On Sun. March 2 from 1-3 p.m., Oscar’s Deli transformed into every movie lover’s dream–– a room full of fellow cinema enthusiasts given questions about the Oscars awards show and the chance to win prizes.
“This is sort of one more thing we can do for the community until such time that we have our own theatre,” Jonathan Steinberg, president and co-founder of the Westport Cinema Initiative, said.
Movie and drama critic Susan Granger ran the show alongside actor Scott Bryce ’75. The two asked questions such as who won Best Supporting Actor for one day’s work. Prizes ranged from lunch at Acqua to Westport Cinema Initiative t-shirts to film festival tickets.
Many times, before Granger or Bryce could even finish their sentence, hands shot up and a wave of “ooohs” and attention seeking grunts filled the air.
“Which actor has won the most Oscars? ” asked Granger.
“Katharine Hepburn!” shouted Nicolas Amato ’16 from his booth. As his prize, Amato received a shovel.
Amato decided to partake in the event to mingle with other movie lovers.
Among the audience of movie enthusiasts was Westport’s First Selectman Jim Marpe.
“Westport is such a great town for the arts and this is an example of our commitment to the arts,” Marpe said.
Bryce also felt the importance of this community event. He stressed the need for a movie theatre in Westport, especially now when the arts are constantly being cut.
“As somebody who is a performing artist and a visual artist, it’s important for me to do what I can to keep that struggle going,” Bryce said. “Art is what defines us as human.”
Aside from the underlying importance of further integrating arts into the community, n’Oscars was meant solely to bring fun and entertainment to Westporters of all ages.
“It’s one of those things that crosses generations,” Steinberg said. “It’s about enjoying movies together with other people.” he added.
