Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2023 April)
If you have gone to the movies at University Mall Theatres or Cinema Arts Theatre, you may be familiar with Mark O’Meara. As owner of both theaters, O’Meara is not one to stay out of sight in the back office. Instead, he relishes being out front, chatting with customers, selling concessions, and being part of the action. O’Meara’s larger than life personality, along with his involvement and service in the community, have made him a popular figure in Fairfax.
The O’Meara family relocated to Fairfax County from upstate New York in 1990. While his wife Loretta worked as a nurse, O’Meara was a stay-at-home dad to their children. In 1991, O’Meara happened to stroll past the shuttered movie theater at University Mall and wondered what it would be like to operate a movie theater. A self-described entrepreneur, O’Meara was excited about the prospect of theater ownership. His interest in owning a theater wasn’t capricious - he had always loved movies and ran a film festival while working in student affairs at Columbia University.
After securing a lease of the theater, O’Meara embarked upon learning the ropes of running a movie theater. He learned how to operate film projectors by assisting a projectionist for several days. Deciding to open University Mall Theatres as a second-run, O’Meara initially hired a booker to secure movies from the studios before taking over booking duties himself.
In 1999, O’Meara was pitched the idea of converting University Mall Theatres into an art house theater. Although the idea was intriguing, O’Meara decided to pass on the idea, wary of alienating the loyal customers he had worked so hard to attract. However, a few months later, the movie theater at Fair City Mall became available, giving O’Meara an opportunity to try his hand at running an art house theater. After installing new seats and devising a more sophisticated concessions menu, O’Meara opened Cinema Arts Theatre. He admits that it took a while for the theater to catch on, recalling that their big breakthrough came in 2002 with the release of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Its 20-week run at Cinema Arts put them on the radar of moviegoers.
While working to make his theaters successful, he and Loretta were also busy raising their three children. O’Meara especially enjoyed coaching his children’s youth sports teams. Later he joined the Athletics Boosters at Robinson Secondary School and has been an active and enthusiastic member for over 20 years. His gregarious personality has been put to good use selling raffle tickets in the stands during football games. Even though his youngest child graduated in 2010, he still enjoys working at the games, saying “I love standing there selling hot dogs with other parents getting a feel for what the world is like from the kids’ point of view.”
In 2014, O’Meara faced a significant challenge. The wear and tear on the seats at both theaters had taken a toll and they desperately needed to be replaced. O’Meara and his staff created a campaign on Kickstarter, an online fundraising platform, to replace the seats at University Mall. Their campaign, called “Save Our Butts” sought $100,000 to purchase new seats. Two weeks into the campaign, they reached their goal. A year later, they created a second campaign to purchase new seats for Cinema Arts. At first, donations trickled in slowly, but after swapping their usual previews for a humorous video asking for donations, they hit their goal. O’Meara credits his staff for their marketing savvy and the fiercely loyal customers who donated. As a thank you, plates engraved with the names of donors were installed on the seats at both locations.
O’Meara’s popularity can be attributed, in part, to his generosity in the community. He routinely donates movie tickets to nonprofits and community organizations for their fundraisers and his theaters serve as collection sites for Britepaths’ back to school backpack drive. He supports the work of young filmmakers at W.T. Woodson High School and Robinson Secondary School by hosting screenings (including a red carpet) of their film class projects at Cinema Arts. O’Meara has been recognized for his good works. In 2013, he was the Lord Fairfax honoree for the Braddock District and in 2015, he was awarded the Business for the Arts Award from the City of Fairfax, an award granted to businesses who have made significant contributions towards the advancement of the arts in the City of Fairfax community.
The COVID-19 pandemic was devastating to O’Meara’s theaters, which were closed for nearly all of 2020. He credits the special COVID-19 loans, debt relief, grants and other programs for the survival of his theaters. When he was finally able to reopen, O’Meara made the decision to convert University Mall Theatres from a second run to a first-run theater, in part to compete with streaming services, which surged in popularity during the pandemic.
Although people have been slow to return to the theaters, the passionate support O’Meara has received from some of his customers has been encouraging. When Cinema Arts first reopened, a customer who refused to give her name returned monthly with envelopes of cash. When O’Meara tried to return them, she refused, telling him “You have to survive, you’re so important to the community.” To this day, O’Meara says that she visits the theater on a weekly basis, bringing with her a $100 donation. O’Meara is in awe of her loyalty and generosity, saying “That is a story that boggles my mind. She is such a sweetheart.”
O’Meara hopes that the immersive experience of watching a movie in a theater will bring people back. Another draw to his theaters is the special discount days – tickets on Tuesdays at University Mall are half price and he offers Senior Wednesday at Cinema Arts, where all tickets are $6 for people 60 and older. Both of his theaters also offer assistive technology so that customers who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or low vision can enjoy the show.
A few years ago, O’Meara took on a new challenge. He joined a committee working on a project to create an all abilities adapted sports center in Fairfax County. He has devoted himself to learning more – touring facilities and conducting research – to learn how the center can best meet the needs of people with disabilities in the community.
Although O’Meara is 70 years old, he loves what he does and has no intention of slowing down. After all the highs and lows he has experienced during his 30+ years of theater ownership, he is still passionate about movies, connecting with people, and taking on new challenges.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).