The Wilmette Theatre after 100 years of operation is still engaging audiences in the community. through unique forms of arts programming, entertainment and give-backs. Despite their efforts, they still face funding challenges–like most local theaters across the country. Amelia Donhauser has the story.
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Falkowski: We’ve had our ups and downs with, you know, equipment breaking, or the heat going out, or, you know, certain things like that. So that’s been, you know, we have our challenges.
That was Amy Falkowski, a Wilmette resident and program director at the theater who started in 2021–amid the pandemic and revamped the theater. She says starting in the middle of the pandemic was particularly challenging.
Falkowski: When we first opened, it was like, ‘Yay, you’re here.’’ And then it was like, ‘Oh, wait,’ but now we have to kind of close down a little bit, or now everyone has to wear masks and show COVID tests or show that they were vaccinated…so that was really hard.
Falkowski, who initially wanted to be a member of the board of directors at the theater, saw the program director job and realized it made sense, she says, considering her background and interests in the arts.
Falkowski: When I was in graduate school, I’d taken history of film, and when I was in undergraduate school, I’d worked in a small independent movie theater for two out of the four years that I was there. So, I’d always had an interest in movies and, especially independent movies.
She also said she noticed a shift in new businesses in downtown Wilmette and wanted to preserve the theater.
Falkowski: I saw that change was happening, and I wanted to make sure that the theater wasn’t part of the demolition but was a part of the sort of renaissance.
She believes that they continue to grow and gain more support in the community each year because of their programming.
Falkowski: So we do the movies, and so we try to do a balance between kind of family, fun movies and stuff like that. And then, you know, more independent and foreign films and things like that. But then also we do live comedy, live bands, we do a story slam.
Even though the theater is a nonprofit, Falkowski still wants to give back and engage the community.
Falkowski: We do a lot of things like children’s rentals and other children’s activities. We work closely with the village to do things like the historic months and stuff like that. So we just did Hispanic Heritage Month, where we put on a free movie for that. We’ll do Women’s History Month, Black History Month, and Asian American Pacific Islander month.
Last winter, she says they ran an event called Rock For Socks, where the entry fee to the concert was a bundle of socks.
Falkowski: Those were donated to the unhoused who needed, you know, socks. And I think we gathered, I don’t know, 3500 socks or something like that.
Yet, she says receiving funding for programming and renovations for the theater can be challenging.
Falkowski: It’s hard. It’s hard to run a nonprofit in an affluent part of the city or even part of the country and try to convince, you know, grants and stuff like that, that we need that money. Because, like, well, ‘you live in a wealthy community, shouldn’t they give you money? And we’re like, yeah, they should, you know. But I’m like, so should you.
Right now, she says they’re fundraising to replace the original marquee.
Falkowski: Our marquee is crazy old, you know, the letters are falling off. And so we would like to have, you know, be able to restore the original marquee and that takes money.
Falkowski says what makes the local theater special is how it’s community-oriented and kids can learn their independence there, unlike a big chain theater.
Falkowski: This is a community place. They can come and tell me their order, you know. And it’s not a big, scary, you know, megaplex or something like that. They can ride their bikes up to the theater and park their bikes up front… It’s small, so the kids can come in on their own. Their parents can drop them off, and they’re here by themselves. I mean, we’re not babysitters by any means. But it’s still; it’s very cozy, comfy, and safe in that regard.
Sam Niemi, who saw an afternoon showing of the new, highly anticipated film “Saturday Night” in one of their two theaters says watching the movie there made her experience even better.
Niemi: I thought it was a great movie. I had a lot of fun watching it. I think the environment definitely had a lot to do with that, too.
Unique events and the history of the theater are what make it special for Falkowski.
So you can’t go to one of the big box places and see live comedy or see a local band. That’s just not going to happen… It’s just important, yeah, and it’s also part of history.
Niemi says that it was her first time at the theater, but she is already looking forward to more programming and going again.
If you haven’t been to the Wilmette theater, you should definitely go. It’s adorable, and the marquee outside the front is just like iconic.
For WNUR News, I’m Amelia Donhauser.
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