Teaching siblings prepare for ‘Serenity’ charity screening
Fandom of a short-lived TV series and the movie that continues its story have led members of the Tobias family to organize an annual charity event.
The 18th annual Can’t Stop the Serenity (CSTS) charity screening is scheduled for Aug. 19 at the 180-seat Grand Theatre, 207 S. Second Ave., Elizabeth. All proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
“Serenity” is a 2005 movie that continued the story of “Firefly,” a series that aired for only 10 episodes in 2002.
Doors open at 6 p.m., with the movie starting at 7:30. Before the movie begins, there will be time to participate in “Firefly”- and “Serenity”-themed carnival-style games, such as goblet toss, shooting gallery and ring toss.
“The movie itself stands alone as a great piece of science fiction,” said Christopher Tobias, a 1989 graduate of Bethel Park High School. “It’s exceptionally well written and the cast has great chemistry as they did in the TV series.”
Tobias, an Upper St. Clair resident, is the local event coordinator, or “captain,” of the CSTS Pittsburgh committee, a role he’s held since 2013. Other committee members include his brothers Randy and Michael, and his sister-in-law, Kelly, all of whom graduated from Bethel Park High School and teach at an area high school.
Christopher teaches German at Bethel Park; Randy, math at Keystone Oaks; Michael, English at South Park, and Kelly, English at Chartiers Valley.
Michael handles public relations for CSTS events and designed and built the carnival games. Kelly is at the front desk and runs ticket sales and raffle ticket sales. Randy handles mathematical issues such as determining how prizes are allocated. He was the first member of the family to watch “Firefly.”
“One thing I will say about this family is when one member digs their heels in on something, the rest of us tend to join in,” Randy said. “A lot of what we do, we do because we know how much it means to Christopher. If it means that much to one of us, it means that much to all of us.”
Those who make a minimum $10 donation receive admission and an entry in the “door-prize” drawing (and a special drawing for first-time viewers, if appropriate).
This marks the first time in four years that the movie will be shown in a theater. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted three straight outdoor viewings at South Park, keeping the streak of “Serenity” showings alive. Christopher Tobias said Pittsburgh was the only city to hold a CSTS charity screening in 2020.
“We are the only city in the world that has had a live screening of this film for charity every year since 2006,” he said. “We’re really, really excited about the idea of going back into a theater and screening ‘Serenity”‘ in a proper way.”
Since 2006, fans of “Firefly,” known as Browncoats, have organized screenings of “Serenity.” In that time, the Pittsburgh event has raised more than $16,000 for various charities. Over the years, events held in 124 cities around the world have raised more than $1.35 million.
“My family is very passionate about what we like,” Michael Tobias said. “If we see something we like, we share it with the other family members. Everybody became fans of the show. When Christopher kind of took over, he really wanted to continue the charity event and asked if we’d have his back.”
Like other shows with passionate fan bases, some Browncoats will dress in character. Christopher has dressed in the past as Capt. Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds, the role of series star Nathan Fillion.
“I haven’t has the costume on in four years,” he said. “We’ll have to see if it still fits.”
Michael typically shows up as Jayne Cobb, a role played by actor Adam Baldwin.
“What’s fun about the community around the show is that, much like the show, it brings together a lot of different type of characters,” Kelly said. “I think the fans are a community of a lot of different people with different backgrounds and different jobs, but it’s something fun that they can enjoy together and help others with the charity work.”
In most cases, CSTS funds go to support Equality Now, which advocates for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls and is the favorite charity of Joss Whedon, creator of “Firefly.”
“For 17 years, we had given the Lion’s share of our proceeds to Equality Now, and we felt it was time to do a little catchup with charities that are in our backyard,” Christopher said. “We think we got a couple of good charities this year. We’re proud of it and hope we can raise a decent amount of money for them.”