by Karen Shughart
Sometime during the 1950s when I was in elementary school, my Brownie troop attended a live broadcast of The Children’s Corner, a program hosted by a woman named Josie Carey that was the forerunner to Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. The station that broadcasted the show was part of National Educational Television and provided mainly educational programs for children. By the 1960s NET had evolved to become Public Broadcasting Service, a network of stations across the country that also became centers for culture and the arts.
PBS has been part of my life and my family’s since its earliest beginnings. We listen to classical music and newscasts on the radio, watch a plethora of TV programs ranging from British drama and comedy to documentaries, local interest and cooking shows. There are two PBS stations serving the Finger Lakes, WCNY in Syracuse and WXXI in Rochester, the latter a city a short drive from us that we have come to love because of its amazing arts, culture and burgeoning restaurant scene.
In addition to broadcast radio and TV, WXXI partners with CITY Magazine to amplify the voices, culture and stories that make Rochester the unique city that it is and is also the parent company of The Little Theatre, housed in an Art Deco building in the downtown. The Little, as it is sometimes called, is a non-profit venue with five theaters that offer American independent, international and classic films, as well as music and the arts for the greater Rochester community.
Several weeks ago, as sustaining contributing members, we received an invitation to an afternoon screening at the theater for the premier of The Forsytes, a Masterpiece Theater series that will begin to air at the end of this month. There is a snack bar with freshly made popcorn, other goodies and beverages, and a wonderful café with a diverse and interesting menu, along with a variety of drinks including wine and beer, that’s run by The Little. It’s open in the evenings from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., so we ate an early lunch at a nearby restaurant before arriving at 12:30 for the 1 p.m. showing.
We were greeted in the lobby of the charming retro venue by friendly volunteers who welcomed us, took our tickets and gave us packets of cards with the photos, names and descriptions of each of the characters in the series, along with two tickets for a door prize drawing for four winners. Much to our delight one of our tickets was drawn, and we received a sturdy and attractive WXXI tote bag containing a memoir by Lidia Bastianich – a famous chef whose cooking programs I adore – who is also the owner of several restaurants and a winery. In addition to the book, the bag contained a pair of WXXI printed knee socks, a water bottle and a DVD about the Finger Lakes.
The seats were comfortable with easy viewing on a large screen with closed captions for the hearing impaired. We loved the show; it was a lot of fun, and we are looking forward to watching the series. We’d never been to The Little Theatre before, it was a new adventure and a great way to spend an afternoon. We’re certain we’ll return.
