How a Hilton Head theater pushed the state to reopen cinemas amid COVID-19
Trey Walker, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s powerful chief of staff, turned to Park Plaza Cinema co-owner Larry Mann during a recent meeting at the State House.
“He says, ‘I have raised my kids at your movie theater. They love your theater,’” Mann recalled in an interview Tuesday.
A few hours after the pair’s July 29 conversation, McMaster lifted COVID-19 business restrictions for cinemas in South Carolina.
The previously unreported meeting shows how Hilton Head Island’s Park Plaza Cinema played a major role in the push to reopen theaters statewide amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The independent cinema near Sea Pines’ main gate closed in March just before McMaster ordered “non-essential” businesses to shutter as the pathogen spread across the country.
To offset that loss, the theater’s co-owners, Larry and Lucie Mann, allowed small groups into the building to privately watch DVDs brought from home for $100 or $150.
But after receiving a complaint about those screenings, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning to the theater on July 17, citing McMaster’s executive order on non-essential businesses. That order had blocked various entertainment venues from reopening, including cinemas.
The S.C. Department of Commerce also told the Manns on July 20 to shut down completely.
Upset by that decision, Larry Mann contacted the National Association of Theatre Owners, a trade organization based in Washington, D.C.
NATO then hired Katon Dawson, a former chairman of the state’s Republican Party, to lobby on behalf of the organization in Columbia, records show. Dawson was a childhood friend of McMaster’s.
Just nine days after the state told Park Plaza Cinema to cease operations, the Manns met at the capital with McMaster, Walker, Commerce Liaison Beth Webb, Dawson and other independent theater owners to discuss the matter. Walker is a fan of Park Plaza Cinema, Larry Mann said. He usually visits Sea Pines with his family once or twice a year.
The governor’s office organized the 11 a.m. meeting, Larry Mann said.
McMaster, he said, asked the business owners if they could survive financially with a new state requirement limiting theater capacity to 50%. He also asked about social distancing measures in cinemas, Larry Mann said.
“He just wanted to make sure that it was something that we could do, would do,” Larry Mann said.
The group, which included owners of the Terrace Theater in Charleston, assured McMaster that things would work out.
“At least with 50%, we’re covering all our expenses. We’re not drowning,” Larry Mann said.
Around 4 p.m. on July 29, McMaster announced that all businesses still closed under his executive order could reopen starting Aug. 3, including spectator sports. His order requires 50% occupancy at those locations and face masks or coverings for admission.
Lucie Mann said no single event led to the governor’s decision on cinemas.
State Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) and State Rep. Jeff Bradley (R-Hilton Head) helped the couple navigate Columbia politics.
State Rep. Shannon Erickson (R-Beaufort) attended the theater meeting and advocated on behalf of Park Plaza Cinema, she added.
A call to Brian Symmes, a spokesperson for McMaster, seeking comment was not returned.
Coronavirus precautions
The Manns are planning to stagger showtimes by 30 minutes, limit the number of seats available and frequently clean screening rooms with hospital-grade disinfectant. They also recently installed ultraviolet lights in their ventilation system. UV lights have been used to prevent other viruses from circulating indoors.
The theater reopened Monday, but will only host private screenings until Aug. 21. That’s when four new movies are set to hit the big screen, including director Derrick Borte’s “Unhinged,” a psychological thriller starring Russell Crowe as a road rage-fueled maniac.
The couple is excited but apprehensive, Larry Mann said. They wonder if residents will be interested in a night out at the movies as COVID-19 cases continue to mount.
“We’re definitely going to give it our best shot,” Lucie Mann said.
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 2:06 PM with the headline "How a Hilton Head theater pushed the state to reopen cinemas amid COVID-19."
