Cinelounge revives theater tradition with ‘The Balloon’
- Tyler Callister
- 9 hours ago
- 1 min read
Live theater is returning to Cinelounge for the first time in 60 years.
A new play titled “The Balloon” runs for one night only — Feb. 25 — when a local theater troupe takes over the movie theater in what organizers say revives a tradition dating to the venue’s earliest days as the Tiburon Playhouse.
In the late 1950s, the Playhouse wasn’t just showing Hollywood movies. It was also home to the Cove Players, a resident company that staged live productions alongside film screenings. That hybrid tradition faded decades ago as the venue shifted to films only. Now, Cinelounge owners Camilla and Christian Meoli, who reopened the theater as Cinelounge in 2022, say they are reviving it with “The Balloon,” an absurdist courtroom comedy.
The play was written by Michael Wisner, a Mill Valley resident and longtime screenwriter whose “Monsanto” feature film is set to begin production for Netflix later this year. The film stars Jonathan Bailey, Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern.
The play centers on a “strange and illegal balloon” that suddenly appears on the Golden Gate Bridge, sparking a courtroom battle to untangle its origins and meaning. Read the complete story in our e-edition, or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery and access to the digital replica.
Comment on this article on Nextdoor.