Help Save the Blue Mouse Theatre

 

  

Like the subject of a Norman Rockwell painting, Tacoma’s Proctor District thrives and functions as the quintessential American village—walkable, convenient, and complete, with a lively retail core, schools, churches, fire station, restaurants, library, services, a farmers market, and more—a gem within the larger city. And if Proctor had its own official town hall, that might be the historic Blue Mouse Theatre.

On balmy summer evenings or rainy November nights, it’s a community gathering place. Outside, friends and neighbors visit with each other while waiting to step up to the box office window, where General Manager Susan Evans will offer a cheery greeting and joke around as she hands them their tickets. The old paneled doors open and the warmth of the lobby and smell of popcorn wrap around you like a hug. Above it all, those little blue neon mice just keep scampering across the marquee, at least for now. But they are in danger.
 



Concerning this icon of the community, the word on the street in Proctor is “Go digital or go dark.” Like every small, vintage theater across the country, the Blue Mouse faces the high cost of digital conversion. During 2013, it will become far more difficult, if not impossible, to obtain 35mm film versions of movies as the digital format sweeps the market. But converting to digital projection equipment can cost $75,000-$100,000 or more.

You can help to save this 89-year-old treasure by participating in the KICKSTARTER campaign set up, in partnership with Tacoma Neighborhoods Together, to raise funds for the conversion. This Kickstarter page includes a great video about the Blue Mouse. The theater’s loyal fans are already chipping in and at last check, I see that fewer than 200 people have already contributed over $11,000. But it will take much more. With the minimum contribution set at just $1.00, everyone can help, at least a little. Won’t you, please?

Now Good Life Northwest has its own Facebook Page.

Sister Cities International Film Festival is Best Bargain of 2010

You'd never expect ticket prices for a popular annual event to go DOWN by almost half, but that's the case in Tacoma. It's time again for the Sister Cities International Film Festival at the Blue Mouse Theater in the Proctor District. It begins on Thursday February 4 and continues each Thursday through April 8. For years the festival has meant a special night at the movies. It always offered a different foreign film each week, live entertainment and food representing the countries of each of Tacoma's many sister cities around the world. Tickets were $18 per film, and worth it. Now the price is a mere $10 per film, or $90 for all ten. That's a bargain on top of a bargain. So what changed? Not much.

"This year we're not doing the food," said Bill Evans, owner of the Pacific Northwest Shop and a strong supporter of the festival. It sounds like the organizers are right on track. The food was nice to have, but in my opinion only a small, and by no means essential, part of this attractive package. The idea was to preserve the integrity of the festival's film offerings, continue the live onstage entertainment that accompanies each showing, and make the price more affordable in our current economy.

Even if you don't get a taste of the food, how often do you get a taste of what's happening in film making in countries like Japan, South Africa, Israel, Taiwan, Russia, Cuba, South Korea, Norway, and the Philippines? Add to that the live performances from different cultures and you have an enlightening and entertaining event. Remember, we're all part of the big human family, so get to know Tacoma's "sisters."

I'm proud that Tacoma has this great event, thanks to major sponsors like the City of Tacoma, the Tacoma Arts Commission, Sister Cities International, the Port of Tacoma, and the Blue Mouse Theater, as well as generous individuals who recognize its value to our community and the entire region. I can't wait to attend it again and encourage all of you to treat yourselves to something different and delightful. And if you don't live here, it's worth the trip.

Tickets can easily be purchased online by going to the Sister Cities International Film Festival website. There you can learn all the details, see the schedule, read a synopsis of each film, and order individually by clicking on the link under each title. But don't forget that if you buy the season ticket package, one is free. You can also stop in at the Blue Mouse Theater on Proctor Street between 26th and 27th on N. Proctor, or the Pacific Northwest Shop , on the corner of 27th and N. Proctor, to buy your tickets. And if you hurry, you can get in on even more bargains during Bill's annual sale.

See you at the movies.

Tacoma's Proctor District Featured on San Francisco Website

Writing Good Life Northwest puts me in touch with the most interesting people, like Fred Gillette, from San Francisco. Fred became a regular reader of my blog a few months before we were introduced during one of his visits to Tacoma. Standing in the sunshine outside the Pacific Northwest Shop, with the cheerful commotion of the Proctor Farmers' Market in the background, we finally met face-to-face, thanks to our mutual friend, Bill Evans. Right away Fred and I found ourselves deep in discussion on a favorite topic: neighborhoods.

Fred Gillette and two other dedicated people in San Francisco, run the registered non-profit called Neighborhood Life. They believe that the quality of our neighborhoods is intimately tied to the quality of our lives, and strive to connect people all over America who want to share ideas for enhancing and improving neighborhoods. Four times a year they publish an issue of this online neighborhood improvement journal. With a vast quantity of readers across the country, including hundreds of regular subscribers, it brings people together to share ideas for dealing with problems, highlights successes, explores possibilities, and seeks solutions. Neighborhood Life celebrates the American neighborhood, in all its diversity, character, and uniqueness.

I'm delighted to say that the first article on the "Features" page is called "A Walk Around Proctor", which I wrote for Neighborhood Life at Fred's request. Maybe you already know Proctor, or maybe you don't. Either way, I invite you to wander down those sidewalks with me, to see the sights, meet the people, and learn why this particular neighborhood functions so well. Please come along as I take "A Walk Around Proctor". Here's the link:

Neighborhood Life

I'll meet you on the corner in a minute.