Category Archives: community theatre

2025 Was a Dramatic Year!

Posted on January 1, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought for a New Year’s Eve post I would do a review of my year in blogging.  I just looked back over my posts from January to now, and I realized: I will probably leave a lot out.  I also realized I had a pretty good theatre year, so I will concentrate on 2025 theatrical triumphs.  I should have started this days ago and written about my year in running, business shout-outs, family fun, etc.  Never mind. On with the post.

A great cast! I hope to work with them again (Preview of Coming Attractions).

January saw me reviving Curtains for Frangelica, the murder mystery we did in October 2024 to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I am currently writing a new murder mystery for this spring.  We did two performances, set up by a cast member.  It made for some interesting blog posts.

Everybody was pretty glad when I got bumped off.

In February I auditioned for a real play: Prescription: Murder at Ilion Little Theatre (ILT).  I got the part I wanted:  the overbearing wife who gets murdered.  It was a wonderful experience, with a great cast and crew.  I hope to audition at ILT again in 2026.

A suspicious-looking bunch indeed.

We did two performances of Recipe for Murder Royale, which was inspired by the cookbook published by Herkimer County Historical Society.  We performed it first at Salisbury Grange, then again the Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit the Historical Society.  As you may notice, there were a couple of the same actors who helped off Frangelica as well as a couple of newcomers.  They were all delightful.

One of my more dramatic moments.

It was hard to pick a shot of Four Old Broads on the High Seas to share, but I finally settled on one showing all four broads, with me diva-ing it up in front.  This was my first play with Players of Utica, although a few of my ILT buddies were also involved.  This was in July.  Since I have done little theatre since, I see why I was thinking I hadn’t done anything in a while.

However, looking back, I see that I have been lucky enough to do quite a bit of theatre in the past year.  Community theatre is one of my passions.  As I mentioned, I hope to do more in 2026.  I’ll be sure to blog about it when I do!

 

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Late Post Performance Post

Posted on July 28, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I suppose some of you thought (if you bother to think about this blog at all, which I do not flatter myself that many do) that yesterday would be the last I blog about Four Broads on the High Seas (you know, that play at Players of Utica I was in). Um, well, no.  It is Monday morning, not very early (for me), and I decided to blog (silly verb) a little about Post Play Letdown.

Who couldn’t feel a little let down after this?

I throw in one of my favorite rehearsal pictures to pep things up.  I am clearly not feeling very peppy but shall not let that stop me. Perhaps the coffee will kick in soon.

Of course it is natural to feel some letdown after big experiences.  It is even more so when the experience has been physically draining.  I had to work hard to keep my energy up for each performance.  The wonderful audience response helped a lot, as did my fellow cast members, who were all on their A game.

Who doesn’t love Liza?

The whole experience has been wonderful for me.  I had my doubts about the script at first, but once we were onstage playing off each other, it became clear that it would be very entertaining.  I was so blessed to work with some very talented people!  More importantly, I made new friends and spent time with a few old friends.  That is what it is all about.  I LOVE community theatre, and the emphasis really is on community.

Me, a new friend, and an old friend!

I don’t know how entertaining this blog post has been, but I did want to express my gratitude.  Another wonderful thing:  My parents and two sisters surprised me by attending the last performance!  They took an adorable selfie, but I can’t figure out how to get pictures from Facebook to WordPress on my Chromebook.

I am feeling less down after typing all this (as Truman Capote famously said, “That’s not writing, that’s typing”), and ready to move on to what is next.  I am hard at work on the next murder mystery, and I have it in mind to write my own silly play about female friends of a certain age.  Something that takes place in the Mohawk Valley, of course!

 

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One More Time Being an Old Broad!

Posted on July 27, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

One more verse!

That is a line my character says in Four Old Broads on the High Seas, the play I am in at Players of Utica (perhaps you read some of my blog posts about it).  We have done two performances, which the audiences enjoyed very much.  Today we close with a matinee at two.  I have a bottle of bubbly in the refrigerator backstage so we can toast each other after the show. In fact, it is four bottles, because it is very difficult for me to do anything in a small way (well, my favorite champagne is dry, but some people like sweet, and I got sparkling cider for those who don’t want alcohol, and the fourth bottle just kind of happened) (I could write a whole blog post about how I came to get four bottles).

It looks like we already had some bubbly.

I don’t have any pictures of anyone in the cast having a drink, so I throw in this rehearsal shot of a few of us looking rather merry.  I have mentioned that I do not take good selfies, but this shot (regular readers may recall that I have shared several versions) always seems to come out sweet.  I will credit my fellow cast members with their lovely smiles (I feel I have rather a cheese-eating grin) (only I don’t say “cheese”).

Another selfie that came out well.

This picture never seems to come out with the actual cast member, but I like the version with the understudy a lot.

These three again?

This was right next to the previous shot in my Media Library, so I shared it again.  A little blurry, but you can see the love.

I could go on and on about the cast and crew of this show and how much I love them.  It has been a wonderful experience, even when I have been tired or hot or had a headache.  I feel sure we will give a killer performance today, and the audience will get some good laughs.

One last chance for local readers to see Four Old Broads on the High Seas at Players of Utica, 1108 State St., Utica, NY, today, July 27 at 2 p.m. (doors open at 1:30).  For more information call 315-724-7624.

 

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These Old Broads are Ready for Broadway!

Posted on July 23, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

One more rehearsal till opening night! That is of Four Old Broads on the High Seas at Players of Utica.  Rehearsal last night went not too bad.  We are having fun, and I think the audience will have fun too, and that is the whole point, yes?  Yes.

Beatrice is telling us what’s what. She’s like that.

Most of the pictures I take while I am on stage do not come out very well, but regular readers know how Waste Not Want Not I am.

One of the more successful photo bombs.

This selfie almost always comes out pretty good.  The other selfies I take not so much.  But one must persevere.

Miss Tequila Mockingbird at Miss Dolly Parton!

I have not said much about the plot of the play, or our characters other than that four of us are old broads and one is a drag queen.  Well, I don’t like to give anything away.  I say, let it all unfold for the audience.  Also, I am tired out with all this rehearsing and being something of an old broad myself (yes, it’s typecasting) (and my character is kind of an idiot, so make of that what you will).  But I must plug my latest theatrical endeavor!

Four Old Broads on the High Seas will be presented Friday through Sunday, July 25 through 27, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, at Players of Utica, 1108 State St., Utica, NY.  All tickets are $15. For more information call 315-724-7624.

 

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The Old Broad Is Still On Stage!

Posted on July 16, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

This blog may become All Four Old Broads All The Time for the next week and a half.  Six more rehearsals remain for Four Old Broads on the High Seas, the play I am in at Players of Utica. If you readmy previous blog posts about it, you may recall that my character takes a lot of pictures during the course of the play, using a flash (it is a recurring joke in the script that people keep squinting).  I use an old smart phone (much smarter than I am, I fear) and am able to use some of said pictures here.

Three out of four Broads surveyed said this is a fun play!

Unfortunately, most of the pictures do not come out all that well.  Additionally, a lot of the ones that do come out are remarkably similar. However, I find them fun and intend to use them.

Check out my crown and sash!

Oh dear, we are completely blocking the third character in the shot!  You can only see her blue hat.  Never mind; I will get other pictures of her later.

From when we were still on book.

I do not have any scenes with these two characters but took this shot during  an early rehearsal.  Now I am backstage all through the show, worrying about costume changes.  Wait till you get a load of me in my Playboy Bunny outfit!

Four Old Broads on the High Seas will be presented at Players of Utica, 1108 State St., Utica, NY, Friday July 25 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday July 26 and 27 at 2 p.m.  All seats are $15.  For more information call 315-724-7624.

 

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Picture Me in a Play!

Posted on July 1, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

In the play I am in at Players of Utica, Four Broads on the High Seas, my character keeps snapping pictures, much to the annoyance of the other characters.  The beauty part of that is, I get some pictures I can use in a blog post.  Sometimes I also take a picture when I am not on stage, like this one of our esteemed director:

Doesn’t she look nice?

I take a couple of ussies in the course of the play, some of which definitely turn out better than others.  I delete the bad ones, but I will share some of the good ones.

A little blurry, but we’re all smiling!

I loved this shot, because I went to take a picture of me and the fabulous fellow, and my friend jumped right in.  It was a great character thing to do.

Another smiling trio!

The one in the middle is actually a stage crew member who was standing in for a cast member who is on vacation.  She is a young chick that actually did a great job of playing an old broad.  I got her permission to use this picture in the blog post, because I thought it was a good one.

I haven’t said much about the plot of the play, but then I don’t want to spoil anything for local readers.  I’m afraid this blog may become All Old Broads All The Time, but you’ll have that.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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Saw One Play, Rehearsing Another

Posted on June 30, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sunday afternoon I went to the closing performance of Getting Sarah Married, the last production of Ilion Little Theatre’s 2024-25 season.  I had a feeling I should have gone the first weekend; then I could have made a post encouraging local readers to go.  As it is, now I can only say, it was a very funny performance.  I congratulate all involved.  Alas that I do not have any pictures of it.  I ought to at least have a picture of Ilion Little Theatre in my Media Library, but I do not think I do.

It’s complicated.

I got on my Tablet and found this rehearsal shot shared by a cast member and stole it.  It includes all but two of the cast, and I think it shows something of the chaotic nature of the plot.

Today I have other theatre things on my mind.  I have to study my lines for Four Old Broads in the High Seas, a play I am in a Players of Utica.  Yes, I am one of the old broads, the one that is (a quote from the script) “dumb as a box of rocks.”  Yes, it is type casting.  It is an extremely silly script, but I imagine it will get a lot of laughs.

Me, doing my stuff.

The director shared this rehearsal shot on one of my Facebook posts.  I asked for silly photos to cheer me up.  Who, me, be silly?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!

Four Old Broads on the High Seas will be presented at Players of Utica, 1108 State St., Utica NY, July 25, 26, and 27, all seats $15.  For more information you can visit playersofutica.org

 

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Posting Despite Pre-Performance Jitters

Posted on May 4, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

For once I was not too lazy to check, and it turns out I did already use the title, “Oh Crap! I Gotta Make a Blog Post!”  I even went back and read it (it was short).  I was about to go to a rehearsal, after being on overtime at work.  Today I am soon to start getting ready to go to a performance.  Regular readers will know it is Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery to benefit Herkimer County Historical Society.  I had all day not only to make a blog post, but to do something to make a blog post about.  Failed on both counts.

Another suspicious bunch I am proud to be a part of.

I threw in a picture to pep things up.  This is the cast picture from when we did the show at Salisbury Grange on Sunday.  The sequins started coming off my dress, so I think I am going to wear something different.  Maybe somebody will take a picture of me that I can share.

As you may guess, I am getting pre-performance jitters, the more so since I am not so confident in my new costume choice.  I don’t know why I should worry.  Probably everybody will say I look nice, even if I don’t really.  I got plenty of compliments on the green number.  Anyways, it is not all about me looking fabulous.  It is all about me killing somebody for fun and non-profit!

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More Murder on the Menu

Posted on April 29, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here are a few of the “action” shots I took during the mingling portion of Recipe for Murder Royale at Salisbury Grange Sunday afternoon.  We are to present the show again this Saturday, May 3, at Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society, so this is also in the nature of a Preview of Coming Attractions.

I was supposed to be walking around mingling with the crowd myself, but since my character was an organizer of the event, I thought it was natural for me to take a couple of pictures.

These two are married in real life.

Our French chef and our backwoods boy were both popular characters. I thought it was delightful that BillyBob Bodine wore a bow-tie for the occasion.

It was a spontaneous smile.

In another in-character move, I asked my assistant to place the ballots on the tables.  This was where people would write their guesses as to who the murderer was.  Of course, I didn’t know there was going to be a murder (wink, wink), so I said Albert Graves (unaccountably absent) had said to put out the papers; I didn’t know why.

I dare share it again!

The last I knew tickets were still available, in case any of my local readers is interested.  I personally am looking forward to the dinner.  Italian Chicken Soup made with real Italians, who could resist?

 

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One Dead, One to Go!

Posted on April 28, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Our performance of Recipe for Murder Royale at Salisbury Grange went very well.  They seemed not to notice where we messed up.  Um, I mean, we didn’t mess up!  That is the thrill of live performance.

The unusual suspects.

One of the Grange people took a cast picture after it was all over.  What a great group of people this was to work with!  I must say I have been very fortunate in my murder mystery casts.  I get the nicest, most talented people.  Like the song says, there’s no people like show people!

Big smiles now that it was over!

I guess I don’t have a whole lot more to say than it went great!  Here we are in our costumes!  How dull of me.  I feel certain my readers will forgive me (especially since I refrained from calling them Shirley for once).

Only missing me and the Queen.

I did try to surreptitiously take a few action shots while we were mingling with the audience before the scripted part of the performance.  I may use them for another blog post. I will decide that subsequently.

One more to go!

We will perform the show again this Saturday at Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I’m sure it will be very fun.  Tickets are still available, in case any local readers are interested!

 

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