Thanks to Thom Fitzgerald, Neptune Theatre reopens as a cinema (4 photos)
Posted Oct 26, 2020 08:48:00 AM.
Halifax's premiere showcase for live stage productions has reopened as a movie theatre.
Spurred on by award-winning filmmaker Thom Fitzgerald and his latest movie Splinters, Neptune Theatre hopes to use socially-distanced cinema to return audiences to the seats.
Based on a stage play by Lee-Anne Poole that debuted in Halifax a decade ago, Thom Fitzgerald says it only seemed natural to screen Splinters as a reintroduction for audiences to Neptune Theatre, which has been closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Neptune has remained closed for six months now and I thought it's too soon for them to put on a full show but we can definitely do a socially-distanced audience inside Fountain Hall,” said Fitzgerald.
Splinters tells the story of a young woman confronting the strained relationship with her mother after her father's death. The Halifax filmmaker behind such cinematic hits as The Hanging Garden and Cloudburst said the theatre has been transformed into a temporary cinema perfect for the film with the installation of a giant screen and improved sound.
“As well as being at Neptune Theatre in person, people all over Nova Scotia — from Cape Breton down to the south tip — can actually rent it online from NeptuneAtHome.com,” said Fitzgerald. “So there's different ways for people to see Splinters through Neptune and support the Neptune Theatre through months and months of being shut down.”
Fitzgerald added proceeds will go to help Neptune Theatre continue to operate amid COVID-19.
Splinters screens until Nov. 8.
