Peter Lynn

House Manager/Projection Assistant at Grand Cinema
Co-Owner of The Helm Art Gallery

Sean Alexander

Projectionist at Grand Cinema
Co-Owner of The Helm Art Gallery

I’m ashamed to admit that I have only recently gotten around to viewing Weiner Takes All: A Dogumentary. The film won as audience favorite this year at the Grand Cinema’s Tacoma Film Festival. If you haven’t seen it yet, well then you are missing out. It’s kind of like saying you haven’t seen Juno, or for someone who grew up in the ’80s it’s like saying you haven’t seen E.T. Oh, c’mon, don’t tell me you haven’t seen E.T. I’m embarrassed for you already.

STEPH DEROSA: Hey Peter, you and Sean work at the Grand Cinema and at The Helm, which are volunteer-run nonprofits. How do you manage to put money in your pockets and make ends meet?

PETER LYNN: Oh, I’m not a volunteer here. I work about 33 hours a week and get paid for it. Suckers.

DEROSA: But the Grand Cinema does have a lot of volunteers. What kind of stuff do they do?

LYNN: Take tickets and help with concessions.

DEROSA: Do you make them clean the bathrooms?

LYNN: No, we have a janitorial service for that.

DEROSA: Gotcha. Well, do you realize what a wonderful influence you guys have on Tacoma?

LYNN: Thanks. Actually, that’s very good to hear. Recently The Helm received an anonymous letter from someone that is obviously of the “older generation.” The letter was a complaint that stated we offered “0” to the community. That hurt.

DEROSA: What? How awful!

SEAN ALEXANDER: Yeah and whoever did it also egged The Helm’s front door.

LYNN: Sean, senior citizens don’t egg things.

DEROSA: Can I see the letter? Better yet, can I post The Helm’s hate mail on the Weekly Volcano’s Spew blog?

ALEXANDER: I’ll go right now and get the letter.

DEROSA: While I wait for him maybe I should volunteer and help you take tickets. Or sell popcorn. I’m good with people, aren’t I?

LYNN: Um, maybe you could start by cleaning up the bathrooms.

DEROSA: But I thought you said you had a janitorial service for that?

LYNN: Well, we really don’t want you interacting with the customers or touching the food. Sorry, Steph.

DEROSA: I should’ve thrown more than one egg.

Grand Cinema

606 Fawcett Ave, Tacoma, 253.593.4474
The Helm Art Gallery
760 S. Broadway, Tacoma, 253.627.8845