing a movie in all its 105 years. Can you imagine the commitment it would take to come from Braintree or Brookfield or Tunbridge in the 20’s and 30’s to see a new film at the The Randolph Playhouse? To see a Charlie Chaplin film, to hear Garbo speak, to see and hear Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance and sing for the first time, or to see a film in color for the first time – how thrilling! I hear stories all the time from people who saw their first movie at The Playhouse. I love those stories. I also hear them say that they haven’t been to the movies in years or that the theatre hasn’t changed since the last time they came to the movies at The Playhouse. I hear the wonder in first time attendees voices as they check out the auditorium for the first time.

I love The Playhouse. I can’t imagine Randolph without it and I am happy to help keep it running. On a daily basis, I see that it requires a commitment to leave the comforts of our homes to attend a film or watch a movie. It requires a commitment to keep something thriving that we could easily take for granted – just going to the movies. I hope the theater keeps going for another 100 years. Before working at The Playhouse, I was a Vermont chef and I know that we eat with our eyes. Movies are a meal for the soul.

I grew up in East Randolph and the Playhouse was a fixture of my childhood – I distinctly remember seeing Star Wars as a seven year old (awed), Gandhi with my Junior High (educated) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with friends as a teenager (entertained). Upon returning to Vermont after 10 years in Colorado, my husband Bill and I rediscovered the Playhouse and have been patrons ever since.

My favorite part of the Playhouse both then and now is the concession window that opens into the theater so you never miss any of the movie if you arrive a bit late or crave another snack halfway through the show.

In addition to enjoying experiencing movies on the big screen, I also have an appreciation for the historic building the theatre resides in and am committed to improving its functionality and comfort while maintaining its charm. I’m joined in this effort by Bill who is the unofficial property manager and has taken on numerous maintenance and improvement projects over the years.

It is my hope that through my role of treasurer I can provide an accurate financial picture of the theater to the other members of the board so that we can make educated decisions to keep the Playhouse viable for the future.

I grew up in Foxborough, Massachusetts, but have made my home in Bethel-Gilead for the past 37 years. Foxborough had the Orpheum Theater, where I first remember seeing Mary Poppins as a child. My Uncle Philip was to have taken me along with my siblings, but I contracted the measles and had to stay home. When I recovered my mother took me as a special treat, made even better when my father joined us at the theater on his way home from work. I remember feeling special indeed to have both my parents take just me to the movies for the first time. One of our family stories recounts the time my father took the entire family to the Plainville Drive-In to see – he thought – Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Instead his children were treated to The Graduate. I imagine he had some explaining to do at church the next morning!

My all-time favorite movie is A Place in the Sun from 1951. It has the glamour of the world’s biggest movie stars, Oscar-winning direction, and the pedigree of the classic novel it was based on (Dreiser’s An American Tragedy). That said, my favorite genre of film is the movie musical. Musicals are generally joyous and exuberant, and retain their pleasures through repeated viewings. Watching a beloved musical is a surefire way to improve my mood.

I initially established the Friends of the Historic Playhouse Theatre, the group that now owns and operates the theater, so that the Playhouse could leverage the financial benefits of nonprofit status. The theater will not survive without the support of community members, both as patrons and as donors. As a nonprofit the theater has a responsibility to actively pursue its mission to contribute to the local community by bringing people together to share the magic of the cinema. The Playhouse welcomes you to share that magic five times a week, and the board is working to be sure it continues to show popular and intriguing films well into a second century of operation.

With the recent closings of Merrill’s Roxy Cinemas in Burlington and the Big Picture Theater in Waitsfield, the number of full-time movie theaters still in operation in the entire state of Vermont can be counted on one’s fingers. The Playhouse is a cherished part of our local history. Now that it has been determined to be eligible for inclusion on the National Registry of Historic Places, the Playhouse may well be designated a part of our nation’s history, too, as one of the oldest movie theaters still in operation in the country. We invite you to come enjoy the movies with us.

My work with the Playhouse started in December 2021 as a weekly volunteer, and a Friend of the Playhouse in the summer of 2022. But the Playhouse has been a part of my life long before then. My father George Rich ran the Playhouse for almost 10 years after high school, and though this was before I was born, I grew up hearing wonderful stories of the theater. It’s always been a special place for my family. I can remember seeing some of the biggest movies of my generation at the Playhouse; Titanic, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter (which my brother and his friends actually camped out in front of the theater for front row seats!) and even one of my children’s favorite movies, Shrek, which certainly makes me a little cooler in their eyes. After my father passed in 2021 I wanted a way to feel closer to him, and give back to the community that he was such a big part of. Stepping into the Playhouse for the first time after moving back to Randolph was emotional, it brought back memories of my childhood and cemented my love for the Playhouse forever. Since then I’ve brought my children to see perhaps some of the biggest movies of their generation, Barbie, Avatar: The Way of Water, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (they went in costume!) and Wicked. I’m so excited I get to share these experiences with them and as a board member I hope to keep the Playhouse alive for future generations to come.

I’ve always loved watching movies – especially in the theater. It’s such a different feeling to sit in the dark with lots of other viewers, committed to this one experience: watching the movie. No interruptions, no distractions. Great cinematography, sound, and special effects can never be as impressive on a home TV. I think I learned to love movies from my mother and her brother, Uncle Richie. Whenever Uncle Richie came to our house for a family dinner, he would quiz us kids: “Drip, drip, drip!” We were supposed to know which movie it was from. We soon learned to blurt out, “Sahara,

starring Humphrey Bogart!” “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine! “Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart!” Yes, Bogart was a favorite, but some Errol Flynns were thrown in too.

After retiring from Kimball Library several years ago, I was invited to join the board of the non-profit Friends of the Historic Playhouse Theatre. I accepted and since then have enjoyed learning about the Theatre’s history and how it operates. And now it’s exciting to see the community’s involvement in planning the next steps to update our historic theater. What I love about our Playhouse is seeing manager Tom waiting to see and hear reactions as people exit after the movie. I’ve had so many nice conversations with Tom and other audience members about what we’ve just watched. I also appreciate captions on the Sunday matinees!

I am a relatively new board member, but not new to Randolph. My wife and I have lived in Randolph for 29 years and feel that the Playhouse is an important local gem. I spent my first 12 years growing up in New York City. I have great memories of going with my Dad to see all the James Bond movies in the theater as they came out. One of my favorite movies was The Poseidon Adventure. I remember being thrilled by the special effects of the day as the giant ocean liner and all of its passengers were flipped over in the ocean. It was big screen magic at its best.

Movies have always been a big part of my life. Another memorable movie was the first Star Wars movie to hit the theaters. There had never been anything like it and my friends and I lined up to see it again and again at the end of 8th grade.

Obviously, with all of the entertainment options now available, the Playhouse faces some challenges. But there is nothing like sitting in a theater with your friends and neighbors all enjoying a common experience. I live on Hospital Hill and there is often a big group of our neighbors who walk down to see movies together, creating a shared experience that brings us closer. The historic nature of the Playhouse building is an important community asset for Randolph.

I really enjoy my time on the board and am using my experience with state and federal grants to help us take advantage of available funding to improve the Playhouse and keep it going successfully into the future.

I joined the Playhouse in 2022 to help promote and preserve this beautiful resource in Randolph. It’s a luxury to be able to see a movie without having to travel far. Most Vermont towns don’t have a theater, especially a historic theater like the Playhouse. I’ve been involved in a variety of media projects since high school. I attended a very big high school with its own radio station, and my friend and I had a morning music show. I had a morning radio show on Radio Free Brattleboro, as well. In college, I had a work study job running a camera and editing footage for the International Writing Program, where we would interview authors from all over the world and share their stories on the local Community Access channel. https://iwp.uiowa.edu/ (https://iwp.uiowa.edu/) I worked at Community Access Television in White River Junction/Hanover as the volunteer coordinator for select board and school board meetings, where I had access to editing software and made small projects on the side. Now, I’m connecting with a different type of media through the Playhouse; volunteering at the Playhouse is teaching me about the behind the scenes workings of the movie industry!

I’m a creative professional with a passion for building community through the arts. My background includes experience in Communications, Media Relations, Marketing, and Events, where I focus on connecting people and creating meaningful experiences. I’ve worked with the National Film Board of Canada, the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, the LA Film Festival, the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and have consulted on Academy Awards campaigns, using my skills to craft engaging and impactful projects.

I moved to Randolph during the pandemic to live with my aunt Lee, cousin Sultana and our four combined canines Rupert, Rumple, Maddie and Loki, first living on Kibbee Road and now on Silloway (best creamies in my humble opinion!) and have enjoyed applying my expertise in entertainment, non-profits, and education to my new community. Some of my favorite theater movie experiences include —Misisippi Masala, Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulin, The Stories We Tell, The English Patient and Dogma (very excited about the recently announced sequel!) — I am drawn to stories about unconventional thinkers, the power of art, and complex human relationships. Outside of the movies you will most often find me at Daybreak Farms riding Image (a VT Morgan Horse!)

I’m a big time nerd and hold a Master’s in Film and Television Studies from the University of Warwick, UK, a Continuing Education Certificate in Film and Television Development from UCLA Extension, and a BA in Cultural Studies and Political Science from McGill University. I’m a lifelong learner and frequent visitor to Kimball Library. As a Randolph Playhouse board member, I’m excited to help bring creative experiences to life that connect and inspire our community.