TIFF Movies at the Imperial Theatre | NB Traveler highlighting the many great things about the Maritimes, particularly New Brunswick

The Imperial Theatre hosts the TIFF Film Circuit and I am here today with Lindsay Jacquard, the Sponsorship and Patron Services Coordinator, to talk about the series and other great things that are happening at the theatre. An edited part of the interview is below:

(Mark) So Lindsay, tell my listeners about the theatre’s community spirit and its outreach to connect and engage people.

(Lindsay) Well, the Imperial Theater has been a part of Saint John for about a hundred years now, and the theatre in this iteration under this name has been around for 30 seasons, so we are about as entrenched in Saint John history as we can get, but we have the privilege of not only presenting shows year round, but working with community partners doing outreach with schools, with assisted living homes and with groups in our community. And we get to present amazing art.

(M) So talk a little more about the TIFF series.

(L) Yes, we're now the new home of the TIFF circuit here in Saint John. TIFF, is an international film festival that happens in Toronto every year. But what they also do is work with film distributors to get these movies into smaller communities, into places that may not have these independent films released in their cinemas. And we are the right venue for that. We have the technology. We have the space. And we have the audiences to bring in to see all sorts of films that might not be here otherwise.

(M) I am very impressed by how accessible the theater is for people that might have some physical handicaps.

(L) Yes, especially in the past couple of years, we have really been focusing on how we can make the venue accessible in a multitude of ways, whether that is for folks with mobility needs or other physical accessibility considerations, and also for folks who might have different accessibility needs. People who might need a quieter space; people who might need to take more time when ordering tickets or any number of things. And I think there's a lot of different ways to consider accessibility whether that is physical or price point or language barriers.

(M) What are ways to obtain tickets in addition to doing it through the Imperial website?

(L) I run the box office, and there will always be a whole bunch of friendly faces in The box office is not just about selling tickets. But it's about folks who whether they don't enjoy using the website or they've just run into a problem beyond their control. We're here to be your troubleshooters and we're also here to be helpful to you. We're open Monday to Friday, 12 to 5. But if there's a show going on, sometimes you can sneak in in the evening and find that we're still available too.

(M) So, Lindsay, how can my local listeners become more involved with the Imperial Theatre?

(L) Oh, goodness! I mean, you can always just come. See shows here because we are happy to have faces that we recognize. But if you want to be even more involved, we have a wonderful volunteer core. Our volunteers really make this place run. They are ushers, they are our ticket scanners, and they are the faces that you see when you come to a show in the evening. And if folks want to get involved in that way, there's more information on our website on how to volunteer at our shows and at our events.

(M) When will the kick off be for the 31st season?

(L) We haven't announced the date of our launch yet, but our season launch is always in June, so June of 2024 we will be revealing all of our secrets, and then our first shows of the new season are always starting in September, or October.

Imperial Theatre Website

Jan 30 – TIFF Film Circuit: Bones of Crows 7:00 PM

Feb 11 – Greater Saint John Chinese NY Gala 2:00 PM

Feb 13 – Retro Film: Legally Blonde 7:00 PM

[00:00.000 --> 00:11.160] I am Mark, the New Brunswick Traveler, and here we talk about New Brunswick stuff. [00:11.160 --> 00:17.360] There's so many great wonderful treasures and natural resources here that we can experience [00:17.360 --> 00:24.120] from the Bay of Fundy to Mount Carlton to all of the various things that are in between. [00:24.120 --> 00:29.880] So for now, let's get started. [00:29.880 --> 00:35.840] Hello, I'm Mark Brewer, the New Brunswick Traveler, and I'm happy to have Lindsay Jacquard with [00:35.840 --> 00:42.400] me today to talk about her work at the Imperial Theater here in St. John. [00:42.400 --> 00:48.320] She is the sponsorship and patron services coordinator. [00:48.320 --> 00:50.560] Welcome to NB Traveler, Lindsay. [00:50.560 --> 00:51.560] Hi, Mark. [00:51.560 --> 00:54.000] Thanks so much for having me. [00:54.320 --> 01:01.080] St. John Rossay MP Wayne Long recently said that the Imperial Theater has a rich history [01:01.080 --> 01:05.840] and is a cultural landmark in beautiful St. John. [01:05.840 --> 01:11.160] Your executive director, Angela Campbell, stated in a recent news release that she's proud [01:11.160 --> 01:17.440] of the theater's community spirit and its meaningful reach to connect and engage people [01:17.440 --> 01:20.240] through performance arts. [01:20.240 --> 01:26.480] So Lindsay, tell my listeners about the theater's community spirit and its outreach to connect [01:26.480 --> 01:28.520] and engage people. [01:28.520 --> 01:35.920] Well, the Imperial Theater has been a part of St. John for about a hundred years now [01:35.920 --> 01:42.360] and the theater in this iteration under this name has been around for 30 seasons. [01:42.360 --> 01:50.200] So we are about as entrenched in St. John history as we can get, but we have the privilege [01:50.200 --> 01:57.080] of not only presenting shows year round, but working with community partners, doing outreach [01:57.080 --> 02:05.120] with schools, with assisted living homes, with groups in our community, and we get to present [02:05.120 --> 02:08.040] amazing art. [02:08.040 --> 02:10.240] So talk a little more about the TIFF series. [02:10.240 --> 02:14.560] I think that's the one that you particularly have responsibility for. [02:14.680 --> 02:24.040] Yes, we had the real privilege of taking over the TIFF film circuit a couple of years ago. [02:24.040 --> 02:31.800] They entrusted it to us from the previous organization and we're now the new home of the TIFF circuit [02:31.800 --> 02:33.640] here in St. John. [02:33.640 --> 02:36.720] And TIFF is the Toronto International Film Festival. [02:36.720 --> 02:44.080] It's a film festival that happens in Toronto every year, but what they also do is work [02:44.120 --> 02:50.600] with film distributors to get these movies into smaller communities, into places that [02:50.600 --> 02:56.320] may not have these independent films released in their cinemas. [02:56.320 --> 02:59.640] And we are the right venue for that. [02:59.640 --> 03:08.720] We have the technology, we have the space, and we have the audiences to gray in to see [03:08.720 --> 03:15.560] all sorts of films that otherwise the local Cineplex may never bring. [03:15.560 --> 03:23.040] And in a way, it's sort of taking the Imperial Theatre back to 1929 when it became established [03:23.040 --> 03:31.000] as the Capitol Theatre for a number of years and showed some major films that now have [03:31.000 --> 03:37.720] in a way become classic films that you may be showing some of the same ones. [03:37.720 --> 03:39.160] Exactly. [03:39.160 --> 03:41.520] It's really going back to our roots. [03:41.520 --> 03:49.440] Our original manager Walter Golding had connections to MGM and when we did at one point become [03:49.440 --> 03:55.680] a theater in our history and with our many other iterations, now we're back to being at [03:55.680 --> 03:58.400] a little bit of a movie theater again. [03:58.400 --> 04:00.560] We have this sort of the TIFF circuit. [04:00.560 --> 04:05.640] We've also got our retro film series that we play, but it's really nice to be getting [04:05.640 --> 04:18.560] these first run new releases, and especially when we're able to play smaller Canadian productions. [04:18.560 --> 04:24.640] One of the things that impresses me about the Imperial is the price of the tickets [04:24.640 --> 04:30.720] are very affordable. [04:30.720 --> 04:38.160] And I think that makes it possible that families really can enjoy more in the theater itself. [04:38.160 --> 04:39.560] Absolutely. [04:39.560 --> 04:47.080] I always think of our film series, including TIFF as one of our more subtle offers of [04:47.080 --> 04:57.280] outreach, something that feels welcoming and accessible both in the price point, but also [04:57.280 --> 05:01.200] there can be the impression that going to the theater is something that's out of touch [05:01.200 --> 05:02.400] for people. [05:02.400 --> 05:03.400] It's too big. [05:03.400 --> 05:04.400] It's too fancy. [05:04.400 --> 05:09.520] People are nervous about it, but going to see a movie is something that's more comfortable. [05:09.520 --> 05:14.120] It's affordable and it brings people into our space who otherwise might not have been here [05:14.120 --> 05:17.320] or might not have seen themselves in the Imperial theater. [05:17.320 --> 05:20.200] And they can realize like, oh, there's programming for me. [05:20.200 --> 05:23.440] There's a place for me here. [05:23.440 --> 05:31.440] My wife and I attended the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra a couple of weeks ago and we're [05:31.440 --> 05:38.080] very impressed by the fact that you practically had a sellout there, I think, but also very [05:38.080 --> 05:45.000] impressed by how accessible the theater is for people that might have some physical handicaps. [05:45.000 --> 05:46.160] Yeah. [05:46.160 --> 05:51.960] We especially in the past couple of years have really been focusing on how we can make [05:51.960 --> 05:58.840] the venue accessible in a multitude of ways, whether that is for folks with mobility needs [05:58.840 --> 06:07.360] or other physical accessibility considerations, but also for folks who might have different [06:07.360 --> 06:12.760] accessibility needs, people who might need a quieter space, people who might need to [06:12.760 --> 06:17.360] take more time when ordering tickets or any number of things. [06:17.360 --> 06:21.560] And I think there's a lot of different ways to consider accessibility, whether that is [06:22.280 --> 06:26.280] physical or price point or language barriers. [06:28.800 --> 06:35.200] I noticed that it's very easy on the website to be able to order tickets, but for individuals [06:35.200 --> 06:40.560] that perhaps aren't real happy with using the internet to order things, what's the [06:40.560 --> 06:45.120] other options on how they might be able to obtain a ticket from the Imperial? [06:45.960 --> 06:47.680] Oh, that's right off my alley. [06:48.680 --> 06:55.360] I run the box office and there will always be a whole bunch of friendly faces in the box office. [06:55.360 --> 06:58.600] You can call them, you can come in and visit. [06:58.600 --> 07:00.920] And I really think of the box office at this point. [07:00.920 --> 07:05.600] It's not just about selling tickets, but it's about folks who, you know, whether they [07:05.600 --> 07:10.080] don't enjoy using the website or they've just run into a problem that is so far beyond, [07:10.080 --> 07:14.000] we're here to be your troubleshooters and we're also here to be helpful to you. [07:15.000 --> 07:19.040] And the box office is open during the week, what hours? [07:19.040 --> 07:22.240] We're open Monday to Friday, 12 to five. [07:22.240 --> 07:25.760] But if there's a show going on, sometimes you can sneak in in the evening and find [07:25.760 --> 07:27.280] that we're still available to. [07:29.760 --> 07:35.360] So Lindsay, how can my local listeners become more involved with the Imperial Theater? [07:36.080 --> 07:36.920] Oh goodness. [07:37.200 --> 07:42.480] I mean, you can always just come see shows here because we are happy to have spaces [07:42.800 --> 07:50.240] that we recognize, but if you want to be even more involved, we have a wonderful volunteer core. [07:50.240 --> 07:53.440] Our volunteers really make this place run. [07:53.440 --> 07:59.920] They are ushers, they are ticket scanners, and they are the faces that you see when [07:59.920 --> 08:01.840] you come to a show in the evening. [08:01.840 --> 08:06.400] And if folks want to get involved in that way, there's more information on our website there [08:07.280 --> 08:12.000] to figure out how to volunteer at our shows and at our events. [08:13.440 --> 08:17.200] I also noticed on the website, there's something called Ambassador. [08:17.920 --> 08:21.360] Yes, we also have our Community Ambassador Program. [08:21.920 --> 08:31.280] And that's one where we link up with leaders in the community in the St. John area who [08:31.280 --> 08:36.720] can help make it accessible for newcomers to come to the theater, whether that's people [08:36.720 --> 08:41.600] who just moved to St. John from another province or from a whole other country or [08:41.920 --> 08:47.760] continent, that's to take away financial barriers or to take away social barriers, [08:47.760 --> 08:52.480] to invite people into the space and make them feel comfortable and welcome here. [08:53.520 --> 08:55.440] That is fantastic. [08:55.440 --> 08:59.920] What will the kickoff be for the 31st season and when will it be? [09:00.800 --> 09:05.920] Well, we haven't announced the date of our launch yet, but our season launch is always in June. [09:05.920 --> 09:10.160] So June of 2024, we'll be revealing all of our secrets. [09:10.160 --> 09:15.200] And then our first shows of the new season are always starting in September, October. [09:16.560 --> 09:23.280] Well, sometime around when that launch is announced, I sure would be happy to be able [09:23.280 --> 09:29.120] to talk with someone involved with the theater and we'll begin to talk about your season next [09:29.120 --> 09:33.920] year and how it continues to make an impact in the community. [09:33.920 --> 09:35.120] Oh, we would love that. [09:36.320 --> 09:39.360] Thank you, Lindsay, for your time and you have a great day. [09:39.360 --> 09:40.560] Thank you so much, Rick. You too. [09:44.720 --> 09:49.840] There are three events coming up at the Imperial Theater that I thought you might be interested in. [09:50.560 --> 09:59.280] First of all, the TIFF film circuit movie Bones of Crows is going to be showing on January the 30th [09:59.280 --> 10:06.800] at seven o'clock p.m. Bones of Crows actually received a 95 rating with Rotten Tomato, [10:06.800 --> 10:14.880] which is fantastic and is told to the eyes of a Cree matriarch as she survives a childhood [10:14.880 --> 10:22.640] in Canada's residential school system to continue her family's generational fight in the face of [10:22.640 --> 10:32.160] systematic starvation, racism and sexual abuse. This movie is only $12.50 and I think would be [10:32.160 --> 10:39.200] of great interest to you. On February the 11th that the Imperial Theater is the greater St. John [10:39.200 --> 10:46.240] Chinese New Year's Gala at two o'clock in the afternoon and on February the 13th is the [10:46.240 --> 10:54.960] retro film Legally Blonde. Yes, she's back and she's blonde. It's at seven o'clock in the evening [10:54.960 --> 11:01.600] and the price for a ticket for that is only $10. You can check these out on the Imperial [11:01.600 --> 11:11.280] website. If you need the web address, it's on the show notes. It's been a real joy talking to [11:11.280 --> 11:20.240] you today and I hope you have a wonderful week. Thank you for listening and go and give a comment, [11:20.240 --> 11:31.360] give a reading and help me to make this even a better podcast. Transcription results written to '/home/forge/transcribe2.sonicengage.com/releases/20240202210301' directory