Buskirk movie ban may be lifted

Talks regarding a lift of a ban on showing movies at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre on Kirkwood Avenue look optimistic, State Senator Vi Simpson said. \nWhat was once the Indiana Theatre was closed down in 1995 by Kerasotes Theatres and donated to the Bloomington Area Arts Council. However, with the acceptance of the venue, a restriction in the deed on showing movies was also agreed upon. \nThe building was restored at a great effort and cost by the BAAC as well as community involvement, Director of BCT management Danielle McClelland said. \nWith generous donations from the Buskirk and Chumley families, the theatre was re-opened in 1999 under BCT management, a non-profit organization. McClelland said the Buskirk-Chumley's main mission is to provide a multi-media performance venue to the Bloomington community.\n"It is a premiere venue for live performance in Bloomington," she said. However, with live performance comes built-in days for rehearsals, when the theatre is not being used. \n"The opportunity to show movies would stimulate the use of the theatre," McClelland said. "Business-wise, it's a very smart move. Movies have become such a huge industry; you can show movies at much less of a cost than producing live shows." \nThe Buskirk-Chumley has had financial difficulty in the past, and the lift of the ban on movies would undoubtedly help their business. Efforts to enhance the theatre are consistently being made. The former Indiana Sweet Shop, located next to the theatre, is being made into a theatre café and concession stand. BCT also recently changed their terms-of-use to allow food and drinks in the auditorium.\n"It is one of the best auditoriums, of intimate scale, in the country, I believe. We're just realizing how fully it can be used," McClelland said. \nMike Wilkerson, president of the BCT board, said film would not be the dominant medium at the Buskirk-Chumley if the ban were lifted. "It is a multidisciplinary performing arts venue, never exclusively a movie theatre," he said.\nThough the emphasis is, and will remain, on live performance at the theatre, the opportunity to show movies may result in film festivals or the showing of classic films and traveling shows.\n"Along the way, it'll help us pay our bills, but more so our mission is to help the community," Wilkerson said.\nThe Buskirk-Chumley aims to project a diverse showing of the arts and appeal to diverse audiences. Wilkerson summarizes the theatre's diversity by volunteering their schedule for a typical night: "The Vagina Monologues" followed by "Annie." \n"It is in our mission to present all the arts that we can at the Buskirk-Chumley," said Wilkerson. "We appreciate Kerasotes' willingness to negotiate." \nSome Bloomington residents perceive Kerasotes Theatres as monopolizing the film business in Bloomington as they operate the Showplace Cinemas and operate 533 movie screens at 82 theatres in the Midwest.\nSimpson said she has been talking with the owners of Kerasotes to discuss the lifting of the ban for more than six months. She said they have been very cooperative. \n"They're very interested in seeing to it that the Buskirk-Chumley is successful in the community," she said.