The Kickstarter Campaign

Who would have ever thought that a fairytale ending that frequently appears in the movies would actually happen to a beloved movie theater in the town of Barrington? This has certainly been the case with the historic Catlow Theater. Operating since 1927, The Catlow Theater faced extinction last year since production studios decided that they would no longer be distributing movies on film, instead, all movies would be digital. The cost of converting to digital would be $100,000 and owners Tim O'Connor and Roberta Rapata could not afford to make this investment and continue to keep the admission price at $5.

By chance, Tim O'Connor read about Kickstarter.com while at the dentist office. Kickstarter is a fundraising organization for creative projects which utilizes the Internet to solicit funds. In return for contributions, the benefactor gives something back. In the case of The Catlow, there was a complete range of offerings from movie passes (including popcorn and drinks!) to receiving a private party for up to 200 people.

Through email and social media, the campaign to save The Catlow quickly began. The results were absolutely astounding: in fewer than seven days, the goal of $100,000 was reached! At the end of the given 60-day period, $175,395 was pledged to the theater. The owners had no problem determining what was to be done with the rest of the money. The marquee has already been cleaned and painted, and many of the worn seats will be replaced along with a new furnace.

All and all, a very happy ending for a beautiful theater and dedicated owners truly concerned for the arts and the good of the community.