Tag: theater

Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse

M's Adventures

Unique experiences are often retro. The Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse on Columbia Pike in South Arlington is one of those places. Long before the lounger style dine in movie theaters, one could go to the Drafthouse and watch a show while eating dinner. Built in 1940 in art deco style, it was originally called “Arlington Theater & Bowling Alleys” as it was part of a larger recreational center which included a bowling alley. In 1985, new owners took over and created the dine-in concept. In 2007, the ownership changed again and live entertainment was allowed at the drafthouse.

This is how I came to see a stand up comedian perform live. I saw Michael Kosta for $35. He even took photos with us afterwards.

To this day, one can still get pizza and a beer, but the menu also includes vegan burgers, quesadillas, lava cake, and cocktails named after movies. And of course, popcorn. The tickets for the show are separate from the food an drink. The staff manage the entire food service while you sit watching the show.

As the cuisine at the drafthouse is perhaps not haute cuisine, that strip of Columbia Pike has many other options for before or/and after.

Food, a Performance Art Form, and We Are All Content Creators Now

M's Adventures

With the rise of social media, everyone with a smartphone is now a “content creator.” Most of us have become entertainers as we “direct” the photos of our food (north light is always best!). In Korea, they have “mukbang”, an “art form” where people pay to watch others eat. This has been ridiculed by many… but look at us now, as we all zoom happy hours and dinners with each other.

Going out to eat is a performance art where you as the customer are the audience, but also part of the experience. That is why it sort of makes sense that many actors work in the restaurant industry (a working actor = can be someone who works in a restaurant but also works as an actor) because a live “show” every night is superb practice! Everything in a restaurant from the lighting (lots of dishes now involve fire and smoke), decor, and seating is evaluated just as one would in a theater. In a theater, there is that expression, “smoke and mirrors” and that is also true of most restaurants. But, at a restaurant, on top of smoke and mirrors, there is smell and taste involved along with the other senses (plus that “something” like the umami of the whole event), are engaged as part of the experience.

In a natural segue, some of the food influencers, like David Chang, have their own shows. The Danish influencer, Claus Meyer, did a lecture/show at a theater. With the advent of videos and “stories” on Instagram and Facebook, the food industry has become an entertainment producer online, not just in brick and mortar. Both these chefs/influencers are active daily on Instagram. That’s more interaction than you could ever get back when you had to wait a year for a reservation at one of their fine dining establishments. One of my friends commented that due to COVID, she is able to get food delivered to her house from restaurants where she could not even get a reservation!

In the time of COVID, and all the zoom and whatsapp virtual gatherings, the paradigm has shifted. Perhaps, we have all become, oddly much more connected, but more than that, how we see each other has changed. We are seeing more people in their pajamas and without makeup or dyed hair. This, like things, has good sides and bad sides. Maybe we don’t want so much contact?

I’d also posit that we’ve become more egalitarian as well… well, if you have mastery of social media…