Tag Archives: herkimer county historical society

But I’m Not IN the Play

Posted on August 9, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of that title as I realized it would be a good idea to make my blog post NOW, before leaving the house, although I do plan to return.  I am going to attend the first read-through of Shattered Angel, the play being presented by Herkimer County Historical Society in cooperation with Ilion Little Theatre. I have neither a part nor a clearly defined backstage role, but I have proffered my services wherever needed.  Additionally, I want to write blog posts about it.

If anybody noticed me whining about my health yesterday (in addition to whining about a parade costume), they may like to hear that I felt much better today.  I even felt energetic enough to do a load of laundry, print out the character sheets for the murder mystery I’m working on (preview of coming attractions), and go to the read-through (of course, I have not done the last thing yet, but I feel energetic enough for it) (and if I stop feeling so energetic, there are a couple of couches in the lobby of the theatre; I am ready for any eventuality).

We’re all pretty pumped about this read-through, because we finally got a full cast.  It’s TERRIBLE when you don’t have enough actors!  Of course I am flabbergasted that this could ever be the case at all.  I love to be in a play.  I thought lots of people did.  I spent junior high, high school and college auditioning for plays I never got a part in.  I’m still a little miffed about some of them, so let us not dwell on these dreary memories.

I suppose some of you are thinking I should have written my blog post AFTER the read-through, so that I might have had more to say about the play (you know who you are).  Don’t worry!  I’ll write another blog post tomorrow!

 

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Good-Buy to Books

Posted on August 2, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

This afternoon instead of having a Mohawk Valley adventure I could blog about, I spent some time routing around in the extremely messy room we call our library looking for books to donate.  As a result, in lieu of my expected (by me anyways) Wuss-out Wednesday post, I will give a brief plug to a community event I hope to go to on Saturday, a book sale hosted by the Herkimer County Historical Society.

The sale will also include history books from the society’s gift shop — I KNOW there are one or two of those I want but have not purchased yet — and post cards — regular readers may recall that I love to send people post cards.  The society has been on Facebook asking for donations.  Of course I love my books.  I like to own books and re-read many of them multiple times.  On the other hand, I have a lot of books.  I seek out book sales, used and new book stores, rummage sales, thrift stores, anywhere you can buy books. And sometimes people give me books they’ve finished with that they think I might like (or that they just want to get rid of).  I LOVE BOOKS, there, I’ve said it.

So I gathered a few books to donate.  Some thrillers, some romance novels, a couple of true crime stories… Steven will bring them to the society tomorrow, I think.  The sale will be Saturday, Aug. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Eckler Building, 406 N. Main St., Herkimer, NY.

My only worry now is that I will return from the sale with more books than I donated.  These things happen.  In the meantime, I may try to do something about that extremely messy room, because, you know, removing those books to donate did not help much.

 

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Not Enough Actors? Say It Ain’t So!

Posted on July 29, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went to the second night of auditions for Shattered Angel on Friday.  Once again, that is a play about a local historical murder being presented by the Herkimer County Historical Society in cooperation with Ilion Little Theatre (or is it “in conjunction” or “under the auspices of”?  I don’t know the details).   As it turns out, we have a slight problem.  Not enough actors showed up.

The background was from a different play.

There were enough folks there to read a couple of scenes.  Unfortunately, even with doubling parts, I don’t think we got enough to cast the play.

These guys read several time.

One fellow read but thought he could not do the show, because of his work hours.  Three weekends is a kind of a large commitment.

Another scene.

I read this scene on Wednesday.  I was just filling in, though, because there was nobody present who really qualified for the part I read, that of the young murderer (I didn’t need a spoiler alert for that; this is a murder play but not a murder mystery).

Another angle.

I wanted to include one shot with the director, Stephen Wagner.  He’s pretty cool.

So, local readers, are any of you actors?  Would you like to be in a play?  Go to the Ilion Little Theatre Club Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ilionlittletheatre/.   Send a message, write a post, call the theatre.  Older male actors are primarily needed.  Can anybody help us out?

 

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Pre-Audition Post After All

Posted on July 26, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I cannot, can not, CAN NOT take another blogger’s sick day.  My readers will think I am a hypochondriacal whiny baby!  I know, I know, we’re not supposed to care what others think about us.  On the other hand, I want readers, and I am sadly addicted to getting Likes.  Let’s just call it a common or garden Wuss-out Wednesday and drive on.

The title of today’s post was supposed to be “Pre-Audition Post,” which I may or may not have used before (I can’t be bothered checking now). I had planned to head to Ilion Little Theatre to watch (but not participate in) auditions for Shattered Angel, the play being presented by Herkimer County Historical Society.  There are only three female roles, and I don’t think any of them are good for me.  Moreover, I have a murder mystery with LiFT on one of the performance nights (more about that on a future post) (preview of coming attractions). However, I thought I could volunteer to do SOMETHING: costumes, props, prompter… AND I can write multiple blog posts to publicize the effort.

Not that I think they will need much help with publicity.  They sold out two weekends of Roxy, the play the historical society presented in 2015 (I was in that one; perhaps you read one or more of my blog posts about it) and turned people away.  Already they have sold tickets to Shattered Angel.  I’d better figure out when I want to go and purchase mine.

My problem is, I don’t feel so good.  I was kind of overcome with the heat and humidity at work this afternoon.  I got quite light-headed and had to sit down.  My nice friend Karen brought me some Gatorade, which helped.  Perhaps I should have some Gatorade now… There, I went and got a glass.  I am still feeling rather light-headed. Sorry to keep complaining.  I guess I am a kind of a hypochondriacal whiny baby.

Be that as it may, auditions for Shattered Angel are tonight (July 25) and Friday, July 27, at 7 p.m. at Ilion Little Theatre, 13 Remington Ave., Ilion, NY.  Well, maybe I will head over after all.

 

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Snap! It’s Lame Post Friday!

Posted on June 30, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

For the record, I have not reached mine yet.

My husband, Steven, and I are watching Snapped, one of my favorite guilty pleasures.  It is, with some exceptions, about women who kill people, most often women who kill their husbands, ex-husbands, lovers, or boyfriends.  I think it is a mark of great trust in my husband that he does not mind that I sometimes watch it with a notebook and pen handy.  Ahem, it is the TV Journal, not an Evil Plan Book.  I don’t have an Evil Plan Book, although now that I say so, it sounds kind of cool.  Note to self: get Evil Plan Book.

Where was I?  Ah yes, Lame Post Friday.  However foolishly I may have posted all week (I admit that some weeks it is a lot of foolishness), I still feel free to be silly on Friday.  You can shake your head, your finger, or you booty at me.  It won’t change anything.

That’s not me on the poster, but I was Roxy.

Speaking of women who snapped, a few years ago I played one who did in Roxy by Jack Sherman, which was presented by Herkimer County Historical Society and Ilion Little Theatre.  I wrote a few blog posts about it at the time.  I won’t link back to all of them.

On the Historic Four Corners, one of my favorite spots in Herkimer, NY.

The story of Roxalana Druse was a famous local story.  To make this a post of more local interest, I include pictures of a couple of the sites where some of it took place.  Above is the 1834 Jail, where Roxy stayed during the trial and awaiting execution.  She was hanged behind the jail, the last woman hanged in New York State.

Across the street from the jail.

This handsome building is the Herkimer County Courthouse where the trial took place.

Well I don’t know how lame this post turned out to be.  I started out with television and veered into local history, not saying very much about either one.  And I don’t know why I told you what I did; if you’ve read this far, you know what I wrote.  Kind of lame of me, would’t you say?  Happy Friday, everyone.

 

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Scattered or Slacker, It’s Saturday

Posted on June 17, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’ve never been so popular the whole town would chase me.

I pause in our viewing of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) to make my Scattered Saturday post.  I had been going to do a Saturday Running Commentary, and we took a nice walk, making a Pedestrian Post perfectly eligible.  But I thought waiting till later in the day and posting during a movie would be fun, too.

My run was actually very good, even though I woke up with a headache.  I had coffee, Gatorade, and water before the run.  The headache did not slow me down but neither did it go away during the run.  You’ll have that sometimes.  After writing a few post cards, Steven graciously agreed to go for a walk with me.  We first walked to First Source Federal Credit Union to deposit a check, going by way of some construction at the end of our street, so we could check the progress.  I think it’s going to be a while.

We cut through Meyers Park to get to the post office.  Before I mailed my cards, I noted on the bulletin board a program at the Herkimer County Historical Society to be given by Sue Perkins, society director, on Wednesday, June 20 (preview of coming attractions).  I told Steven I would like to go.

“What’s it about?”  he asked.

“I don’t remember, but Sue Perkins, Historical Society, that’s all I need to know.”  I later noted in the paper it is about how Herkimer used to look vs. how it looks now. I am quite interested.

After the post office, we stopped at Basloe Library, then went home.  A short time later we left again to pick up a prescription of mine at The Medicine Shoppe in Illion, with Steven making a quick foray into Ilion Wine and Liquor.  My headache still had not gone away, so I laid down for a while when we got home again.

I guess we did not do such a lot to make this a really good Scattered Saturday post. Maybe more of a Slacker Saturday?  No matter. There are movies to be watched and wine to be enjoyed.  Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

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Facing the Music

Posted on May 11, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

A musical weekend awaits me.  Tomorrow, Steven and I will drive into Utica, NY (not a far drive) to the Stanley Theatre to see the band America (you don’t have to italicize band names, do you? I should know these things).  I have not been to the Stanley in over 20 years (yikes!  I just now figured that out).  It was beautiful then, and I believe they have made improvements since.

Just to give you an idea.

The event is a fundraiser for the Herkimer County Historical Society, one of my favorite organizations.

Saturday our friend Tracy is coming to visit, and we are going to see a folk group, Jam Crackers in Holland Patent.  We have seen them before; they are wonderful.  Tracy may get here earlier in the day, so we can get in a Mohawk Valley adventure or two as well.

Tracy’s visit is one reason I have been so distracted from my blogging duties this week:  we have been frantically cleaning the house.  Tracy nicely said that as long as she had a path to get through she was fine, but, well, we had to excavate the path anyways.  I utilized my old favorite cleaning protocol: the stuff-and-cram method.  We’ll worry about organization at a later date.

So this is my Non-Sequitur Thursday post for the week.  Or I guess we could call it a Preview of Coming Attractions.  Discuss among yourselves.

 

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Stomach-ache at Suiter House

Posted on April 1, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m sitting here wondering if my upset stomach is due to the piece of leftover pizza I had for lunch or to nervousness about tonight’s murder mystery.  It feels more like a pizza upset stomach, quite frankly, but one cannot completely discount pre-performance butterflies.

As more astute readers will have guessed, this is going to be another foolish post.  However, since I often have foolish posts before a theatrical performance (oh, OK, and the rest of the time too), I think I will be forgiven. And if not, oh well, I will just have to live with the disapproval.

The murder mystery, in case you didn’t read about it in a previous blog post, is Secrets at Suiter House, to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I think it is one of my better scripts, but perhaps I flatter myself.  I have an excellent cast assembled.  I know they will do a marvelous job.  I dare to include myself in that confidence.  Accuse me of tooting my own horn if you like, but I maintain that there are worse things than having an ego the size of Manhattan, especially for an actor.

Is my ego the size of Manhattan?  I’m sure these things are difficult to measure.  I certainly have ego enough to set my foolish words afloat into the blogosphere (there’s a silly word) and trust some people will be entertained by them.  I have ego enough to write a murder mystery and present it to a room full of people, trusting that they will be entertained.

And yet I sit here with my stomach roiling, saying to myself, “What the hell am I thinking?”  I guess a gigantic ego does not always translate into a plethora of self-confidence.  Never mind.  Overconfidence is a dangerous thing, and sometimes nerves are a good sign.  So I say, break a leg, me.

Maybe I’ll try the effects of some ginger tea on my stomach.

 

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I Get Theatrical on Lame Post Friday

Posted on March 24, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I don’t know if I can accurately describe what is going on in this scene.

It is 7:40 p.m. on Lame Post Friday, and as usual, I got nuthin’.  At least, I have things I can write about but lack the oomph to actually do so.  You’ll have that, especially with me.  I thought I would resort to pictures.  My husband, Steven, recently shared the above on Facebook as a Throw Back Thursday, and I thought it was fun.  The scene is from a DVD the Herkimer County Historical Society made for a Celebrity Roast of Assemblyman Marc Butler back in 2015.  It was just after the triumphant run of Roxy by Jack Sherman, the play the society put on at Ilion Little Theatre. I played the title role (I say modestly).   The DVD was all about the the Right to Bare Arms, an issue near and dear to Assemblyman Butler’s heart.  I don’t properly understand politics, but I enjoyed participating in the DVD.

Having downloaded that picture to share, I searched the Historical Society’s Facebook page for further photos.  First I came across a cast shot from the most recent murder mystery we put on for them, A G.R.A.V.E. Murder (perhaps you read a few of my blog posts about it).

G.R.A.V.E. stood for Ghost Retrieval And Verification Enterprises, if I recall that correctly (how embarrassing that I am not sure).

As I continued, I discovered some pictures from Who Shot JS? the first murder mystery we did for the society.  We killed off Jack Sherman, who wrote the play Roxy that I mentioned earlier.

We didn’t take a posed cast shot, but I think this one shows everybody.

Well, now I am approaching 300 words, so I can hit Publish and go back to enjoying my Friday night with a clear conscience.  I hope to see you all on Scattered Saturday, or whatever kind of a Saturday it turns out to be.

 

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Am I Write?

Posted on February 13, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I always say writing begets writing.  The more you write, the more you will write.  Having typed in those two sentences, I sit here, typing in a third sentence and backspacing it out, several times, because it is a cliche, or because it is not quite what I wanted to say, or, oh well, any of the many reasons one decides to unwrite what one has written.

What I’m trying to say is, I have been writing since I got home from work and I’m tired.  On the brighter side, I finished and emailed two articles to Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  On the duller side, I am just barely ahead of deadline, and I had faithfully promised to do better this month.  In my defense, it cannot be denied that shit happens.

So this is a Monday Mental Meanderings post, and I guess my thoughts are indeed meandering.  This is what happens when one writes a daily blog and one clearly does not write enough.  If I wrote enough, I would have at least a couple of extra posts hanging around somewhere, just waiting for me to hit Publish.  Well, one cannot live one’s life on “if.”  What is that nursery rhyme: If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Then again (see how I argue with myself?) what is a fiction writer (which I sometimes am) but somebody who continually asks and answers the question, “What if?”  What if several people all wanted a guy dead, and then he dropped dead?  That is the plot of most of my murder mysteries.  Oh that reminds me, I have to finish my script for Secrets at Suiter House, the murder mystery I am writing for Herkimer County Historical Society.  I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.

 

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