The “hap-hap-happiest” Christmas is coming downtown, with the help of the Starkville Area Arts Council and Starkville Community Theatre.
The organizations have partnered for a fundraiser showing of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” at SCT at 7 p.m. Monday night. Doors open at 6 p.m.
“I’m excited that we’re able to do this and participate with the community theater to benefit both of us to bring some Christmas cheer through film,” SAAC Executive Director Mary Switzer said.
SAAC Program Coordinator Juliette Reid said Alden Thornhill originally brought the idea of showing movies downtown to the arts council around Halloween for an outdoor showing of “Beetlejuice.”
“With cinema being an art form, I thought it would be a really good fundraiser for them,” Thornhill said. “And people are always looking for reasons to come downtown. And it’s something different. Something fun. College towns really thrive on events like this.”
But with the weather getting colder, Thornhill said it was natural to collaborate with SCT for a Christmas showing, creating an event benefiting both organizations.
In an email, SCT Executive Director Gabe Smith said the cinema series is a great way to bring new visitors into the organization’s doors for the first time.
“Our primary purpose at SCT is staging live theatre, and that, obviously, takes up most of the real estate on our calendar,” Smith wrote. “But, especially during the many weeks of rehearsal before a show is performing for audiences, we have dark nights onstage, and I love any opportunity to bring life to those rare empty moments.
Thornhill said “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” was chosen since it is lighthearted and appeals to a wide range of audiences and ages. Attendees are also encouraged to dress up in ugly Christmas sweaters to help get into the Christmas spirit, he said.
“It’ll be a perfect scene,” Thornhill said. “We’re going to have Christmas lights and a tree with a stuffed squirrel in it like you can see in the movie, and it’ll be a really great photo (opportunity).”
Thornhill said the event’s sponsor, Stephanie Arnett of Mississippi Magnolia Realty, helped to pay for the movie’s licensing fees, allowing the movie to be shown to a local audience.
In an email, SAAC said, the event is also funded in part by the Mississippi Art Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tickets are $21 and are available at starkvillearts.net or at the door. Reid said the proceeds raised by the fundraiser will be equally divided between SAAC and SCT.
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