Arts

Arts The Community as One

Tucson pulls together to save the Screening Room BY LAURA LATZKO time for businesses such as the Screening

Since it opened in 1989, the Screening Room, which aren’t allowed to reopen unRoom has o ered a space for  lmmakers, der social distancing guidelines. especially those local to Arizona, to show The venue has had to cancel major their work. The Tucson venue hosts a events, including premieres and  lm fesnumber of di erent  lm festivals, includtivals, after having a strong year last year. ing the Arizona International and Arizona This year, the Arizona Underground Underground  lm festivals and Tucson Film Festival has gone online from SepTerrorfest. tember 11 to September 19, and proceeds

Over the years, the space has become will go to the Screening Room. even more wide ranging, as di erent Pike says the closure has especially community groups have begun to put on been impactful for  lmmakers who were shows in the venue. going to show their work at the venue this

Similarly to other performance spaces, year. the Screening Room has been hit  nan“We were set to do a lot of things when cially by the COVID-19 pandemic because we were closing. A lot of local  lmmakers of having to close in March. premiere their  lms at the theater,” Pike

The extended closure prompted opersays. “We have so many  lmmakers— ator and manager David Pike, along with local, international and national—that local organizations and performers, to come through and show their movies. It’s pull together to try to raise money to keep really centered in the  lm community.” the space open. Pike initially thought the venue would

Through a GoFundMe account, the be closed for two to three months. Screening Room been trying to raise In the last few months, the Screening $10,000 to help cover bills. Room has held online events, but the

Keep Tucson Sketchy, a local sketch amount of money raised has not been company group, and Miss Nature, a Tucenough to sustain operating costs. son drag queen, have also organized “Just being open the public, showing shows to raise money for the Screening movies, serving popcorn and beers, that’s Room. what pays the bills. We are trying every

“By having this fundraiser, this will make thing we can online to bridge the gap us OK into next year,” Pike says. “We are and build, but the fundraiser is de nitely asking for enough to get us by.” needed,” Pike says.

The shutdown has been an uncertain Pike has a long history with the theater.

He worked as a programmer at Screening Room from 2010 to 2013 and is the founder and festival director for the Arizona Underground Film Festival and Tucson Terrorfest.

He says it has been tough not working because of how much he enjoys interaction with other  lm a cionados.

“I miss popping popcorn, serving customers and meeting them. I really miss playing movies for people,” Pike says.

The Screening Room was founded by Giulio Scalinger, who continues serve as the Arizona International Film Festival director. From the beginning, the space was meant to serve as an incubator for local  lmmakers.

When he came in March 2018, Pike wanted to continue to o er a place for  lmmakers.

He has also expanded on the venue’s o erings by opening it up to other types of entertainment, including comedy and drag shows.

“I’m a movie guy. I’ve always been a movie person. I’ve studied  lm. I’ve written and directed movies. … Film is very important to me, but all the other events that we have in there, it’s good to have that stu because it makes it more of a community theater,” Pike says.

Community members have also rented the venue for weddings, birthday parties, o ce or holiday parties, and engagement celebrations.

Pike has found that expanding on programming has helped to bring in di erent crowds.

“There are so many diverse people in town who support many di erent things. A lot of events we have, we get really good crowds for,” Pike says.

Keep Tucson Sketchy has operated out of the Screening Room since March 2019. The troupe does a bi-monthly sketch comedy show similar to “Saturday Night

The Screening Room has o ered a space for  lmmakers to show their work since it opened in 1989.

Live” with musical performers and guest hosts.

Joel Foster, one of the founding members of Keep Tucson Sketchy, says the Screening Room allows groups such as his to experiment and have creative freedom.

“That’s a testament to David. If you have an idea for a show and you want to start something up, he’s all about it. … It’s this core group of weirdos that are trying stu out, but it’s cool to see that happening. It’s an incubator,” Foster says.

Foster says the venue is set up well for a sketch comedy show that combines in-person skits and video because of the stage and screen setup.

“Just the interaction with the video to the live show, it’s so important to how the show  ows. … It’s been integral to the success of our show,” Foster says.

The space can accommodate the 20-person crew, which recently had to be reduced to eight to 10 during the pandemic.

Foster says working with the Screening Room has been a positive experience because Pike has always been accommodating, especially in letting his group come in during o hours to work out sound issues and lighting cues.

“He works with us in making sure it is a great experience for us and everyone else,” Foster says.

Starting in March, the group started hosting virtual shows. A portion of proceeds from its August 22 show went to the Screening Room.

Foster says it is important to save the space because without it, his group would not be able to continue to exist.

With its virtual shows, Keep Tucson Sketchy has incorporated recurring characters, such as a doctor who is unsure about everything and a homicidal, drunken cooking show host.

The sketches have delved into life www.LovinLife.com

during quarantine, focusing on topics such as puttering championships and COVID-19 fashions.

The group often touches upon local topics, such as the Tucson City Council and Gov. Doug Ducey’s press conferences, in its sketches.

Foster says the troupe tries to keep the shows light and irreverent.

“We just want people to laugh and see things for as ridiculous as they are sometimes,” Foster says.

In recent years, the Screening Room has o ered a space for di erent types of niche communities, including drag performers.

Miss Nature has been putting on charity drag shows at the Screening Room since 2018.

The shows have raised over $15,000 for organizations such as Wings for Women, the NAACP, the Southern Arizona Network for Down Syndrome, Marshall Home for Men, Drag Story Hour-Arizona and the American Cancer Society.

The “Save the Screening Room” drag show on September 12 will be a combination limited-capacity, in-person and virtual show. It will feature more than a dozen entertainers from Casa Grande, Tucson and Phoenix.

At the Screening Room, Miss Nature offers a more intimate experience for audiences and performers.

The entertainers are introduced to audience members through slideshow presentations with their names and pictures.

Teddy Michael, Grand Duke of the Imperial Court of Arizona, says that the Screening Room o ers an open and af-  rming environment for audience members, volunteers and performers of di erent backgrounds.

He has always felt welcome in the space as a Black, transgender, queer performer.

“This is a place that has made a conscious decision to be open and available to the whole community. That is something really important, in my opinion, to highlight and applaud them for because not every business is that way,” Michael says.

“I feel that it is my duty and responsibility to be a part of an event that will help them to keep their doors open for many years to continue to keep giving back to their Tucson community.”

Justin Deeper-Love, Mister Tucson Pride and a former Arizona Entertainer of the Year King, has performed in almost every charity drag show hosted by Miss Nature.

The performer, who has been in Tucson www.LovinLife.com

since 2010, says the Screening Room offers a place to perform for di erent generations of audience members.

“It’s out of a bar scene, which is awesome because it gives the opportunity to perform for the youth of all ages that come out,” Deeper-Love says.

The shows often attract diverse audiences ranging from children as young as 3 to seniors in their 70s and 80s.

Maggie Maloney, an audience member who regularly attends the drag shows, has gone to the performances with her aunt and mom and plans to bring her daughter to an upcoming show.

“The great thing about the Screening Room is it is all inclusive. There are a lot of people who come that are older. … I have friends that are under the age of 21 that want to attend events like this. It opens the door for all kinds of arts for all ages and really brings communities together,” Maloney says.

She says the social movement, of giving back to local organizations and connecting LGBTQ and straight communities, drew her in when she started attending shows about a year ago.

“The performers, they share a lot, not only their performances but why they are doing this, how they are trying to bring communities together and bridge the gaps,” Maloney says.

Haze Hollywood, Mister Imperial Court 2020, says that having a larger space allows him to do more elaborate performances.

“I think the stage itself is amazing. You can two cartwheels, a split and a shablam. … I can jump freely, do a toe touch and not have to worry about kicking someone in the face,” Hollywood says.

Hollywood says the setup of the venue allows for more interaction between performers and audience members than other performance spaces.

“You actually get to interact with the performers. It’s not just a show. You get to talk to us. You get to know us after the show,” Hollywood says.

For some individuals, such as volunteer Tyrell Potter, the Screening Room has been more than a venue.

He had gone to the venue when he was younger to see movies, but the space took on a new meaning for him when he started attending and later volunteering for drag shows there.

He has run lights and sound, DJed and helped to coordinate volunteers for the charity drag shows for the last two years.

He says being part of these events at the Screening Room helped him to get through a dark period in his life.

From the  rst time he went back to the Screening Room, he felt like he is part of a tight-knit community.

“Losing the Screening Room, I think all of us who have helped or performed would be losing a part of ourselves. It’s one of those things where you walk in the door and you feel that you’re home,” Potter says.

To donate to the GoFundMe, visit gofundme.com/f/save-the-screening-room.

MORE INFO

What: Save the Screening Room When: 7 p.m. Saturday, September 12 Cost: Donations go toward the Screening Room Info: facebook.com/ events/981026632358808

What: Arizona Underground Film Festival When: Friday, September 11, to Saturday, September 19 Info: azu .org

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