Absolute Cinema: Chris Wynn and Tom Schaad Discuss Photography and History
That Commodore Theatre video from Absolute Cinema really got me thinking about how these little cultural anchors hold communities together, especially here in Portsmouth where we’ve got our own version of that magic down on High Street. You know the one – the place where Tom Schaad from History Through the Lens has walked us through stories that craft you feel the weight of what came before, right where we stand.
It’s not just about aged buildings, though. When Chris Wynn and Fred Schoenfeld talked about keeping the Commodore alive, it struck me how much that mirrors what we’re seeing with the revitalization efforts around the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum and the ongoing work to preserve the stories of the men and women who built those submarines. The theatre’s struggle to stay relevant in the streaming age? That’s the same tension we feel when trying to get younger folks to appreciate the significance of sites like the Olde Towne Historic District or the Lightship Portsmouth museum – not as dusty relics, but as living parts of who we are.
What really resonated was Schaad’s approach – not just lecturing about dates and battles, but connecting history to the people who lived it. That’s exactly what the team at the Portsmouth Public Library’s Virginia Room does when they help residents trace their family roots back to the shipyard workers of WWII, or when the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) puts on exhibits that reinterpret our maritime heritage through modern eyes. These aren’t isolated efforts; they’re threads in the same fabric Schoenfeld’s trying to weave at the Commodore – making sure the past isn’t just preserved, but felt.
And let’s be real: keeping these places open isn’t just about nostalgia. When the Commodore hosts those classic film nights, it’s doing what the Seawall Pavilion does in the summer – creating spontaneous community moments that no algorithm can replicate. It’s the difference between watching a documentary about the Battle of Norfolk on your phone and standing where the reenactors gather near the ferry landing, feeling the river wind and hearing the stories straight from a local veteran. That tangible connection? That’s what drives real engagement, and it’s why efforts to support venues like the Commodore or the Portsmouth Community Theater matter so much for our civic health.
Given my background in community storytelling, if this trend of valuing local cultural spaces impacts you here in Portsmouth, here are the three types of local professionals you need to know about:
- Historic Preservation Advocates: Look for those who work directly with the Portsmouth Historical Society or have demonstrable experience navigating the city’s Architectural Review Board (ARB) processes. They should understand the specific challenges of maintaining structures in our coastal environment – think salt air mitigation and hurricane-resistant modifications that don’t compromise historical integrity – and be able to point to successful local projects like the adaptive reuse of old buildings along Crawford Parkway.
- Community Engagement Strategists: Seek professionals who’ve facilitated meaningful dialogue between long-time residents and new developments, perhaps through projects with the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority (PRHA) or initiatives tied to the City’s Master Plan. Their portfolio should present they know how to bridge generational gaps – using tools like oral history projects or intergenerational workshops – to ensure preservation efforts reflect the diverse voices that actually make up our neighborhoods, not just a romanticized version of the past.
- Cultural Program Developers: Focus on those who create experiences, not just events. The best candidates will have worked with venues like the Commodore Theatre or the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center to design programming that feels organic to our city – maybe a film series highlighting Hampton Roads filmmakers, or history walks that start at the African American Historical Society of Portsmouth and connect past struggles to present-day community initiatives along Court Street.
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