The Manship Theatre, located in the Shaw Center for the Arts in downtown Baton Rouge, has strived to bring exciting film and theater events to Baton Rouge since its creation.
Jason Langlois, film programmer for Manship, said the theater wants to make film a more enjoyable experience for the audience.
“Films are great here because of what we can do beyond the movie. We always try to always have either an activity or bring a specific theme to the big screen. We can do so much more that just hitting the play button,” Langlois said.
To do this, the theater is bringing back its Dinner and A Movie event on Friday, April 11. For Dinner and A Movie, the theater teams up with a local restaurant to combine food and film into an experience many would not get otherwise.
“The restaurants we work with come up with a thematic menu based around the movie we show. Its fun for the audience because the meal and the movie are connected,” Langlois said.
This month, the theater will be showing “Her,” Spike Jonze’s Oscar-winning film about love and technology. Capital City Grill will be providing the menu, which includes iSalad, Tenderloin on the Moon and a cocktail called the Spike’d Jonze.
A film will play every Friday of the month, and for future showings, the theater will team up with Tsunami and Stroubes Seafood and Steaks.
“Each restaurant brings something completely different to the table. You get a totally different experience at each showing,” Langlois said.
The theater also tries to bring a variety of new indie film releases to Baton Rouge, the kind of films that may otherwise not be shown in the city. One of the upcoming films that Manship is premiering in Baton Rouge is “Hateship, Loveship,” which stars Kristin Wiig and was filmed in Louisiana.
According to Langlois, the theater has always endeavored to strike a balance between film and other forms of entertainment, and Dinner and A Movie is another program that differentiates the Manship from other theaters and makes them more enticing for local audiences.
“Films are great here because of what we can do beyond the movie. We always try to always have either an activity or bring a specific theme to the big screen.”