NEWPORT — The Richards Free Library will present “The Latchis Legacy,” a live documentary on the Latchis Theatre chain and the Latchis family.
The Latchis Theatre of Claremont and Newport is well remembered by many residents of Newport and surrounding communities. This presentation will share these theaters’ fascinating histories and the story behind the ambitious family who built them, all according to a press release.
The Newport Historical Society will host the special, one-of-a-kind ‘live documentary’ at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 12 at the Richards Free Library Ballroom, 58 North Main St., Newport. Film and theater historian Jonathan A. Boschen will look at the Latchis family, their theater chain, and how Claremont’s and Newport’s Latchis Theatres fit into the towns’ rich legacy.
Boschen, who assisted with the book “Greek Epic,” which chronicles the history of the Latchis family, makes use of archival photos of the various theaters and reconstructed architectural sketches to visualize what these buildings looked like. Relevant history pertaining to the Latchis family, American film history and theater history will be included to help put the history of the Latchis Theatre chain into perspective.
Admission is free with complimentary popcorn and refreshments. This show, which was first performed at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, Vermont, was performed for the Claremont Historical Society in October 2017, where it received a rave reception, according to organizers.
Boschen is also a professional videographer and video editor. His work, pertaining to film and theater history, ranges from articles and slide show presentations to history videos. Boschen’s slide shows are designed to play out as ‘live documentaries,’ meaning they are not traditional PowerPoint presentations, but instead a motion picture experience created to entertain and educate the viewer. Boschen’s presentation style is heavily influenced by many old documentaries, industrial films, animated cartoons and filmstrips of the 1930s through the 1950s; mainly by the works of Walt Disney, Jamison Handy, Jerry Fairbanks, Frank L. Goldman, and Pete Smith.
The venue is accessible to all, and the presentation is for visitors 16 and older.
For more information, contact the Newport Historical Society at (603) 863-1294 or [email protected], or Boschen at (413) 522-2112 or [email protected].
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