Local Theater Executive Director Works Reel Hard

Hey, all you movie buffs out there: Picture, if you will, the complete and utter splendor of having unlimited access to a movie theater. All-you-can-eat popcorn. The ability to pick the best seat in the house. The power to actually choose which movies are seen. The Works.

This is what you may think awaits long-time Plymouth resident Ellen Elliott when she arrives to work every day. She is, after all, the executive director of Plymouth’s landmark . But as entertaining as her job is, it includes far more than discussing the merits of choosing Milk Duds, as opposed to whoppers, to accompany your soda.

I talked with Elliott – after she got the Friday night movie up and running – about responsibilities, the great voice of Lloyd Oliver, and why being around so much popcorn gives her pause. 

Plymouth Patch: Tell me about the role you play in running the Penn Theater.

Ellen Elliott: It entails actually running the theater itself; taking care of all the ordering, movies, and scheduling. With regard to the Friends of the Penn (a federally recognized nonprofit organization comprised of community supporters of the theater), I take care of fundraising, renovations, and all of that. It’s kind of two hats, really: running a business and managing a nonprofit as well. 

Plymouth Patch: How many hours do you work per week?

Elliott: At least forty, sometimes more, depending on the week. It’s worth it. It’s worth every minute to know that this place is still here. It’s not drudgery. It’s a passion. I love my job. 

Plymouth Patch: How long have you held this position?

Elliott: Six years. 

Plymouth Patch: What’s the most enjoyable part of running a movie theater?

Elliott: All the people who are so happy that the Penn is open, and every day there are at least one or two patrons that come in and say, “Thank you for what you do,” and that’s what makes it worth it. 

Plymouth Patch: And the most challenging?

Elliott: Probably when people don’t understand the complexities, and so they get angry because you’re not doing things the way they think they should be done. Sometimes people are disappointed because we couldn’t get the movie they wanted to see. We try and do everything as efficiently as we can.  You have to be a good problem-solver. But, 99 percent of the time, people are happy; we really have very few problems here. 

Plymouth Patch: Tell me about an average day on the job – how do you prepare for showtime each weekend?

Elliott: One thing I have to keep up on all the time is new movies. Almost every day I’m doing research on current releases. I know about them: I learn about them, whether moviegoers like them or don’t like them, and whether the critics like them or don’t like them. Predicting whether something is going to do well for us is hard, but we usually do pretty well. We know our audience well enough. I also set the schedules, and I’m always at least a month ahead. I also keep up with the ordering for concessions – we deal with three different vendors. I also check inventory, and things like that. Then there’s the financial stuff: doing the books, deposits…On a movie night, we’ll get here at least an hour early – we’ve got to make the popcorn and get the concession area set up. And if the projectionist isn’t here, I make sure the film is prepped and ready to go. We don’t just press a button and play a DVD; we actually have film that comes in. Then, at the end of the night, we clean everything – the bathrooms, the theater, everything – so that it’s already clean when we come in the next day. It’s a pretty full day. 

Plymouth Patch: I think I already know the answer to this question, but I’m still curious: Do you ever pop in and take in a flick if you have some downtime? What are you generally doing while a movie is playing?

Elliott: People always say to me, “Did you see that movie?” but I see very few movies, actually, because I just don’t have the time to do it. Typically while a movie is playing, I’m either getting caught up with thank-you letters for donations or organizing, sometimes making popcorn if we need more…and there’s usually not enough time to get all my paperwork done, box office reports and things like that. 

Plymouth Patch: How can you afford to keep the ticket prices so low?

Elliott: Because we are a nonprofit. I’m not a risk-taker; I’m really conservative with my budget, and I make sure we stay within the budget. So, all of our prices – our ticket price, our concession prices – are set so that we can pay all of our bills, make sure we are not in debt, and so that our fundraising only has to be done for renovations. It’s a formula that seems to work. 

Plymouth Patch: The Penn thrives with the help of quite a few volunteers; how many are there?

Elliott: It varies. Last year, in 2010, we had 139 that were active. At the end of each year, I take a look at how many were active for that year. We’ve had as many as 150 to 175. Without our volunteer corps, I couldn’t do my job. No way. We have a fantastic group of volunteers. I schedule volunteers two months out. Anyone interested in volunteering can visit our Web site – penntheatre.com – and click on the volunteer tab and send us an e-mail. Spots fill up really fast. 

Plymouth Patch: Tell us about the great Lloyd Oliver, the theater’s projectionist who was also known as “the voice of the Penn.”

Elliott: Unfortunately, Lloyd passed away in 2006. Every kid could imitate his voice. His inflection… it was real sharp. We have a DVD that we play during our auction [an annual fundraising event] every year that was made by our volunteers. Well, we started the DVD with a recording of Lloyd’s voice…This is a recording for the Penn Theater…It is just the coolest thing, and it really motivates people to get involved with the Penn. 

Plymouth Patch: Many may not know that although the Penn opened in 1941, popcorn wasn’t served at the theater until 1950 – when it changed ownership – because the original owner, Harry Lush, didn’t like popcorn. Are you a fan of popcorn? And has spending so much time at the Penn made you just plain tired of it?

Elliott: No, popcorn has always been one of my favorite snacks, although I did think that I would get tired of it. The only time I get sick of it is when I’m popping it and the smell absorbs into your clothes. I feel really self-conscious if I pop it during the day and then, say, go to the grocery store. I think, Oh my God, people are going to smell this on me. 

Plymouth Patch: Are you a movie buff? What’s your favorite movie?

Elliott: Oh my gosh. That’s a really, really hard question. 

Plymouth Patch: Okay, then. Give me two.

Elliott: It’s a Wonderful Life and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. 

Plymouth Patch: Lastly, can you share just a few details of Penn’s big renovation project?

Elliott: Well, we’re going to be removing the seats July 11, that’s when the renovations will be kicked off for the auditorium; the floor will be epoxied, so there will be no more bare, concrete floor; we’re putting in new drapes – screen drapes and exit drapes; we’re also getting a new dehumidification system to make the theater more comfortable in the summertime. Then, on Wednesday, August 3, we’re going to hold our theater dedication and we’re showing a special (top secret) movie. It’s so exciting!