Category Archives: theater

Tabby at the Theatre

This post is in the nature of Preview of Coming Attractions at Ilion Little Theatre. However, since to me the most interesting aspect of the evening was the extremely cute behavior of our exceedingly cute schnoodle I thought I’d put her name in the headline.

Tuesday night Steven had an appointment to listen to a possible accompanist for Dirty Work at the Crossroads, the play he is to direct for May performances.

We have been feeling a little discouraged about Dirty Work lately. Regular readers (Hi, Mom!) might remember that the play was originally to have been presented in October but ran into problems. When we postponed it to May the cast which we had FINALLY assembled seemed to think it would be OK. Turns out not so much.

Well, they do say life happens while you are making other plans. Our leading lady was forced to drop out by unexpected circumstances (I feel I must emphasize beyond her control, because in general the woman is the most reliable of actresses and wonderful to work with) (I do hope her circumstances will allow her to participate in future productions), and we have not gotten confirmations from three other cast members. On the brighter side, I know at least one cast member has been looking over his script (I go to Curves with his wife) (What, you thought it was me?).

Julianne Allen, who is directing the current production, The Crazy Times, highly recommended a young lady who is one of her piano students to be the accompanist for Dirty Works. Accordingly, we headed to the theatre to meet the young lady and hear her play. I guess technically only Steven needed to go, but Tabby and I went along to offer out input.

Tuesday, local readers know, is the day the weather got a little dicey in the evening. It actually was not too bad in Herkimer and Ilion. The snow was heavy and wet when I drove home from work around quarter to four, but it had stopped by the time we headed to the theatre for six.

Once we got into the theatre I let Tabby off the leash, and she delightedly ran around, sniffing everything and being petted by everyone there. I can’t say she sat quietly and enjoyed hearing the pianist though. She wanted to see what was going on so jumped up to sniff the keys. Steven called her back. It did not seem to phase the player at all, so I thought that boded well.

She is a very talented young lady, and her name completely escapes me. She also has experience accompanying vocalists, which is obviously important. So we were very pleased to add an accomplished pianist to the Dirty Works team. Now if only we can fill out the cast!

Regarding Julianne’s play, everything seems to be going well. We did not stay for rehearsal, but the set is looking good. Julianne showed us the latest addition, two doors stage left.

“This one opens in now,” she said, demonstrating. Tabby walked through the door, helping with the demonstrating. Julianne closed the door to show that the other one opened the other way.

“Tabby’s going to be scratching at the door,” Steven said.

However, while Julianne was describing the other things planned for the set, Tabby walked around behind the flats and emerged from the open door on stage right, looking extremely pleased with herself.

I suppose by now my readers are divided into two camps. Some of you are smiling and saying, “Oh, what an adorable dog.” Others are shaking their heads saying, “That dog should have stayed quietly at heel or on the leash. Or at home. Sniffing the piano keys, indeed!” Do I really have any readers who would say that?

Steven even contemplated giving Tabby a role in Dirty Work at the Crossroads. I play Mrs. Asterbilt, a fabulously rich society matron. Wouldn’t it be appropriate for me to have a French poodle? Tabby is only half poodle, but she could act, couldn’t she? I would call her “Tabitha” in the play, which is her real name anyways. Our only worry is that during my big dramatic scene, Tabby would leap to my defense with a crescendo of barking. Well, a life in theatre isn’t for every dog.

For more information on production dates and times for The Crazy Times and Dirty Work at the Crossroads, go to www.ilionlittletheatre.org or the Ilion Little Theatre Club Facebook page. If you are interested in piano lessons from Julianne, visit the Julie’s Music Facebook page.

Whatever Happened to Playwright Steve?

Writing about What’s the Matter with Helen? and mentioning Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and the re-titled Whatever Happened to Cousin Charlotte? (remember, it became Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte) made me think about my husband Steven’s foray into thriller writing.

This happened when Steven was in junior high, well before he knew me and even well before I developed a taste (not to say obsession) for cheesy horror movies. And a quick disclaimer, I am laughing WITH my husband, not AT him. Indeed, I hope I poke good-natured fun at most of the movies I write about (except when I am taking them to task for spurious views on romance, like The Virgin Queen).

But I digress (well, why not digress on Non-Sequitur Thursday?). Getting on with the post, let us consider my husband’s play, What Happened to Millicent?

Steven had perhaps heard of Baby Jane and Sweet Charlotte, but had not seen them, and I don’t think Helen had even been made yet. Therefore no accusations of plagiarism can be leveled against him (unlike some of the plot points for some of the stories I wrote as a child and adolescent, but we’re not talking about me).

I think it’s pretty obvious that Steven had seen more television and movies than plays, because most of the scenes are about two minutes long and the set changes are quite elaborate. I don’t recall the whole plot, but Millicent disappears on the way to a dance. I think you hear a scream from behind a big rock.

In a later scene, Millicent’s sister Beverly is accused of doing away with Millicent. She immediately commits suicide, distraught at the accusation. We, the audience, know that Beverly is innocent, because we see her go behind the rock AFTER we hear the scream. Beverly sees her dead sister, screams, runs home and tells nobody. And apparently nobody else ever finds the body.

In the end (which I don’t scruple to tell you, since I doubt you will ever have an opportunity to read or see the play), we never find out what happens to Millicent. I believe it ends with a voice-over of the dead sister saying, “And whatever did happen to Millicent? No one will ever know.”

The play got a staged reading by some of Steven’s friends at a high school graduation party. They read it typos and all (the script had been hunt-and-pecked on a manual Smith Corona, just to inject a little history). The most notable of these was when one character threatened another with “Or eles!”

I must admit, Steven’s script had one quality that most of my efforts at novel and play writing have lacked: it was finished. That thought makes me want to leave this post unfinished and rush to finish the last play I was working on. Ironic, you say? I say, let’s save the half-baked philosophy for Lame Post Friday.

A Capitol Time

Friday night, Steven and I traveled into Rome, NY to the Capitol Theatre to attend a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window.

The Capitol Theatre is a truly gorgeous old time movie palace. It is where I saw my first movie (Mary Poppins), roughly a hundred years ago. I saw other movies there, till it closed. The building fell on some hard times. It was used occasionally for stage shows such as Rome Catholic High’s musical. Now it’s a Center for the Performing Arts, and they do all kinds of fun stuff there. This is the first event we’ve been able to make it to.

The Capitol first opened in 1928, I recently learned. I just knew it was old. It’s never been renovated, that is, chopped up into a six screen cineplex, for which I am grateful. The ceilings are high and ornate. The balcony goes back forever. It seats over 1,000 people (1,788, according to the brochure I picked up).

Steven and I got there early, so we had time to walk around a little and explore. We climbed up the steps to the balcony. There is a large foyer-type of room with a few comfy chairs and a piano, then you go up another small set of steps and through an opening about a third of the way down the balcony.

We walked up toward the top of the balcony. It went back just about as far as I remembered. I also remembered there being bats, once during a performance of Oklahoma! I was in, one summer during high school. I didn’t see any Friday night, though. With the theatre more occupied these days, perhaps the bats have found other quarters.

We decided to sit right in the front of the balcony. First we went and got popcorn and soda (me) as well as coffee (Steve). I don’t usually drink soda, but they were having a special on a large soda and large popcorn. I didn’t finish either.

The movie was wonderful. Rear Window is one of our favorites, but I have never seen it on such a big screen. The movie concerns Jimmy Stewart, wheelchair bound with a broken leg, looking out his window at his neighbors in the surrounding apartments. It was fascinating to notice all the details I missed on a television screen.

The Capitol hosts a variety of events. We picked up a flier that listed movies, a Celtic-Rock group called The Elders, Joshua Kane’s Psychic show, and others. We voted on next year’s Hitchcock selection (Steve wants Lifeboat, I picked Strangers On A Train). We also hope to return in August for CapitolFest II, three days of silent and early sound films.

For more information on the capitol, visit their website at www.romecapitol.com. You can also like them on Facebook.

Will I Break a Leg?

This is NOT Lame Post Friday. I work tomorrow, and when I work Saturday, Friday is just not Friday. OK, all you folks out there who work every Saturday, just don’t start, I have already addressed your concerns in previous non-lame Friday posts (don’t remember exactly what I said, probably something lame).

That said, I don’t have a whole lot to blog about (see yesterday’s post on “In My Defense… I Have No Defense”). Well, maybe one thing. As soon as I type this in (composing at the computer, by the way, not handwriting in a notebook on a break at work) (just to give an accurate picture), I must quickly shower and blow dry my hair in preparation for tonight’s performance of Strike Story at Ilion Little Theatre, Remington Avenue, Ilion, NY.

I know I said yesterday that I already wrote about this, but I thought of a few more things to say. To reiterate, for those of you just tuning in, Ilion Little Theatre, forced to postpone Dirty Work at the Crossroads till May, asked a group from Little Falls to present Strike Story, an original Readers’ Theatre piece written by a Little Falls woman, on our stage as our fall production. They needed a Helen Schloss for the second weekend. Our vice president nominated me. How could I refuse? (Seriously, please tell me how to refuse these things should they arise in the future; I don’t have time to be in a lot of plays).

I’ve been a little stressed. Would I be able to find a black skirt to wear? (yes, by virtue of spending an hour rummaging around in the theatre’s VERY messy costume room, Steven found me one). Would I be any good at the part? (the Little Falls people seem happy enough). Could I work a ten hour day on Friday, do a good show, then get up for more overtime on Saturday? (we’ll find out — stay tuned!).

On the whole, though, I’m pretty happy I did it. I’ve never done Readers’ Theatre. It is much more stylized than any play I’ve been in before, and some of the speeches are pretty long. And we’re all on stage the whole time. It’s fun, and a challenge, to listen attentively and in character, and make subtle little reactions. You never know when an audience member may be looking at you.

What I really like, though, is that my character does NOT like a couple of the other characters. She gets to be pretty sharp at times.

“Can we have more acid on that speech?” the director asked in one rehearsal. Oh yes, I can give you more acid. I bet some of you readers didn’t know I like to be mean (just kidding; I’m sure you all knew) (and I don’t REALLY like to be mean; I’m acting!).

I see I am over 450 words, pretty good for me. Has this post been as lame as a Lame Friday Post? I’ll let my readers be the judge. As for me, I must get in the shower. Otherwise, I may stink up the stage (insert joke about my stinky acting, if you so desire).

For more information on Strike Story, visit www.ilionlittletheatre.org or the Ilion Little Theatre Club Facebook page.

Readers All About It

In yesterday’s dithery post, I said that when I tried to write about Strike Story, Ilion Little Theatre’s fall production, I got all bogged down and it was not good. Well, today, I looked at what I wrote and it really doesn’t seem too bad. Since I’m having another wrist to forehead kind of day, I’m going to type it in and see if it’ll fly as today’s post.

I mentioned before how Strike Story replaces Dirty Work at the Crossroads (postponed till May — watch for it!), how it was originally presented at Little Falls’ Black Box Theatre, and how it was written by a Angela Harris, a local writer, telling the story about the 1912 textile strike in Little Falls.

The play is unusual for Ilion Little Theatre and for me, because it is Readers’ Theatre. The actors have the script in their hands and basically read the story (hence the term Readers’ Theatre) (I bet you already figured that out). It is more stylized than a regular play. In some productions the actors don’t get up at all. In one piece I saw, they did the whole thing behind a screen, pretending it was a radio play (I actually thought that was kind of silly, but what do I know?)

I know some of my readers are theatre people from way back (Hi, Rachel!), and that pedantic paragraph was wasted on them. Oh well.

In Strike Story, all the players are on stage the whole time. When our characters have lines we stand up and move around the stage. Many of our lines are directly to the audience, but there is some character interaction. Sometimes the drama comes from characters not speaking to each other but telling the same story from differing points of view.

It is an interesting story that could spark some heated political and social debate among viewers. I won’t say more than that, because Mohawk Valley Girl stays off politics. It is a fascinating look at local history.

The play runs November 2, 3, 9 and 10 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. in Ilion Little Theatre, Remington Ave, Ilion, NY. For more information, visit their website at www.ilionlittletheatre.org their facebook page.

Ooh La La!

I believe I mentioned auditioning for Dirty Work at the Crossroads, the Gay ’90s Melodrama being directed by my husband Steven for Ilion Little Theatre. Well, Steven is having a little bit of trouble filling all ten roles. Today at work I tried to help.

I didn’t start out trying to help. At first I was just making conversation.

“Steven is having trouble filling all the girls parts in his play,” I said to a guy who came to see Harvey and has expressed an interest in future plays.

“Sally is a girl,” he said immediately.

“Well, there is the part of the French Maid,” I speculated.

He expressed an immediate interest in seeing his co-worker in a French Maid outfit. “But don’t tell her I suggested her.”

“But I’ve given you a mental image that you will enjoy for the rest of the morning,” I said. I went and found Sally. “Would you like to play the part of the French Maid in Steven’s play?” I asked.

“I think Harry would be better as the French Maid,” she suggested.

“I’ll ask him,” I said. “In the meantime, we both have a mental image we can enjoy for the rest of the morning.”

Much later I saw the two of them talking, so I approached them. “I asked Sally if she wanted to play the French Maid and she said you would be much better,” I told Harry. He immediately started speaking French. I thought about going all Gomez Adams on him, “Tish! You spoke French!” but we were at work after all. “You know, I didn’t even tell Sally it was your idea that she do it. Oops.”

So we all got a good laugh, and I told them I was going to write a blog post about it. “But I won’t use your real names.” In case they felt weird about my vast readership picturing them both in French Maid outfits.

“I want to be Harry, and she can be Sally,” Harry immediately said, solving my problem. You see, I had been trying to think of aliases and I was worried a clever reader would trace them to their source.

By the end of the day I had at least two other votes for Harry as the French Maid, and I believe he is considering the role. While I was discussing it with him, two other co-workers walked by.

“Or maybe Tom should be the French Maid,” I said, just to widen my search (his name isn’t really Tom; I made up that alias just now all by myself).

“Huh? What? I heard my name.”

I tried to explain. “My husband needs more actors for the play he is directing.”

“You can probably get a lot of help with that around here,” the other co-worker said. “Lots of drama going on.” I believe that is the case in many places of employment.

Of course I don’t usually blog about work, because this isn’t that sort of a blog, but I thought the story about the French Maid search was pretty funny. And the search continues. Maybe I should ask my boss or maybe the plant manager…

Dirty Work at the Crossroads will be presented by Ilion Little Theatre Oct. 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. with a matinee Sunday Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. For more information visit their website at http://www.ilionlittletheatre.org or “Like” them on Facebook. Now I know you all want to come and see who finally plays the French Maid.

Oh Oh, Auditions!

I was unsure whether to hyphenate oh-oh or put in exclamation points, Oh! Oh! or use the comma. I may change my mind by the end of the post.

Yesterday my husband, Steven, held the first night of auditions for Dirty Work at the Crossroads, the Gay ’90s melodrama he is directing for Ilion Little Theatre. You might think that since I am sleeping with the director, I would approach these auditions without nerves, and so I did, uh, didn’t. Not too much, anyways.

It is a short drive from our house in Herkimer, NY to Remington Avenue in Ilion where the theatre is located. This is a good thing, especially since we almost forgot the scripts. I knew if we had forgotten anything else I would be easily able to retrieve it while Steven stalled. In fact, we were cool.

Some people were already waiting for us when we arrived. Soon we actors were filling out our audition sheets. I put all wise-ass answers on mine. Like I said, not too many nerves. Several people were a little confused by the last question, “Is there anything else you’d like us to know?” When I typed up the audition sheets I was thinking of things like, “I know stage combat” or “I’ll work backstage if not cast” or “I can tap dance.” Um, I don’t think there is any stage combat or tap dancing in the show, but we will have a backstage.

At last it was time to be on stage reading the scenes. I was at a slight advantage since I read the play last weekend. People caught on to the characters and situations pretty fast, though, and it was entertaining to watch. At auditions I always like to see other people read a scene before I read it, so I can steal their good ideas. After all, plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery.

Some really talented people showed up for auditions, but I’m afraid not enough to cast the show. The second round of auditions is tonight, so I hope Steven will get a few more people. I’m sorry I did not write this post last night and post it right away. If I post it within the next twenty minutes, people will have exactly one hour to read it, decide to audition and show up. Now how many readers do I think are going to tune right in and act on what I write? How many local readers do you suppose I have? As the great Fats Waller said, “One never knows, do one?”

Auditions continue tonight, September 6 at 7 p.m. at Ilion Little Theatre, The Stables, Remington Avenue, Ilion, NY. For more information visit their website at http://www.ilionlittletheatre.com or their Facebook page.

A Few Words about “Dirty Works”

Steven is spending his one day off of the three day weekend working on his Ilion directorial debut, Dirty Work at the Crossroads. I spent part of one of my days off reading it. I thought I could write a few words about the characters without giving away too many plot points. We’ll see.

The play is a Gay ’90s Melodrama. That is, it is characterized by intense emotions and exaggerated characters and plot. Think Snidely Whiplash and “I’ll save you, Nell!” Picture the villain twirling his mustache and doing everybody dirt. Dirty Work‘s villain, Munro Murgatroyd, is mean and rotten, but he is also handsome and debonair, just the sort who might seduce an innocent young girl.

At the beginning of the play, Munro is boarding with the Widow Lovelace, who of course, has no idea he is a dastardly villain. Alas the poor widow, soon to fall victim to Munro’s evil plans (which I won’t tell you; it might spoil it for you).

The hero and heroine are Nellie Lovelace and Adam Oakhart. I expressed the hope in an earlier post that the heroine would not be too typical — ie, she only has be be beautiful, good and get rescued — and Nellie also has some strength. She is beautiful and good, and, let’s be honest, just a little sappy, but she tries to save others at appropriate times (that’s not giving anything away, is it?). Adam is handsome and stalwart and, I have to say it, a little hapless. I guess he is just so good he is easily put upon by the villains of the piece.

Did I say villains? Meet Ida Rhinegold. She is beautiful in a vampish way, a good girl gone bad? She is in cahoots with Monro, although he has done her dirt in the past. Will he double cross her yet again? Will her evil ways prosper? How many songs do we get to hear her sing? According to the script she “dresses extremely” and sings the old time songs. I can’t wait to see what she ends up looking like.

Comic relief is provided by Mookie Maguggins, the hired man, and by Fleurette, the French maid. I thought all French maids were called Babette, but I’ll take Fleurette, or Flour-tea-tea, as Mookie calls her. Fleurette is employed by the rich dowager Mrs. Asterbilt and her sweet young daughter, Leonie. What secrets might they be hiding, and how do they figure in the machinations of Munro and Ida?

The last character is Little Nell, a sweet darling child, and to tell you more would definitely give away too much plot.

What I really must observe about the play is that it is silly. It is very silly. I guess I’m not surprised at Steven’s choosing to direct it, being as he is, one of the silliest men on the planet (that was a selling point when I decided to marry him). I think it will make for a very amusing first production of the season.

Auditions for Dirty Work at the Crossroads are this Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 5 and 6, at 7 p.m. at Ilion Little Theatre, The Stables, Remington Avenue, Ilion, NY. For more information, go to their website at www.ilionlittletheatre.org or visit their Facebook page.

Dirty Work in the Works

I might be working Saturday so obviously Friday is Just Not the Same. Therefore, I will post lame tomorrow. Today is more in the nature of Preview of Coming Attractions (lame enough, you say? I explain, “Shut up”).

(Note for regular readers to ignore: Usually Friday is Lame Post Friday, where I post random observations and half-baked philosophy. I hate saying it every week, but I don’t want to confuse new readers, if any.)

My husband Steven, as you may already know, loves the theatre and is very talented at many aspects of it (I don’t just say it because I’m his wife). I started to say he is a noted thespian, but that sounded too hoity-toity, artsier than thou (although I liked that Saturday Night Live sketch about the Master Thespian. “I’m ACTING!”).

Where was I? Ah yes, praising my husband. He has acted in several Ilion Little Theatre productions and gotten praise from audiences, directors and fellow cast members. He has been wanting to direct, which he did in college and other community theatres. He’s a good director.

All this by way of introducing Ilion Little Theatre’s 2012 Fall Production, Dirty Work at the Crossroads.

Dirty Work is a gay ’90s melodrama. That’s 1890s, not 1990s, which featured a different kind of gay. Steven thinks I’m silly to worry that people will get the two confused. I think some people don’t know what a melodrama is.

A melodrama has a definite hero, heroine and villain, and the audience is encouraged to cheer and boo accordingly. I suppose there is a fear in these post-ironic times that audiences will go the other way, but I hope not.

The villain should be a truly evil, mustache-twirling bad guy; the hero brave, true and handsome; the heroine… well, I personally might be a little disappointed in the heroine, because I think she just needs to be beautiful, good and get rescued. I haven’t read the play yet, so I don’t know for sure. Maybe this heroine has a little more on the ball. I can hope.

Melodramas usually feature exaggerated characterizations and emotions, and wild, exciting plots. These are the plays where the heroine gets tied to the railroad tracks. I’m told that doesn’t happen in this play, although I quite thought it did, since the set features railroad tracks. Oh dear, I hope I haven’t given away a major plot point (or lack thereof). I’d better check with Steven before I post this.

Auditions for Dirty Work at the Crossroads are set for Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 5 and 6, at Ilion Little Theatre, The Stables, Remington Avenue, Ilion, NY. Production dates are October 19, 20, 21, 25, 26 and 27. For more information you can go to their website at http://www.illionlittletheater.org or you can Like their Facebook page. You can also stay tuned to Mohawk Valley Girl, as I intend to post updates. I also plan to audition. Do you suppose my husband will give me a part?

Lame Jitters

I don’t see why I should not devote a Friday Lame Post to talking about how nervous I am about opening night.

As I write this I realize a few things. For starters, this could go either way. By writing about my nervousness I could get it out of my system. I’ll feel calm, confident and collected. Or not. Reiterating my feelings and the reasons for them might reinforce their validity. Of course I’m nervous! Why shouldn’t I be nervous? I should be even MORE nervous!

Before my wrist reaches my forehead and my more sarcastic readers (you know who you are) get out those miniature violins, I take a deep breath and realize I have not taken a deep breath recently. Ah! The other thing I realize is that spending 300 or more words talking about me being nervous could get a little boring (me boring? Say it ain’t so!).

Still, it is opening night, and I am pretty obsessed by the play (Harvey at Ilion Little Theatre, for those of you just tuning in). I would actually prefer to be going over my lines right now. Only I don’t want to be composing at the keyboard later. It is much quicker and less nerve-wracking to type in something already written (I’ll just mention that I wrote the preceding in my little spiral notebook before beginning work this morning). Obviously my nerves need all the help they can get.

So now I have typed in all I managed to write earlier and am composing at the keyboard, as I had hoped to avoid. I spent the rest of the day at work being nervous, singing the song from the Bugs Bunny Show that starts “Overture! Curtain, lights!”, and, you know, actually working. Sometimes I did two or all three of those at once.

I left work and drove to Hannaford to buy snacks for the dressing room. I like to nibble a little and it’s rude not to bring enough to share. I went healthy with grapes and pretzel sticks. OK, pretzel sticks aren’t really a health food, but at least they’re non-fat. I’ve taken my shower and am waiting for my hair to dry so I attempt to style it.

I’ve written over 300 words. I hope it has not been too boring. I’ll just mention, it went the second way. I’m really nervous.