By Katherine Waters
Sun Staff Intern
The scene begins in The Colonia Theater in Norwich. It is 6:15 p.m. and the lights turn on to reveal the lobby of the theater. Assistant manager Linda Steiss enters with reporter Katherine Waters.

STEISS: This is a hurry up and wait kind of business. We start our evening at 5:30 p.m. so we can clean and get the theater ready for customers.

Colonia Theater employees, Joe Krug and Brie Levesque enter behind the candy counter, waiting for the first customers.

WATERS: [turning towards Levesque] How do you enjoy working at the Colonia?

LEVESQUE: I really enjoy it. It is a fun part-time job.

Waters walks behind the candy counter to learn how to serve popcorn and soda.

STEISS: [to Waters] Just don’t burn yourself on the popcorn machine.

The employees continue in a soft murmur as the clock loudly ticks the seconds by. Each employee slowly ends their conversation to look at the time. The sound of voices and cars drift from the open front door. The clock continues to tick loudly until 6:30 p.m., when the first three customers wander into the theater.
Steiss, suddenly in motion, walks to the cash register to help the customers.

STEISS: Good evening!

The customers buy three tickets to see ‘The Dark Knight’ and walk to the theater doors. Waters steps forward to offer assistance to the movie-goers.

WATERS: I am doing an article for the local paper, can I interest you in some popcorn?

The customers curtly say ‘no’ and continue to walk into the theater. The employees are motionless for another few seconds. There is no movement except for nervous tapping by Krug and absentminded counter buffing by Levesque. Without warning, a family noisily disturbs the employees’ silence.
After a quick transaction with Steiss, the family moves to the counter. Waters, visibly excited to participate, offers the customers her service.

CUSTOMER 1: We would like to get two large popcorns and two large Pepsis, please.

Waters instantly moves to fill the order. She hands the family the popcorn before reaching for the two cups of ice and soda. As she goes to hand the sodas to the customers, she slips on a small piece of popcorn. She reaches her hands out to catch her fall, flinging the sodas onto the counter. The cups slide across the bar towards the family. In a panic, Krug and Steiss lunge for the cups at the same time.

KRUG: [loudly] NOOOO!

STEISS: I’ve GOT IT!

Krug’s hand reaches the first cup, but bumps the second cup with his left hand. In slow motion the cup teeters and then topples over into Steiss’ face.

End Scene

If I were to continue this fictional account of my stay at The Colonia, the incident would have blown up into a full battle between employees and movie-goers. In the middle there would be a love triangle between two movie-goers and an employee who falls in love with the movie-goer’s girlfriend. I haven’t quite decided what the battle would be about, but with slow motion shots and some quality actors and actresses (Natalie Portman would play me, the shorter much skinnier version of me), this movie would be epic.
Although the action at The Colonia was not quite as dramatic as my film version, it was just as fun to be a temporary employee of the theater. I believe I left The Colonia with three lessons.
I got a history lesson from the 45-year veteran of the movies, Richard Marple, who explained the workings of the projectors and explained the history of The Colonia to me. I got a customer service lesson from my experience behind the candy bar. There was a lot to learn about quick delivery of food when there is a mob of anxious movie buffs waiting to see the latest flick.
Lastly there was a lesson on having fun and laughing. Believe me, I was not the best or the fastest server that night I spent at The Colonia. But with a little laughter and a lot of jokes about my inability to tally costs, my temporary co-workers and I had fun.
But after all, who can’t have fun at the movies?