Get to Know Volunteer Manager Charlie Flinn

Behind the scenes of every weekend movie at The Historic Artcraft Theatre is a group of dedicated volunteers. The theatre's supporting cast keeps each show running and welcomes moviegoers with a smile and the smell of fresh popcorn. These volunteers help Franklin Heritage, Inc. (FHI) by serving concessions, greeting guests, running the pre-movie show, and performing many other behind-the-scenes tasks. This week, we are interviewing Charlie Flinn, a volunteer manager at the Artcraft. Growing up in Southern Indiana, he loved visiting the Indiana Theatre in Washington, IN. When choosing to volunteer at the Artcraft, he got to combine his love of classic movies and working with great people. He's been volunteering at the Artcraft with his husband for nearly seven years.
 
I sat with Charlie to discuss his favorite movies and why he enjoys volunteering at the Artcraft.
 
Q: What is your favorite part about volunteering?
A: I enjoy the people who come to the theatre, our patrons. We have regulars who are nice to see all the time, and then there are new people who are experiencing Artcraft for the first time. I also enjoy working with the other volunteers!
 
Q: Why do you volunteer at the Artcraft?
A: I try to stress this during the volunteer orientation—everyone is here because they want to be here. They are not putting in these hours because they need a paycheck. They truly enjoy being here, and you can tell.
 
In addition to that, I always like to go to the movies. When I was about five years old, I remember my mom taking me to see White Christmas and Disney movies. I just have always enjoyed the movies, and that's the big draw of the Artcraft for me: to come and see the classics and work around people who enjoy them, too.
 
Q: What is your role as a volunteer?
A: I'm one of the volunteer managers. I started out as a regular volunteer. After two or three years, they asked me if I wanted to be a manager. As a manager, you pretty much do whatever role needs to be filled at each showing. If there needs to be more people to cover the cashier, popcorn, or help people find their seats, that is what you do. I've done every job, and we just have to be able to do that. We also help organize the other volunteers and reassign roles if needed. I just got my license to do bartending, so I'm able to do that as well.
I help with the new volunteer orientations every other month, too. Kim and I will do the orientations to help new volunteers get acquainted with the theatre and show them the ropes.
 
Q: What was the last great thing you saw at the Artcraft?
A: The last great thing I saw was The Music Man. The color on the screen was fabulous. Also, it's unusual for the audience to applaud after big music numbers, and at the end of The Music Man, there was a big round of applause. Getting that group participation and hearing their response is a sign of a great movie to me.
 
Q: Do you have a movie that you grew up with that you really enjoy?
A: In high school, Doctor Zhivago made an impression on me. When I saw that on the big screen, it was terrific. The cinematography and the music are just beautiful. Some of its scenes are amazing, and it really stuck with me.
 
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: I like to read. I've always got a book I'm currently reading. I also enjoy music. My husband and I enjoy attending live concerts and movies at the Artcraft. We also love to hike and travel. We have a place we go to about every other year down in Cabo, San Lucas, and Hawaii. We recently went to visit my brother in St. Augustine. My husband’s retired now, so we didn't need to hurry back. We took our time and stopped where we wanted to stop at the wineries. That's another hobby. We like to go to wineries!
 
Q: What is your favorite concession snack?
A: Popcorn, hands down! I'm not a fan of candy, and I prefer a salty snack over a sweet snack, so it has to be popcorn.
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Are you interested in volunteering at The Historic Artcraft Theatre? Get the details here!
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