DREXEL

 
Last week, at our holiday gathering, I mentioned that I "must see" the movie Lady Bird as I had seen Saoirse Ronan on several talk shows promoting the movie.  I also said that it featured the marvelous Laurie Metcalf and was directed by Greta Gerwig.  One of  our friends, a true cineaste, stated, "Oh, the only place to show that would be The Drexel."

Memories of the Drexel Theater flooded over me. When Gerald and I began dating, we would "go to the movies" at least once a week and the Drexel was the place to see the "independent" movies not available at other theaters and to see the work of directors I'd only read about.  I vividly remember crossing a picket line to see The Life Of Brian, which was being protested by the Legion of Decency. That movie, about the hypocrisy of some religions, remains relevant today, but it is now hardly controversial.  

The Drexel Theater opened in Bexley in 1937, closed for awhile in the 1970s, re-opened in 1981, and became a triplex in the early 1990s. Its Art Deco style decor still remains, along with the neon lighting on the marquee. In 2011 the Drexel Theater became a non-profit organization operated by CAPA (Columbus Association For The Performing Arts).

YES, Lady Bird is now showing at The Drexel.