BAM and Then It Hit Him

Who said plugging away on Facebook was a waste of time?

Certainly not Clinton Hill resident Mark Snyder, who was named the grand prize winner of the 's "Ultimate BAM Fan" Facebook contest this week.

One of 10 finalists culled from thousands of entries on BAM's Facebook page, Snyder's winning entry, "Cornucopia of Options," reads like a love letter to a world-renowned cultural institution that has never really shed its neighborhood roots.

As a grand prize winner, Snyder snagged a membership to BAM, free movies at BAM Rose Cinemas for one year, a $300 Chase Gift Card and swag that any ultimate fan would appreciate.

"I didn't even know it was a contest," Snyder told Patch during a phone conversation earlier this week. "I just wanted to write about BAM and my experience about it."

A playwright with a day job in Manhattan, Snyder was inspired by the "BAM and Then It Hits You" ads, which have become nearly ubiquitous in subway trains, buses and stations throughout the city. The campaign, featuring everyday New Yorkers suddenly revisited by the memories of past BAM stage productions, was put into action in time for the Fort Greene landmark's 150th anniversary this year.

And like those New Yorkers, Snyder recounted a one-of-a-kind experience involving "an eclectic audience of film buffs" watching Barbara Stanwyck in "Ball of Fire" at BAM Rose Cinemas—a moment made all the sweeter since the former Upper West Side resident now lives "up the street."

"What I discovered that day ... was a sense of shared community through art, conversations that ignited (sorry) as the end credits rolled and a warmth and a truth that emanates through the entire facility," he wrote.

A native of the Midwest arriving in the city in 1998, Snyder's first apartment was in the shadow of another city cultural landmark: Lincoln Center. Despite this proximity to world-class venues like the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Theater, Snyder says he never felt the same connection there as he does with BAM.

"I think the reason BAM feels different is the diversity of the audience—it reflects the community that it's in," he said. "It doesn't feel so important."

A resident of Clinton Hill since May, Snyder seems to have finally found his perfect neighborhood, which just so happens to have one of the city's best venues for dance, theater and film.

"BAM was a big factor in why I moved to this part of Brooklyn," he said.

Here is Snyder's winning Facebook entry:

"A Cornucopia of Options"

It all starts with Brooklyn. I was wandering around Lafayette Avenue, desperately looking for this “Music Hall” that was hosting a Barbara Stanwyck Centennial series. My grandfather had always raved to me about the movie Ball of Fire as a language-loving kid, and I was curious to see if the lady from The Thornbirds played the siren with Gary Cooper back in the 1940s.

What I discovered that day, sitting in an eclectic audience of film buffs and Stanwyck novices (like myself) was a sense of shared community through art, conversations that ignited (sorry) as the end credits rolled, and a warmth and a truth that emanates through the entire facility. I felt accepted and that I belonged and had a voice that would be listened to—a rare quality in an arts organization.

I’ve seen stars act Williams, Beckett, Ibsen. I’ve seen indie rockers perform concept operas. And I’ve heard some of my favorite Shakespeare played by THE troupes that travel around the world. But my afternoon with Barbara was the first moment I felt a responsibility to my borough.

I love living up the street from BAM.