There are SO many reasons to love the Capitol, a beautiful venue in downtown Bowling Green managed by the Warren County Public Library. Maintaining its historic ambiance, the theater continues to draw in movie goers, concert audiences, and event attendees from the community and beyond.
The Capitol’s theater is a great presentation space for free library activities, including character storytimes and author presentations! This month, WCPL will host Let’s Read series featuring author Svetlana Chmakova who will present Tuesday, February 11, at 9:30am and 11:30am. Chmakova is an internationally published, award-winning comics/manga author and illustrator, with more than a dozen published books. Her work has been translated into over 13 languages, and she has been nominated twice for the prestigious Eisner Award, referred to as the “Oscars” of the comic industry. Her most recent publications are titles in “The Weirn Books” graphic novel series. Other popular titles include Awkward, Brave, Crush, Diary and Enemies, which make up the Middlebrook Middle School series. Register for her presentation through WCPL’s calendar of events (warrenpl.org/events) and learn more about on her website: https://svetlania.com.
The theater is also a perfect space for showing free movies. Since the library subscribes to a public performance license from a company called Swank, we are able to show movies publicly and not violate copyright. However, one of the stipulations that libraries using that service have is only being allowed to promote the name of the movie in-house or on a website. That is why we leave off the name in anything we publish, like this article and social media posts. It may seem odd and cryptic, but librarians are all about copyright, so we happily comply. Following are summaries of February’s free movies:
•Monday, February 6 @ 2pm & 6:30pm (1961, TV-PG): A black family living in a cramped Chicago tenement in the 1940s have the opportunity to improve their social standing via an insurance-policy check, but are in disagreement about how best to spend the windfall.
•Thursday, February 13 @ 6:30pm (2000, Rated PG-13): This story tells of childhood adversaries and talented athletes who have a love for the game of basketball and each other. Each pursues their dream of basketball success through high school, college and the pros.
•Saturday, February 15 @ 6:30pm (2018, Rated PG-13) A superhero known as Black Panther defends Wakanda, a technologically advanced country in Africa that has hidden itself away from the rest of the world. Now, he must face a dissident who wants to sell the country’s natural resources to fund an uprising. The film will be preceded by a brief presentation by the Freedomwalkers of BG.
•Thursday, February 20 @ 6:30pm (2019, Rated R): Adelaide Wilson, her husband Gabe, her son Jason, and her daughter Zora head to Santa Cruz, California, for a beach vacation at Adelaide’s childhood home with their friends the Tylers and are then terrorized by a family of doppelgangers with murderous motivations.
•Saturday, February 22: A Spike Lee Joint Double Feature, Film 1 @ 5pm (1994, Rated PG-13): Portrait of a close-knit black family living in 1970s Brooklyn, as seen through the eyes of the youngest daughter. This comedy-drama follows them as they deal with money woes, eccentric neighbors and the sons’ troublemaking. Film 2 @ 7:15pm (1989, Rated R): Racial tensions grow in a Brooklyn neighborhood on the hottest day of the summer while everyone tries to cope with the heat. Spike Lee received an Oscar nomination for this screenplay.
•Tuesday, February 25 @ 6:30pm (1975, Rated PG): Variation on “American Graffiti,” focusing on black teens in a 1960s Chicago neighborhood as they prepare to leave high school and enter the real world. A vintage Motown soundtrack is included.
The Capitol is also a perfect spot for co-hosting events with partners, making them free to attend to the community at large, like the WKU Cultural Enhancement Series that brings documentary films and filmmakers to town through its Southern Circuit Series. A free screening of O Pioneer will take place Tuesday, February 11, at 6:30pm. The film reckons with and redefines the American pioneer by following three West Virginians as they creatively navigate hardship and call us to champion the pioneer within. Narrated by lyricist and musician Kaïa Kater, the film weaves verité moments with archival footage, poetic vignettes, and dream-like animation. Following will be a Q+A with directors Jonathan Lococque and Clara Lehmann.
The Capitol is also a fabulous performance space for theatrical productions and music concerts. WCPL and the Capitol will partner with The District | Downtown Redevelopment Authority to host Winterfest, a series of free concerts this month Friday nights at 7pm. Performers are scheduled as follows:
•February 7 – Wolf
•February 14 – Six Gun Five
•February 21 – C-Dock Boyz
•Feb 28 – The Carmonas
Finally, the Capitol is a unique, lovely space that can be rented for private movie screenings, celebrations, or weddings. If you’re interested in rates or availability, fill out the form on our website (capitolbg.org).
-by Ashley Fowlkes, Digital Content Manager
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