Not every day, you hear that a young black man has opened a theater!
Ziare Perryman is a native of Mobile, Alabama and his dreams of being a Film Director have led him to now be the owner of a historic theater in the Downtown area of the city, formerly known as the Crescent Theater. The theater located at 208 Dauphin Street is a single screen and it first opened in 1885 for vaudeville entertainment and burlesque shows.
We had a chance to catch up with Ziare Perryman who is now the new owner of the theater. He plans to open it up under the new name Push Cinemas very soon and so many in the community are excited and looking forward to it.
FEMI Magazine (Tanisha D. Davis): You’re known for your film work, what made you want to step up and pursue ownership of a theater?
The opportunity came for me to own the theater and I went for it, not second-guessing at all. It’s a platform for me to shine a light on others, and also something for Mobile to do, not only watch the latest movies but also, live comedy, seminars, live podcasts and awards shows, etc. It’s so much that’s in the works. Also, me producing my own content was just the icing on the cake.
What you’re doing is amazing, Tell us what type of films can we expect to see at Push Cinemas.
You can expect to see the latest movies, but also some days may be themed “Old School Night”. Showing classics like “ Friday”, and “Love and Basketball”, and I’ll also be adding a suggestion box on www.PushCinema.com to see what the demands are.
What’s the inspiration behind the name choice and will you be open to playing indie films?
The name Push comes from one of my older brothers, always saying “keep pushing” and having a positive outlook on life was something that encouraged him to keep his head up during hard times. He wanted to call me Push because his name is Powar, my other brother Pikasso, and my younger brother Petro, all starting with P like our father’s name Paul.
Push is what I call myself when I produce music, so it just made sense to me, PushCinema… I also have sisters and another brother and my motto to all of them is Keep pushing!
What other activities do you have in mind for the theater to bring in more participants from surrounding areas?
I’ll be bringing comedians by, and hosting live podcasts. I’d also like to shine a light on the local music scene as well.
Since this is a more intimate experience, What plans do you have for the food selections and beverages?
As far as food. I’m going to collaborate with nearby restaurants in downtown Mobile, so you’ll get the dinner and a movie vibe.
The theater opened in 1885, so you are making a very historical impression on many by taking ownership. How exciting has this experience been for you and what do you plan to do differently to keep the doors open for many more years to come?
This experience has been exciting, what makes me the most excited is the “planning and execution”. It’s a new era. I feel like that speaks enough. The ideas are limitless to what can be done. I’ll be bringing acting classes there and teaching film techniques eventually. That’s what I’ll do differently. I’ll also show the new releases of course but in between I’ll be doing more innovative things.
We at FEMI Magazine are so excited for Ziare Perryman and we will be among the first to be there when it opens to the public. You can keep up with him on Instagram @ziare251 and on Facebook.
Be sure to visit www.PushCinema.com for information on the opening and upcoming events and films.
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