The Carolina Theatre: Community Cornerstone for Lasting Memories and Cherished Traditions

Thousands of people have stepped through the doors of the Carolina Theatre and, through the power of art, opened themselves to new experiences that become lasting memories and cherished traditions. Among them is theatergoer Molly Vaughan, who shares how seeing the Carolina Theatre’s screening of the Oscar-Nominated Shorts for the first time with her now-husband became a tried and true date night tradition. Durham Public Schools student Curtis Berzofsky also shares how the Carolina Theatre provided him with the opportunity to explore creative pursuits as a filmmaker through the Running Bull Film Festival.

“On a cold, early February night about 10 years ago, my now-husband and I went to see the Oscar-nominated animated shorts at the Carolina Theatre for the first time. We laughed, cried, cringed, and wondered. We marveled at the magical way that the shorts condense so much feeling and depth in so little time. We went home more in love than ever—with the Carolina, Durham, life, and each other. Thus started an annual tradition that we sometimes rearranged our schedules for and bent over backward to make sure we kept up. When we made a pandemic-fueled move to the beach in 2021, we missed the Carolina—and the shorts especially—more than just about anything else in Durham. In January of this year, we moved back and found ourselves contentedly back home in our seats at the Carolina, watching the shorts. Thank you for being a cornerstone of our community and my forever favorite date night with my favorite person. Cheers to 100 more years of The Carolina Theatre of Durham.” – Molly Vaughan

“I’ve been writing scripts for all of high school. It started out with my interest in pushing the limits of my creativity and my storytelling abilities but evolved into a love for the characters I was creating. I realized that creating unique and dynamic and out-of-the-box characters was the root of my creative pursuits. When I first began adapting the scripts into videos, the depth of the characters only grew once infused with the actors’ own personalities. With Running Bull Film Festival, it has felt extremely rewarding to see the characters and stories that I developed in my mind become realized and shown on the big screen. I got to see an audience react to a journey I went on with my peers, which is a very special feeling. Producing a creative piece with others is an intimate and unique experience that pushes me to grow. RBFF giving me a stage to let an audience inside of that journey through watching the films is one of the most amazing parts of the entire festival. Beyond filmmaking, being able to lead the RBFF Student Committee has been an opportunity that has helped me grow and contribute to something big. I feel like I have the power to shape the festival and help it become something special for others. With the Student Committee, I have worked with Carolina Theatre staff, teachers from other schools, and community members. RBFF is real-world experience in working with others and project development. Both in the film screening and in my work with the Student Committee, I am seeing my work come to life in a way that I haven’t ever before. It is an incredibly rewarding experience that has helped me grow in more ways than I can imagine.” – Curtis Berzofsky

Your generosity ensures that the Carolina Theatre remains a cornerstone in our community where new experiences, lasting memories and cherished traditions can be made! From now until December 31, The Barnes Family Foundation is matching every gift to our annual appeal—doubling your impact, and helping us reach our $120,000 goal. Please consider making a gift.

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