Family Movie Night offers free movies on Saturday evenings at the Storybook Theatre in Hanapepe. “Nowadays, we do not have the quality stories we used to have,” said Evan Meek, theatre director. “The idea is to bring back good stories
Family Movie Night offers free movies on Saturday evenings at the Storybook Theatre in Hanapepe.
“Nowadays, we do not have the quality stories we used to have,” said Evan Meek, theatre director. “The idea is to bring back good stories that parents could enjoy with the children.”
Family Movie Night is part of a grant sponsored by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation with funds from the U. S. Department of Justice and Community Oriented Policy Services.
Mark Jeffers of Russell the Rooster fame said that drug prevention funds address a “gap group.” This gap group is the grandparents and children, the indirect victims of crystal methamphetamine users.
“Family Movie Night is a small offering to connect the gap group to give them something positive to do in the neighborhood,” Jeffers said.
Meek said he is starting with older movies that he enjoyed as a child. He is also open for suggestions.
The theater seats 40. Average attendance is 20 and they have had a couple full-house Saturday nights.
“Families come from the Eastside,” said Lauren Shaw-Meek. “Whole carloads, where two parents show up with their kids and their neighbor’s kids.”
Lauren is Meek’s wife and volunteers to help out on movie nights. She also teaches voice lessons at the theater.
Other volunteers include Jayme Salvacion. She makes the treats for movie night. She usually has her granddaughter, 4-year-old Shayzan Salvacion, to help her.
Moviegoers can sit in comfort on actual theatre seats. These seats were originally at the Kaua‘i International Theatre in the Kaua‘i Village Shopping Center. KIT became the Whole World Theatre, which Meek took over. When that closed, the seats were moved to the Kilauea Theatre. When that closed, the seats found a home at the Storybook Theatre.
Many of the features of the theater, like the lights and speakers, are collections of all theaters that have come and gone, said Meek.
A digital projector flashes the VHS or DVD movies on a screen. The movies they show are from Meek’s private collection or borrowed from the public library.
Meek said he is looking into programs produced by local media in other states. He would like to share what other families are making across the country.
“We’ve had a lot of really good reactions,” Meek said. He told the story of a family who came on a night they showed a Raggedy Annie cartoon about a blind girl.
“The family was stoked because their (daughter, who is blind), enjoyed it so much,” Meek said.
Old cartoons like “Betty Boop” and the original “Mighty Mouse” precede the featured movies.
On a recent Saturday night, 15-year-old Anthony Birtodaso attended the free showing of “The Princess Bride” with his younger 13-year-old brother, Keoni. Anthony said he wanted to spend time with his brother, so when his brother came up with the idea to see the movie, they hopped on their bikes and rode over to the theater from their home in Hanapepe Valley. He said he enjoyed it and planned to be back.
Shaw-Meek said she has received many positive responses from “lots of kids and lots of really appreciative parents.”
“It’s free; they like that,” she said. “Who doesn’t like something free?”
The free showings have been so successful that the two-Saturdays-a-month venue will become weekly beginning in June.
To receive a list of all Storybook Theatre events, e-mail StorybookEvents@hawaii.rr.com.
• Cynthia Matsuoka is a freelance writer for The Garden Island and former principal of Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School. She can be reached by e-mail at aharju@kauaipubco.com
