Rutland’s Paramount Theatre will broadcast the second Republican primary debate live Wednesday evening, with two political analysts who’ll take part in discussions before and afterwards.
The live broadcast is the first in a 14-month series aimed at exploring democracy.
Bruce Bouchard, executive director of the Paramount, says the theatre’s state-of-the-art high definition projection system has enabled them to showcase everything from The Metropolitan Opera to World Cup Soccer.
With the presidential campaign in full swing, Bouchard thought, "Why not use the Paramount to boost civic engagement and political discourse?"
“It just seemed like the next phase in A, the use of the technology and B, the use of the theatre," he says.
Working in partnership with Castleton University, the Paramount is calling the series Project 240, in honor of the nation’s upcoming 240th birthday.
Events include live broadcasts of presidential debates, the New Hampshire Primary and portions of the Democratic and Republican national conventions.
Besides the events on screen, Bouchard says there will also be a variety of moderators and experts on hand to explain and lead discussions.
“Now people are learning about what really goes on at a national convention,” says Bouchard. “We’ll have hosts who will be talking about it; this is what a delegate is; this is how they get to be a delegate; this is what goes on in the room.”
"We're betting the farm that after consuming it once or twice, people will say, 'This is much cooler than watching it at home.'" Bruce Bouchard, Paramount Theatre executive director
“We’re betting the farm that after consuming it once or twice, people will say, ‘this is much cooler than watching it at home'.”
Bouchard says the Paramount will even stage a mock Vermont primary with voting.
“Many of these things you can watch on your television or computer screen,” says Rich Cowden, director of the Fine Arts Center at Castleton University. “But going to them and sitting with your fellow community members in a way that’s designed to raise the conversation up - that’s the aim here,” says Cowden, who helped organize the series.
"Many of these things you can watch on your television or computer screen, but going to them and sitting with your fellow community members in a way that's designed to raise the conversation up - that's the aim here." - Rich Cowden, director of Castleton University's Fine Arts Center
“We don’t have to shout each other down,” adds Cowden, “but we can raise each other up and say, 'You know, I don’t agree with that policy at all, but let’s hear more about it.' I think that’s a very powerful thing and I think there is a need in people’s hearts for that kind of connection.”
Project 240 will include 17 events most of which will be free and open to the public. Besides live broadcasts, the series will also include a talk by award winning film-maker Ken Burns, a concert of patriotic music, a keynote speaker who is yet to be named and a comedy troupe spoofing presidential politics back to the founding fathers.
