Pam & Gary's Lawnchair Theater: A Primer.

Q. So what exactly is Pam & Gary's Lawnchair Theater?

A. Good question! When Pam and I first moved to St. Louis Park in 1994, we wanted a fun way to meet our neighbors, hang out with our friends and entertain in a very relaxed and novel way. So we found an old 16mm sound projector at National Camera, hung a large bed sheet on the back of our house and invited our friends and neighbors to join in the fun.  And join us they did!

A lot has changed since those early days of Lawnchair Theater.  Since we remodeled our house in 2004, our movies are now on DVD (giving us a lot greater choice of titles), we project images from an LCD projector onto a 12' x 9' vinyl screen attached to the back of our house and we have speakers that surround the viewers so everyone can hear all the dialogue...even when the planes fly over (part of the fun of life in the city).

Q. Who can come to Lawnchair Theater?

A. Our backyard is open to all our neighbors and friends--whoever thinks it sounds fun and would like to be on the email list is welcome to have their address added to the invites. Turnout varies greatly.  We've had as many as 61 people and as few as four.  We never know who's going to show up, but we've always had room for more.

Q. Is attendance really free?

A. Absolutely.  This is not a commercial enterprise.  It's a neighborhood event. We see it as a good way to get together with friends old and new and enjoy a summer night in a the Twin Cities.  We always have at least an hour of designated "mingle time" before the movie (which is often times just as important--and just as fun--as the film itself). Then, we encourage people to linger afterwards and chat some more.  (Hey, it's (usually) Saturday night. Why not live a little!)

Q. What kind of movies do you show?

A. Since we can show just about anything now available on DVD, the play list varies.  We've had screwball comedies like Will Ferrell's "Blades of Glory" and "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle", touching dramas like "The Station Agent", "The Sweet Hereafter" and "Lovely & Amazing", foreign films like "Amelie" and "Run Lola Run" and family-friendly films like "Shrek", "Winged Migration" and "Finding Nemo".

Q. Speaking of family films, how do I know if the film is good for the kiddies?

A. When we send out email invitations, we always tell you what's playing, what it's rated and why.  We show films like "Sideways" and "Harold & Maude" early in the summer, when the sun goes down later (and the kids are already in bed).  Later in the summer, as the days get shorter and the movies can start earlier, we tend to show more films for the whole family, like "Happy Feet" and "Stewart Little".  It's a good mix throughout the summer.

Q. What should I bring to Lawnchair Theater?

A. Since Lawnchair Theater is all about low-maintenance fun, all you need to bring is something to sit on (a lawn chair or blanket) and, if you choose, a snack or beverage for yourself.  If you want popcorn and a glass of wine or beer, for example, that's just fine.  No need to bring enough to share.  Everyone else takes care of their own needs, too.  (We just ask that your litter finds its way to the garbage can and your empties into recycling.) 

Other considerations are weather and bugs.  If we think it's going to be extra buggy, we try to fog for mosquitoes well before show time.  But skeeters are a hearty insect, so it's wise to bring your own bug spray.  The good new is, once the sun has truly set, the bugs generally stop attacking.  

It's also a good idea to bring a jacket or extra blanket, since the night may cool as the hour grows later.  Finally, if it's raining earlier in the day or may rain later in the night, don't assume Lawnchair Theater has been cancelled.  The show generally goes on, unless it's actually raining at movie time.  Otherwise, we have a garage we can retreat to if the sky opens up mid-show (it's happened--more than once!).

Q. How often do you have Lawnchair Theater?

A. There is no set schedule.  We watch the forecast and, if things are looking good for Saturday night, we send out an invitation as early in the week as possible.  Whoever can show up is welcome.  We will try to give as much notice as possible, since having a fun-sized group makes for good mingling and a enjoyable movie watching experience.  

We start showing movies as early as late April (we couldn't this year--it was just too cold and wet) and continue sometimes into early October. (We actually even held one in early November and, as a lark, did one in the snow on New Year's Eve.)  Obviously, you have to dress for conditions, so check the weather forecast before heading over.

Q. When is the first movie going to be?

A. Not sure yet.  The weather so far this spring has been consistently cold and wet on the weekends. Hopefully very soon our fortunes (and our temperatures) will change.  When they do, those on our email list will be hearing from us soon!

Q. So tell me again about this "mingling" time.  What's that all about?  And what if I don't know anybody?

A. While the movies are fun, we think what really makes the experience for most of our guests is the time before and after the movie when they can sit around (or stand around) and talk. That's why we encourage people to come early and meet others and stick around afterwards on the nice nights and enjoy the evening air.  It can be quite magical on a beautiful summer night. And if you don't know anybody, come introduce yourself to Pam or me.  We introduce you and you'll have some new acquaintances before you know it!

Q. What if I have to go potty?

A. Don't worry.  We have bathrooms inside.  Just don't let our cats out or we'll have to punish you severely.

Q. I hear you've had some special guests at Lawnchair Theater?

A. My, what an astute question!  You would think I was making these up myself!  Yes, we've had some extra special evenings over the years.  Last year (2007) was a particularly good example. Sue Scott & Tim Russell, stars of the movie and radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" spent the evening with us telling stories and answering questions.  When the sun went down, we ended the evening by showing Garrison Keillor's movie of the same name. It was a magical night.  

We also had a great movie discussion lead by local movie critic, Chris Hewitt.  He's a big fan of Lawnchair Theater--even featuring us in a cover story in his paper, the Pioneer Press.  We hope to woo him back for another evening.  Also last year, videographer Jeff Saunders, a cameraman/editor who's worked with National Geographic and the History Channel spent an evening sharing his photographic series, "Ten Years of Travel Photography".

This year, we already have two big events lined up for later in the summer. Film director, Ali Selim, and Producer, Tom Lieberman, will be joining us July 26 to talk about their movie, "Sweet Land".  And documentarian Dawn Mikkelson will be sharing her latest documentary, "Green Green Water" as well as sharing stories about a new film she's working on about Northwest Airlines called "The Red Tail". We also have a local filmmaker, Simone Ahuja, who specializes in stories about South Asia who will be sharing some of her work as well (date TBD).

Q. I'm not on the email invite list.  How can I get on it?

A. Easy.  Just drop us a note at: lawnchairtheater(at)mac(dot)com.  (Obviously, don't type the words "at" or "dot" as I did here.  That's just a way to fool those darn creepy crawlers that are trolling for emails to spam.  That's why I can't write it out as one normally would.)

Q. I have another question that you didn't answer. How can I ask that?

A. Easy. Just click on the word "Comments" below.  You can leave a comment on this post and we'll answer it as soon as we can.