The ornate interior of Hotel Commonwealth’s Hawthorne bar is uncharacteristically crowded for 9 am on a Saturday, and uncharacteristically quiet. The popular nightlife spot has been transformed into a film set. As some cast and crew members prepare to reshoot a pivotal scene, others, exhausted by a string of consecutive 5 am calls, doze in armchairs and secluded corners typically reserved for cocktail-sipping guests.
The real-life bar is the backdrop for The Bartender, a fictional film that explores the responsibility bystanders have in sexual assault cases. The film’s director, Travis Newsad (COM’18), stands over a monitor, rubbing his temples in anticipation, as actress Natalie Hebert slides into position behind the bar. Darian Stansbury (COM’18), the film’s director of photography, leans in behind Newsad and the room becomes completely silent.
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