The longest-serving employee at one of Sechelt’s foremost cultural institutions — the Raven’s Cry Theatre — has operated the facility’s signature leaf-blowers for the last time. (The devices are used to clear popcorn spills and other detritus between shows.)
George Guss, who joined the institution in early 2019 during the tenure of previous theatre owners Chris and Jessie August, departed last week to start work with a Vancouver-based food truck. Current Raven’s Cry owners Kevin and Jennifer McGarry took the reins in 2023.
Guss, who started by handling custodial duties, later assumed oversight of the building’s popular concession kiosk. A member of Squamish Nation, he became a reliably affable presence for regular film, concert and dance patrons. During the last half-decade he drew his own conclusions about the customers — often based on what they left behind. “We showed a kids movie, Toy Story 4,” he recalled. “And I was cleaning up the garbage and I found a mickey of Jack Daniels under the seats. I guess they were using it to tolerate a movie made for young audiences.”
The tastes of movie-goers have shifted over his sojourn. In the beginning, the Avengers franchise packed in so many viewers that four co-workers had to join Guss in the concession. More recently, the Barbie romp filled the auditorium; 50 people were turned away on opening night. Guss was caught in the maelstrom of the TikTok challenge related to the Minions movie, when youthful fans showed up wearing tuxedos and prom dresses.
His advice to other service professionals? “Be patient with the customers and speak confidently.
Some of the co-workers I’ve worked with, they’re always talking low and it’s hard for the customers to hear them.”
What feedback did he get most frequently? “I mostly hear a lot of people here say that we’ve got better popcorn than everyone else,” he said, grinning.
Go for Broker
The Sunshine Coast Film Society will present the award-winning film Broker on Monday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse and on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. at the Raven’s Cry Theatre in Sechelt.
Broker is a heartwarming Korean drama written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda (maker of Shoplifters). It follows two dubious “brokers” (one is played by Parasites star Song Kang-ho) who sell abandoned babies on the black market to affluent couples who are unable to have children of their own.
When one young mother reconsiders abandoning her baby and surprises the duo by returning to ensure her child finds a good home, the three embark on a road trip to find the right couple, building an unlikely family of their own.
The cognoscenti of the film society describe Broker as an affecting, empathetic story that succeeds at humanizing its misunderstood cast of characters.
The film will be shown in Korean with English subtitles. Memberships and tickets are available for cash at the door and online at www.scfs.ca. Ages 18+ and society membership are required to attend SCFS screenings.
Poetry by the page
The Gibsons Public Art Gallery is planning a free workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 18 with Sechelt-based artist Tzaddi Gordon. Gordon is a digital creator (and former leader of a telecom’s web design and production team) who started her own design studio in 2007; she also studied for four years at Emily Carr University of Art + Design.
In the workshop, participants will transform book pages into unique blackout poetry compositions, using the pages themselves as a poetic muse while exploring a variety of mixed-media techniques.
Attendance is free, although a donation of $5 to $20 is suggested. The two-hour workshop begins at 2 p.m. on Feb. 18.
Are you part of a uniquely creative event on the Sunshine Coast? Share details with the Coast Reporter’s arts and culture department by emailing [email protected].
