In a frosty downtown Columbia, snowflakes casually drift down upon the cold gray evening only to be dashed aside by crowds of bustling pedestrians adorned in swaths of elaborate costumes and masqueraders’ masks, ranging from batman masks to masks crafted to represent the sun.
This bundle of True/False patrons, some dressed in costumes and some dressed normally, huddle outside the entrance of the Missouri Theatre, eagerly anticipating the start of The Jubilee.
One of the several coordinators, signified with a red scarf announces the opening of The Jubilee, signaling the anxious crowd to pour in the lobby. The patrons’ patience is rewarded as they are greeted by joyful music by local bands, wafts of cooking catered by the culinary students of the Columbia Area Career Center, artworks fashioned by local artists and mini bars provided by Columbia Magazine’s best bartender nominees scattered throughout the building.
The mass of attendees are welcomed by the True/False volunteers to eat, drink, converse with the staff and listen to the live music until the time for the main showcase of the event began. Once called to the Missouri Theatre auditorium, the atendees file into the spacious theatre where they are treated to the Missouri Theatre’s first True/False screening of the year.
The gala event provided a great way to kick off True/False for many, as it intensified the Missouri Theatre’s already classy atmosphere with the wide variety of friendly staff and patrons to socialize with, excellent and free cuisine from the culinary students and jazzy music to set the stage for the 2013 True/False Film Festival.
By Blake Becker