A 44-year-old preschool teacher by day, Shawn Bauldree flirts with the dark side once the sun sets.
"I can't just be my age," Bauldree said, adorned with a long, stringy white wig, thick costume makeup and a long robe. "I need dress up and make believe. It lets me feel alive."
One of the founding members of the Thieves Guilde, Bauldree and her acting troupe will take the stage Friday at the Regal Gainesville Cinema Stadium 14 in Butler Plaza for the premiere of "The Dark Knight" at 12:01 a.m.
The theater, along with several other businesses, is preparing for a huge turnout for the film. Entertainment, contests and prizes are just part of the hype surrounding Christopher Nolan's latest movie.
The troupe volunteers to provide entertainment for moviegoers in the theater lobby. The community theater group, which specializes in living theater and stunt work, will be dressed as the Joker's henchmen. But look out for the bat signal. Bauldree said there may be a surprise appearance from Batman himself.
"In 'Batman,' stunt professionals have trained to make the movie exciting and interesting," Bauldree said. "We are trying to do the same thing for the community."
The theater has teamed up with 100.5 The Buzz to give away 24 movie passes valid for a year at the premiere, said a Regal Entertainment Group spokesman, who would not give his name due to company policy. The winner will be announced prior to the opening credits.
The Buzz will also hold a costume contest, and winners will have priority seating at the premiere. The first 100 people to show up dressed in costume will receive a Batman poster.
Nick Cecere, a promotions assistant for the radio station, already made his costume. Cecere will be wearing a T-shirt displaying the Batman symbol and The Buzz logo.
"I have the screen-printing stuff at my house, so as soon as I knew we were going to be at the premiere, I went home and - whomp - got my shirt," he said. "Only one, only for me."
Jim Blinkhorn, owner of 7th Inning Stretch: Sports Cards, Comics & Gaming, said that with the media attention surrounding the death of Heath Ledger, the early Oscar hype and the fact that it is a Batman movie, he predicts Friday will be the biggest superhero opening in history.
Blinkhorn said Ledger based his Joker portrayal on a comic book written 20 years ago called "The Killing Joke." In that story, the Joker was known for being dark and sinister.
"He is going to be a great Joker," Blinkhorn said. "He plays crazy really well."
He said that with the upcoming release, he can't keep that comic book on the shelves, and he believes this movie is going to be darker and more mysterious than any other Batman movie.
"It's not kiddy stuff," he said. "For the first time, people are starting to realize that comic books aren't just bedtime stories."
As of Tuesday morning, the theater had already sold more than 800 tickets for the premiere, and it is expecting to reach capacity with 1,000 viewers, a Regal Entertainment Group spokesman said.
The film will be shown on at least four screens.
"The night is darkest just before the dawn," Blinkhorn said, quoting the movie's trailer. "I bet the midnight showing is going to be incredible."
