Columbus native and animator Tim Hittle will speak Friday at a meet-and-greet and question-and-answer session and a similar meet-and-greet Saturday at The Crump Theatre.
Just in time for Friday the 13th this weekend, the Bartholomew County Historical Society is partnering with the Crump Theatre to present a 30th anniversary showing of the classic animated film “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” featuring the work of Columbus native Tim Hittle among other animators in the Tim Burton work.
Hittle, who lives in San Francisco, is currently the focus of one of the displays at the historical society museum at 524 Third St. in downtown Columbus. He agreed to return home to do a VIP meet-and-greet and also a question-and-answer session with customized local cocktails at 7 p.m. Friday, followed by the film showing because of his continued interest in the Crump, according to organizers.
Tickets for that, which include free popcorn and a cash bar, are $25 and available at The Crump Theatre Facebook page.
“He does have a passion for the Crump,” said Diane Robbins, the historical society’s executive director.
A second showing and meet-and-greet with Hittle is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Crump. Tickets for that are $15 and available at the same online site. The gatherings are part of what organizers have titled a “Historically Nightmarish Weekend.”
Jessica Schnepp, project manager at The Crump, suggested inviting Hittle after Jared Anderson, the historical society’s curator and collections manager, came up with idea of the 30th anniversary showing.
“It seemed like kind of a far-fetched idea at first that Tim might come back to town,” Schnepp said.
Hittle still has family in town and plans to visit them while here.
“We just figured this was a great idea for a joint fundraiser,” Anderson said.
Anderson is becoming known for trying ideas that the local historical society has never done before, such as the recently successful Talking Tombstones fundraiser highlighting local historical figures buried in the city cemetery. He also originated the idea of a recent popular 1970s-themed exhibit.
“I’m learning to look at current trends and then bring relevant aspects of history to that,” Anderson said.
Both he and Robbins recently have acknowledged that public feedback to the historical society’s events in the last couple of years has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I’ve heard them say things like ‘It’s certainly not your grandmother’s historical society anymore,’” Anderson said.
The Friday scheduled events begin with an exhibit opening and reception for local artist local Linda Peterson from 4 to 6 p.m. at the nearby historical society at 524 Third St. in downtown Columbus. Then the Hittle event and showing will run from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Crump.
That will be followed by a late-night screening of the movie “Nightmare on Elm Street,” also at The Crump.
“These are exactly the kind of events I was hoping for and planning for (for the Crump),” Schnepp said, referring to the public-funded renovation.
Movies at the art-deco theater will be shown on a new 19-foot-by-14-foot screen on the venue’s original silent movie frame, Schnepp said.
For tickets to these events: at the door or through eventbrite.com, search for “Historically Nightmarish Weekend”
