Fargo Theatre

emily beck grabs opportunity at Fargo’s beloved cinema

by ashLey thornberg

You wouldn’t know it by her confident smile, or the sheer amount of caffeinefueled words that tumble out, seemingly all at once, but Emily Beck is a little gun shy when it comes to talking about her achievements. Achievements that are many, considering she’s barely 30 years old. But, after just four years at the Fargo Theatre, she is the new face of the iconic theatre. Beck took over as executive director in June 2011 for a number of good reasons, not the least of which is passion.

When she talks about movies and the Fargo Theatre, that initial shyness melts away. And then, it’s almost hard to get questions in—she’s just that excited by her work. “I just always wanted to work here … really passionate,” said Beck. She knew early on that if she was going to work in Fargo Moorhead, that the Fargo Theatre would be “the one place that would be an option.”

Her passion began long before she started as the theatre’s film programmer four years ago. Spending her childhood between Valley City and Fargo, Beck was active in Trollwood Performing Arts School and holds a degree in Film History and Criticism from Minnesota State University Moorhead. In fact, she was working for another movie theatre when she wrote to the Fargo Theatre’s longtime executive director Margie Bailly expressing her love for the Fargo Theatre, and asking Bailly to “just keep [her] in mind.”

The company wasn’t hiring at that time, but Bailly kept that letter at her desk for months, and when there was an opening, Beck fit right in. “It must’ve made an impression.” Since then, she’s had plenty of opportunities to prove herself. Like many small non-profits, employees “wear a lot of hats.” As executive director, Beck’s duties range from selling popcorn to writing grants, which she does with the same fevered enthusiasm. “I love the theatre,” she said.

That’s a theme echoed by fans of the historic building. “It means a lot of different things to different people.” Beck said some come for a sense of history or to relive childhood memories. Some come get their film fix and still more come to see live music in an intimate setting. The recent addition of a second screen now allows a movie to play uninterrupted, even if there’s a live concert. This allows the theatre to book even more events. The expansion happened when Bailly was at the helm, but like her predecessor, Beck always has more plans in mind.

She is working to expand the Fargo Film Festival. In its current state, the festival is a five day celebration of all things film. It showcases local, national and international talent in seven film categories. It also digs deeper, offering presentations and panel discussions on the industry. Beck wants to take advantage of the area’s rich pool of eager enthusiasts and volunteers to expand the festival in both length and depth.

Never one to shy from multiple challenges—she reupholstered her own office chairs to save money—she’s also headed up a major fundraising effort. Beck worked closely with the board of directors to successfully transition to digital projection, which is now required in order to play new movies. Cineplexes received financial help from studios, but that wasn’t the case for smaller theatres, especially ones known for their arthouse dedication to playing foreign and independent films.

Enter Beck’s “you make it work” attitude and her ability to recognize opportunity. It was the Fargo Theatre that played the monstrously successful Iron Man movie in Fargo, which helped twofold. It introduced the theatre to a number of movie fans who tend to stick to mainstream theatres. “[Iron Man] would never be the core programming,” she said, quickly adding however, that she thinks of the theatre as a “place offering something for everyone.” And secondly, the increased revenue helped further their mission, Beck explained. “That’s the thing about opportunity.”

Taking advantage of that opportunity presented its own challenges. They had to do some quick hiring to meet demand. She can meet challenges like that she said, only because of some “wonderful” help. She’s quick to commend the board, staff and volunteers for whom she’s “thankful everyday.”

That doesn’t mean she never gets stressed. “There are moments where you feel overwhelmed.” When that happens though, it is the building, the industry, that bring her right back. It’s then that you find her, tucked in her favorite corner of the theatre, breathing in a favorite film. [AWM]

View or share this story online at issuu.com/areawoman/docs/as13/28