Category Archives: community theatre

Write, Post, Eat? Or Just Yell?

Posted on April 13, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Is three weeks too early for All Leading Ladies All The Time?  Oh well, in the first place, it isn’t a full two weeks any more and in the second place, I’ll probably sneak in some other foolishness along the way.

That said, I’m stressed.  I have to finish my article for Mohawk Valley Living, make today’s blog post, and eat something.  Full disclosure:  I thought of the title while I was taking my shower and I have already eaten something.  Priorities, people!

I am having the damnedest time with the article.  Not the smallest problem is that I am on my new lap top not my old desk top.  I’m not used to this program!  Of course it is not all that hard.  I mean, I’m typing in words, how much to I have to do with them?  Still, it’s just one more thing to occupy my meager brain (which is still not back from yesterday’s tiredness, although I did go to bed early).  Yes, I know, one more thing to whine and cry about.  How tiresome am I?  Sorry, readers.

Earlier today I was talking about tonight’s rehearsal.  I have been discussing the play a lot at work.  People are interested, or pretend to be.  One fellow somehow got the impression that I intend to holler at my cast tonight.  He kept bringing it up:  “Go to rehearsal, yell at your cast, go home and go to bed.”  Me, yell at my cast?  I’m a woman of peace!  I am soft-spoken and gentle.  Who said I yell?  I got something to say to that bastard!

This week we rehearse today (Tuesday), Wednesday and Friday.  Next week it will be Tuesday through Friday.  The following week is production week:  every damn night till we open on Friday!  If this really is All Leading Ladies All The Time, that will be 17 more posts about the play, including opening night.  Let’s hope I come up with something to say besides, “I’m so stressed!  I do NOT yell at my cast!”

 

 

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Ulterior Motives in Theatre

Posted on January 4, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

In lieu of my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday, I thought I would share a little local theatre news.  Full disclosure:  I have an ulterior motive for doing so, as you’ll see.

The next production of Ilion Little Theatre (ILT) is The Birds, to be directed by Stephen Wagner.  Performance dates are February 26, 27, 28 and March 4, 5 and 6.  Auditions are January 4 and 5.  Yes, folks, tomorrow and the next day!  Auditions will take place at 7 p.m. at Ilion Little Theatre in The Stables, Remington Avenue, Ilion, NY.  Auditioners (what, computer, that’s not a word? It should be) do not need to prepare anything.

The cast calls for two males and two females, ranging in age from 20 to 50. Backstage people are needed as well.  For a brief plot summary and break-down of characters, you can consult the Ilion Little Theatre Club Facebook page.  For more information on Ilion Little Theatre in general, you can visit their website at http://www.ilionlittletheatre.org/.

Regarding my ulterior motive:  I think my delightful husband, Steven, should audition.  I thought if I published this in my blog post, some of our friends might read it and say, “Yeah, Steve should audition!”  Then they might call him or message him on Facebook or tell him when they see him.

However, I thought the post might be of interest to other readers as well.  Are you a local reader with an interest in drama?  I encourage you to audition.  If you are more interested in helping out backstage, you are also more than welcome.  We love new members.

Do I intend to audition?  Regular readers know I love ACTING (said with dramatic gesture)!  Well, I do not plan on it at this point.  I am committed (I know, some of you think I ought to be committed) to directing the next play at ILT.  However, I will accompany Steven to auditions (if I am successful in talking him into going), and, as we all know, in theatre, anything can happen.

 

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Thinking about Theatre

Posted on September 22, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

The answer to the question, “What was I thinking?” is pretty much always, “You weren’t thinking.  You are a huge idiot and you bring all your troubles on yourself.”  There is something vaguely liberating in the admission.  Or am I just glass-half-fulling?

No matter.  For this week’s Monday Mental Meanderings, I bring you another theatre update.  Are any of my readers tired of hearing about Ilion Little Theatre?  I cannot fathom such a thing.  In any case I am too tired to think of anything else to write about (and it’s not even Tired Tuesday yet. Yikes!).

Yesterday was closing performance of Roxy,  (I think we can say it all together now:) the play presented by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre  (ILT).  Naturally we followed up with a cast party.  Oh all right, I may have possibly had just a sip or two more wine than was strictly necessary.  I had a wonderful time with my theatre friends, but I got lousy sleep and I am feeling far from my best this morning.

Now I can hear the unkind laughter.   I assure you, I am laughing at myself at this point.  But why do I feel as if nobody is laughing with me but only at me?  Like you never did anything stupid!

Anyways, that is not what raised the question of what I was thinking, and as always I apologize for going on about my own ills.  On to the theatre update.

Tonight we begin rehearsals for the first official show of the ILT season:  Lunch Hour by Jean Kerr.  It is to be directed by Suzanne Rodio.  I am stage manager.

I realized this morning that if I had thought about it for even a short time, I would not have agreed to such a thing. I’m tired, for heavens’ sake!  I’m not a young woman and I don’t lead nearly as healthy a lifestyle as I ought to.  Suzanne has set an ambitious rehearsal schedule.  I ought to be glad about that, because she is very organized and obviously means this to be a good show that does not have to pull together at the last minute (oh how I hate opening night miracles!) (although I suppose it is even worse when you need one and it doesn’t happen).

Well, just listen to me whine.  What a big, fat baby!  I’m going into a show with a strong script and a good director.  More to the point, I LOVE theatre!  I want to work on a play!

I’m sure I’ll feel better tomorrow, as long as rehearsal doesn’t run late and I get a good night’s sleep.  Here’s to not feeling too tired on Tuesday!

 

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Loves of a Theatre Junky

Posted on August 31, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s another Wrist to Forehead Sunday, but I have a different source for my angst today.  I am waiting to go to auditions at Ilion Little Theatre  for Lunch Hour, a romantic comedy to be presented in November.  My angst is not from audition butterflies, because I have agreed to be stage manager.  My job is set.  My angst is is due to the onset of as huge case of  WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING???

Of course the answer to that question is, I’m not.  I almost never am.  I am, it must be admitted, a theatre junky (my computer wants me to spell it “junkie,” but my dictionary says “junky” is also correct).  When somebody asks me to do any theatre thing, I jump at the chance.  They don’t even have to ask me, I often volunteer.  And by “volunteer,” I mean beg.  “Oh please, please, PLEASE let me be in your play!  I can work backstage!  I can make costumes!  I can work on the set!  I can do lights and sound!”  Full disclosure:  I may be a complete klutz and borderline useless at any of these jobs; it never stops me.

Actually, I have not had to beg since I got involved with Ilion Little Theatre.  They are a very welcoming group, not at all clique-y.  I feel very fortunate to be involved with such a fun group of such nice people.   However, it cannot be denied that doing plays takes a lot of time and energy.  Sometimes there is more drama  backstage than onstage, even with a fun group of nice people.

The other source of my hesitation to become involved in Lunch Hour is that I am still so filled with concern over Roxy.  Roxy, as regular readers know, is the play being presented by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre.  It is less than two weeks until opening night!  Yikes!  Will we pull it together in time? Will it be good?  Will I be good?  Oh well, probably, but one can’t help but have butterflies.

You know, I don’t know why I’m sitting here with my wrist to my forehead.  I LOVE the theatre!  It is wonderful to audition for a play and get a part.  It is fun to learn lines, go to rehearsal, develop a character and all that.  And when the audience applauds at the end, well, that’s pretty good too.  As an added bonus, I often get quite a number of blog posts out of it, as you may have noticed.  So Happy Sunday, everyone,  I’m off to auditions.

 

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And in Theatre News…

Posted on June 16, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

There is good news for local theatre goers.  My husband, the handsome, talented Steven, may be returning to the Ilion Little Theatre stage.

Perhaps my elation is premature.  After all, the cast list has not been announced, and there are two more days of auditions.  Still, chances are good that Steven will get a part.

My own public (and by “public,” of course I mean my parents) (Hi, Mom and Dad!) may be pleased to know that I auditioned as well. My hopes for myself are not as high.  There are not as many female parts, and competition is stiff.  There are some highly talented female actors in this area.  However, I don’t need a part in order to take part, if you see what I mean.  There are sets, costumes, and props to worry about. I’m sure the director will find something for me to do.

The play is actually being presented  by the Herkimer  County Historical Society, and it is a drama of great local, historical interest.  Roxy tells the story of Roxalana Druse, who murdered her husband in1885 in the Town of Warren.  She was tried in the  Herkimer County Courthouse.  She was incarcerated and subsequently executed in the 1834 Jail.  Both structures still stand on Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners.  I know a bit about Roxalana Druse from visiting the 1834 Jail and from reading the book Last Woman Hanged: Roxalana Druse by James M. Greiner.

The play Roxy was written by local author Jack Sherman and will be directed by ILT veteran David Stritmater.  Production dates are Sept. 11 to 13 and 18 to 20.  I expect to write more blog posts about it. Perhaps by September this blog will become All Roxy All The Time.

 

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To Act or Not to Act?

Posted on April 9, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

More specifically, to audition or not to audition? I say audition. Steven is undecided.

The play in question is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Players of Utica. The idea of auditioning came up a few weeks ago, when we were dining with a couple of theatre friends prior to seeing The Psychic at Ilion Little Theatre. Of course, in the moment, we all said, “Yeah! Let’s audition! We’ll all go together! It’ll be great!”

A little time passes. Utica seems further away than it did from Ilion (well, I think it is a mile or so closer to Ilion than to Herkimer, but I suppose it depends on which road you take). We’ve never auditioned for Players of Utica, in fact, we don’t even know where they are. Oh, being in a play is so much time and work. We like to come home, put our sweats on and relax after work. We won’t audition.

A little more time passes. Our theatre friends contact us and say, “Hey, are we auditioning or what?” (or words to that effect). Suddenly we remember why we wanted to audition in the first place. WHAT SHOULD WE DO???

Full disclosure: Steven is the one who is more likely to get cast in this production, and he is the one I would really like to audition. After all, I was just in a play. I love to see Steven on stage. He is an excellent actor. However, I will go along and audition. I like to read for a part and, hey, you never know.

I think we will audition. I’m already planning to write a blog post about it.

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The Last Pre-Show Post

Posted on February 9, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Under the best of circumstances I often have a Wrist to Forehead Sunday. Today I do not have the best of circumstances. I have pretty damn good circumstances, I will admit. But they are not ideal for writing a wonderful blog post. For this I have my dithery self to blame (the computer seems to think “dithery” is not a word, but I believe it describes me accurately).

At 2 p.m. begins the closing performance of Busybody, the play I am in at Ilion Little Theatre. It’s always bittersweet when a play ends. How could it not be? For better or worse, this script and these people have been a huge part of your life for, in this case, over two months. For “Busybody” it has been for better. Delightful cast, humorous script, wonderful audiences, great director and awesome light/sound guy.

And I will admit, it is not just my appreciation of the others involved. It is my own petty ego gratification, because I have a big part and, dammit, I am doing a good job. OK, not a perfect job. Last night there was a (to me) painful pause in which I suddenly remembered that the next line was mine.

“Ow, I know!” I burst out, in my Cockney accent (that’s why it’s “Ow” instead of “Oh”), pretending that my character had just now had a clever thought. The moment passed. Nobody seemed to care.

Lame Post Friday is the day for half-baked philosophy, or I would ask myself why it is I feel quite sheepish in saying, “I’m doing a good job.” Can I not appreciate my own success? I think I have been pretty clear that it is part of a group effort and not my own wonderfulness carrying along everyone else willy-nilly. These are questions for another day.

For now I will continue to dither and panic (well, maybe not panic, but certainly get butterflies) about getting to the theatre, remembering props and costumes, not to mention lines. Oh yes, and once again I’ve forgotten to eat. That I can fix. Have a nice Sunday, everyone. I’m off to break a couple of legs.

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I Missed the Drama!

Posted on September 20, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last night Steven and I attended the monthly dinner meeting of Ilion Little Theatre Club. It was the first meeting of the 2014-15 season. Through one cause or another we missed all the dinner meetings last season, although we made it to all the plays. It was so nice to be back in the theatre again, reconnecting with our theatre friends.

Rehearsals were going on for the first production, Noises Off. We did not audition for that one but may audition for something later in the season. I’ve missed being onstage. Also, being in a play usually gives me any number of blog posts.

A new season always brings new projects and goals. One of the most exciting things I heard last night was the upcoming Save Our Tower campaign. Ilion Little Theatre, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, is in The Stables on Remington Avenue in Ilion, NY. It used to be the Remington family’s stables. It is a beautiful historic brick building. Like many historic buildings, it is in need of repair.

One of the most pressing problems is a crack in the tower. The Board of Directors has talked to a couple of masons about repair or, better yet, restoration. It’s a complicated process and it don’t come cheap. A number of ideas were mentioned, including forming a Fundraising Committee.

I hope to follow this matter, participate in some of the fundraising (I can’t beg for donations, but I could, for example, wash a car at a car wash), and of course write blog posts about it. In the meantime, I’m just happy to be back at the theatre and with a great group of people.

For more information on Ilion Little Theatre Club, you can visit their website at www.ilionlittletheatre.org and you can Like their Facebook page.

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