Tag Archives: herkimer county historical society

Roxy Returns?

Posted on May 16, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Wednesday I thought I could not possibly make a blog post but said to myself, “Just try,” and succeeded.  Earlier today that method failed.  The festering beginning of a post lingers in my Drafts in case I can make something of it at some future time.  That time is not now.  However, I will try to come up with something else.

There he is!

Last night I had a real blast from the past.  Friends of Historic Herkimer County showed the DVD of the play Roxy, based on a local historical murder, which the Herkimer County Historical Society and Ilion Little Theatre presented in 2015.  I played Roxalana Druse, who murdered her husband and was hanged for it (oh dear, should I have include a spoiler alert?). My late, dearly missed husband, Steven, played at least three parts.  In the picture above he is Dr. A. Walter Suiter.  It was very moving seeing him on screen like that.  He was such a wonderful actor and enjoyed it so much.

 

Obviously he is axing for it.

That took me a while to find, but here I am in a dramatic scene with my abusive husband and two of my accomplices after the fact.  I was a little worried about watching myself on the screen and in particular hearing my voice, but it was all right.  I went with two of my dear friends, Jim and Kelly.  Jim played the prosecutor who helped get me hanged.

So I guess this is kind of a late Throwback Thursday, maybe even a Non-Sequitur Thursday post.  At least it’s a post.  One does what one can after all.

 

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I May Kill Again

Posted on May 5, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello and welcome to Wrist to Forehead Sunday, the day when all I want to do is swoon, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, onto a handy chaise lounge.  There is almost never a chaise lounge handy, but one makes do with whatever is available.  One reason for today’s swooning post is that I am dreadfully tired from last night’s performance of Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder we  presented at Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit Herkimer County Historical Society on Saturday.

I did want to include this delightful artwork.

This chalk art was done by an Elks member who happened to be at the Lodge that afternoon. I’m sure you can easily understand why I just had to take a picture of it.  This member did not attend Saturday’s performance but offered his services as the dead body for a future murder mystery.  He had a great dramatic sense, saying how he would like a blood pack in his chest, which could bleed out as he staggered around, breathing his last.  He even said he could be dragged offstage, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

Naturally this started me thinking about the next murder mystery.  It is true that I often end these things thinking I can never manage another one, but I don’t think anybody is much impressed by that.  I will get to writing and see what I can come up with by the fall.

 

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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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Still Talking about That Murder Mystery!

Posted on May 1, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about one last pre-rehearsal post?  This evening we are meeting one last time before our second performance of Recipe for Murder Royale this Saturday, May 3 at the Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I wonder if my readers are getting sick of hearing about it?  If so, they c;an always skip this post.  I do have just a couple more pictures.

Oh dear, it’s a little blurry.

This is Carmen Sophronia, our Italian chef, who fancies herself as a singer.

I knew this one was blurry, but who could argue with a queen?

This is Queen Elizabeth Foredore.  When I told one audience member at Salisbury Grange her name, he said that was kind of cliche.  For heavens’ sake, there have been two English queens named Elizabeth in history.  How does that make it a cliche?  Anyways, it is a Queen Elizabeth costume.  I guess no writer likes to be told her work is cliche.  Maybe I’ll kill off that guy in my next script.

I gotta share it one more time!

Two more days for local readers to decide to attend!  It isn’t sold out yet, but while I was at the Elks Lodge yesterday, somebody called and said they were going to stop down Friday and pick up tickets.  I’d best look over my lines again!

 

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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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I Would Kill for a Good Meal

Posted on April 24, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I failed to take any pictures of last night’s rehearsal for Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery we are presenting Sunday to benefit Salisbury Grange then again May 3 to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  However, I have some fun information to impart.

Mmmm… Hats and Broccoli

Of course I am looking forward to the lunch at the Grange on Sunday, but I have to really hand it to the chef catering at the Elks next Saturday.

A nice appetizing little murder.

The poster does not include the menu, but I saw a copy and wrote it down.  Diners will enjoy Italian Chicken Stew made with real Italians, and Roasted Cauliflower or is it brains?  Main dishes include Baked Chicken (sure… we’ll call it chicken)  and Balsamic Pork (wink, wink).  And watch out for the Sauteed Peas and Pearl Onions; those are definitely not eyeballs!  Dinner will conclude with some desserts to die for.

How fun is that?  I should be so creative!

Here’s an actress to die for!

Here is a shot of one of my actors at the Grange in April 2023, when we did Shooting at the Grange.  She will look different this time out; in fact, she will put the Royal in Recipe for Murder Royale.  I will definitely try to get pictures!

 

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At Last! A Post-Rehearsal Post!

Posted on April 17, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had another rehearsal for Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery we are doing to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society, tonight and remembered to take a few pictures!  They weren’t the best pictures, but one does what one can.

We rehearsed at Herkimer Elks Lodge.

The setting of the mystery is that we are a group of people putting together a new recipe book, a royal recipe book, with all the recipes tested by royalty.  Our money man is missing.  We do hope nothing has happened to him.

None of us know our lines yet.

We are putting on the murder mystery twice, once at the Elks to benefit the Historical Society, and once at Salisbury Grange to benefit them.  We rehearsed at the Elks because it is closer for all of us.

You can’t tell in this picture, but it is a dramatic moment.

Rehearsals are going pretty well. I think I have a great group of actors this time.  I almost always do.  There is a lot of talent in the Mohawk Valley!

This was actually the first picture I took.

I guess I don’t have too much to say so far.  Can we call this a Wuss-out Wednesday? I fear I am a little tired after my rehearsal.  As usual, I will try for a better blog post tomorrow.

 

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Memories of Theatre Husbands

Posted on March 28, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

What a terrible time I am having getting anything done this week.  And how unbecoming of me to whine about it.  I’ll stop whining and try to make a Throwback Thursday post.  As I mentioned yesterday, I did not have rehearsal tonight (for Prescription: Murder at Ilion Little Theatre, for anybody just tuning in) so was able to cover a meeting of the Frankfort Town Board.  I still have to write my story about it, but I thought making the blog post first might be a good idea.

He thinks he’s tough now, but…

This is a rehearsal shot from Roxy, which Ilion Little Theatre (ILT) presented in 2015.  That’s me as Roxalana Druse, on the left.  The brute with the ax is my husband.  I kill him later in the scene.  I do not have good luck with stage husbands. There was one in And Then There Were None in 2011 who wasn’t too bad.  Neither of us killed the other, but we also did not survive till curtain call.  I can’t find a picture of that one, unfortunately.  I had a better time with husbands in real life.

There’s the best husband!

Here is my late, wonderful husband, Steve.  He had a few parts in Roxy, and was very good in all of them.

We were an exceptionally cute couple.

And here are Steve and I together after A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, which we put on to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society in 2017.  I always thought it was so great that both Steve and I loved theatre. The couple that does plays together, stays together!

 

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Recipe for a Blog Post Anyways!

Posted on March 10, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sunday I went to the Herkimer County Historical Society where they were celebrating the launch of their new cookbook, Home Town Recipes From Our Table to Yours!  They had several of the recipes represented, and encouraged me to sample whatever I wanted.  Yum!

I just love the cover!

Alas, I did not take any pictures other than of the cookbook itself, but I sampled carrot cake, rhubarb cake, and chicken wing dip.  I can’t wait to try those and other recipes in the book.

While there, I chatted with Cassie Castle about this spring’s murder mystery, which I am supposed to be writing to benefit the society.  Naturally I am having trouble with it.  However, Sunday morning when I noticed the cookbook launch and decided to attend, something clicked in my brain.  As I washed the dishes and did a few other chores, in my head a voice was saying, “Cookbook… cookbook.”  And the next thing I knew I was making notes and starting a script with the tentative title, Recipe for Murder.

Of course there are still several hurdles to get over before I am once again murdering for fun and non-profit.  For one thing, I need to field a cast.  Oh yeah, and finish the script.  Maybe if I make one of the recipes in my new cookbook, I can get even more inspired.

If you are interested in purchasing Home Town Recipes From Our Table to Yours! you can contact the Herkimer County Historical Society at 315-866-6413.

 

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