On a recent winter weekend at the Kent Theater in Midwood, a not-so-ordinary screening of the film Grease drew dozens of moviegoers. Instead of silence, the packed theater buzzed as Brooklyn residents sang along and chatted, half-watching the film while focusing on the crafts they had brought—from a giant ball of green yarn to an embroidery hoop outfitted with a clip-on flashlight for the dark.
For Dari Richman, the event’s organizer, the event was going as she imagined.
Richman, the founder of The Craft Salon Studio, which offers afterschool arts programs to craft workshops for adults in a studio in Kensington, said she hosted her first Crafting at the Movies/Singalong after seeing similar events online.
“I saw all these people in a theater crafting together and I was like, that is the best idea,” she said.
She hosted her first crafting-singalong event last year, but the crowd was small. This year, she was thrilled as she sold out one of the screening rooms at the Kent. The crowd was diverse, spanning all ages, many who donned colorful dyed hair and cozy hand-knit sweaters.
Perfect Mix of Hobby and Interest
For attendees like 28-year-old Madeline Henry, this was her first event at The Craft Salon.
“I’ve been trying to find more of a community in Brooklyn of people who are into fiber arts, and then I found this event specifically on Reddit,” said Henry, a Clinton Hill resident who worked on a crochet project. “I love musical theater and I now love crocheting, so it was the perfect mix of both of my hobbies and interests.”
Canarsie’s Shameka Moore was excited to find this event, the first she found in Brooklyn.
“It brings us all together,” said Moore, 46. “Knitting brings us all together. The movie brought us all together. Everyone knew the words to the songs. Everyone was vibing really nicely.”
Finding Community
For Craft Salon regulars, like Kensington-based mother-and-daughter Donya Dickerson, 53, and Tunip Adkins, 15, the event provides another way to further connect with the local community.
“People around us have been super nice – literally, the whole theater,” said Adkins, who first met Richman when she was her Girl Scouts troop leader years ago. “Someone was trying to help untangle my yarn, so everyone’s really friendly.”
As about 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. report feeling lonely, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Richman said was excited that she was able to provide a different space for people to hang out.
“Now, a lot of people are looking for that third space to enjoy,” said Richman. “It’s not home, it’s not work, it’s someplace new, fun, and interesting.”
As the film wrapped up, Richman took a photo of the crowd holding up their crafts, from sweaters with half-finished sleeves to the start of a crocheted scarf.
Noting the success of this screening, she plans to host another Crafting at the Movies/Singalong event this spring.
“It was Footloose last year and this year it’s Grease. I’m a child of the 70s and 80s, so these are films that are fun for me,” she said. “But next time, I’m going to take a poll to see what people want to do.”
