Tag Archives: Ilion Little Theatre

About that Fake Poo…

I thought I would use today’s post to plug He Laughed Himself to Death, the murder mystery dinner theatre Ilion Little Theatre is presenting at Morning Star Methodist Church in Ilion April 1.  For one reason, deadline for reservations is Thursday, and local readers may like to go.   Of course I do not want to say too much about the plot, because I don’t want to spoil anything.  Perhaps it would jazz things up if I included a couple of pictures of the props Kim and I purchased last Saturday.

Big dog, little dog?

I said in Saturday’s post that I was disappointed in the quality of the fake poo, but it isn’t so bad once you get it out of the package.  I had some better fake poo that I got at a Mom and Pop operation called The Party Store in Potsdam, NY, roughly a hundred years ago.  And that makes me an authentic old person, carping about how things used to be so much better in the old days.  Well, that’s a whole other blog post.  Let’s get back to the silly pictures.

Something bugs me about this picture (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

I guess my insect picture has kind of a shadow, but I don’t have time to set up a better shot.  The cockroach has wheels to you can make it zip across the floor or table.  Tee hee.  Who wouldn’t love a cockroach on wheels?

 

Just looking at it makes me thirsty!

I put the ice cubes with flies in a wine glass with water, then added the bottle of wine to make the picture more interesting.  Domhnall vineyards is located in Herkimer, NY.  I love their Baco Noir.

Steven came home while I was taking the ice cubes out of the package.  He was startled by the bugs on the table and the poo on the floor.  Tee hee.  I gathered up my jokey props and took them to rehearsal, where my fellow cast-members were equally amused.

He Laughed Himself to Death will be presented at Morning Star Methodist Church, 36 Second St., Ilion, NY, Saturday, April 1 at 5 p.m.  A roast pork dinner will be served.  Tickets are $20. Reservations are required by Thursday, March 30 by calling the church office at 315-894-4520.

 

Picture Me Not Making a Blog Post

One of the finest casts ever to grace the Ilion Little Theatre stage.

When your brain fails, look for a picture to post.

Hmmm…  What kind of a Freudian slip do you suppose made me first type “ficture”?  Would that be a “fictional picture” or perhaps a combination of “fail” and “picture”?  That’s it!  I failed to come up with a blog post, so I looked for a picture!  These things are really very simple, when you get right down to it.

In any case, the above picture is from Leading Ladies, the play I had the delightful experience of directing for Ilion Little Theatre last spring.  I would love to work with any and all of those people again.

I’m the one with the really short hair.

This is a backstage selfie, done with a selfie stick (don’t judge).  This one includes me and the backstage crew.  It was a month after I participated in a St. Baldrick’s Day fundraiser.  I miss my short ‘do.  I thought it was sophisticated (or do I flatter myself?).

 

And in this one, I seem to be getting what some people feel I richly deserve.

I don’t have another shot of the Leading Ladies cast, so I will include this one of the Rubbed Our at Ruby’s gang (I use the term advisedly).

I guess I’m going to call this a Wordless Wednesday post, which I understand is a thing.  It has a nicer ring to it than Wuss-out Wednesday, which some may feel is more accurate.  Then again, who am I to judge?  Happy Wednesday, everyone.

 

It Was the Halloween Socks

Sometimes the right outfit can make you feel better about everything.

Until you remember you still have not found the papers you need to bring to rehearsal and you have no idea where else to look.

Luckily, I came up with a few more ideas of where to look and found the papers.  It would really behoove me to become more organized.  However, I’m afraid that in order to accomplish that, I would need to basically tear myself apart and start from scratch, you know, like emptying the refrigerator or dumping everything out of your desk (oh dear, I just had a very unpleasant flashback to fifth grade when a mean teacher did that to me and I cried) (I cried a lot in those days; don’t judge).

Anyways, today is Lame Post Friday, so I’m not too exercised about my blog post. A little exercised, of course.  I always worry my readers will say something along the lines of, “Why am I wasting my time with this trash?  Let’s look at a real blog for a change!”  Or is that my low self-esteem talking?  (Sorry, I’m still recovering from that flashback.  Do you suppose I need therapy?)

But perhaps some of you are waiting to hear about my outfit.  I had to have one, you see, because I have rehearsal for He Laughed Himself to Death, the murder mystery dinner theatre Ilion Little Theatre is presenting at Morningstar Methodist Church in Ilion on April 1.  I don’t need to dress up, but I do need to be dressed (I just gave some folks a bad mental image, but I will not apologize for such a thing) (you know who you are).

As it happens, the outfit isn’t such a much.  I have on leggings, a t-shirt and a flannel shirt.  The t-shirt is large enough to cover my butt and the flannel shirt is even bigger.  I know it is quite the thing to let all your contours be lovingly outlined with your pants these days, but I prefer to be more circumspect.  The flannel shirt is green and black plaid, green for St. Patrick’s Day.  I wanted a green t-shirt as well, in case I had to take the flannel shirt off for a hot flash (which is much less unpleasant than the flashback mentioned earlier, by the way).  I found one from Jeremiah’s Tavern, our old watering hole in Norwood, NY, roughly a hundred years ago.  There is a big mug of beer on it.  How appropriate is that!

For earrings, I put on my spider in a web, because the web is green.  I noticed that earring earlier today and thought I might wear it.  I put it in the ear with two holes and put a hoop in the second hole.  I put an earring made from an Angry Orchard cap in the other ear.  You see, the spider would jump through a hoop to get an Angry Orchard.  Full disclosure:  I have never had an Angry Orchard myself; the earrings were given to me.

I completed my ensemble with Halloween socks: orange with green and purple bats.  I think that final touch was what made me feel good about the whole thing.  Until, you know, the lost paper incident mentioned in the second paragraph.

And now I have found my papers, made my blog post, and may even have time for one more task before rehearsal. Score!  Happy Friday, everyone.

 

A Few Thoughts Before Another Rehearsal

Here I sit, laptop on lap (and if you just said, “Duh,” hey, some people put them on tables), searching for a blog topic.  I push my wet hair out of my face and remember that I can get it cut now.  I kept it “long” for Steel Magnolias.  I put “long” in quotes, because it was not exactly all the way grown out.  It is long enough to get in my eyes and drive me nuts.  With help from fellow cast-members, I made it do for the play.

And why am I not running to the Hot Spot, where I usually get my do’s done?  Well, I have rehearsal for He Laughed Himself to Death, the murder mystery Ilion Little Theatre is putting on at Morning Star Methodist Church in Ilion on April 1.  Yes, this blog may become All Murder Mystery All The Time very soon.  For one reason, I have another one coming up April 22 (Who Shot JS? at the Elks Club in Herkimer, to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society).

In other news, a nor’easter is expected in the Mohawk Valley tonight and tomorrow.  I read a Facebook post from WKTV Weather saying it was a nor’easter not a blizzard, citing the specific conditions to earn the “blizzard” designation.  I was moved to comment that “nor’easter” does not sound like a real word.  It sounds like something the old timers say is headed this way, basing their prediction on their corns or bunions.  My bunions say precipitation, by the way, but they do not seem to feel strongly about it.

Well, I must go.  I need to photocopy the scripts for tonight’s rehearsal.  I am counting on the nor’easter NOT to start till after my actors are safely home from rehearsal.  I am going to call this a Monday Mental Meanderings post and hit publish.  I hope to see you all on Tired Tuesday, although I will perhaps be less tired now that Steel Magnolias is over.

 

Some Steel on Scattered Saturday

My plan had been to do the picture thing again.  You know, where I find something good in my downloads and write whatever I can about it?  Then I remembered that there have been a few pictures of Steel Magnolias on Facebook, and I thought, “Hey!” Of course now I can’t find any.  However, here is a picture taken last night during a performance by our awesome sound and light guy, Rick DeJohn.

From left to rght, Kelly Stone as M’Lynn, me as Claree, Kim Darling as Truvy, Cindy Shepherd as Ouiser, and Kara Buttermore as Anelle.

A way better picture was in the post containing the review of us in the Times Telegram.  Unfortunately, I could not download just that photo.  However, if you click on “review,” I have provided a link (I’m not completely technologically illiterate).

Kelly Stone as M’Lynn with Kaylynn Iglesias as Shelby

I realized the first photo did not include the entire cast, so here is a pre-show photo of mother and daughter, showing off the family resemblance.

A great bunch of people to work with!

And here is most of the cast and crew, sharing a toast after final dress rehearsal last week.  I believe we are missing one crew member. I believe she was taking the picture and perhaps prefers to remain anonymous.  I may just have to cast her in a murder mystery or a play (did I say I was never going to direct again?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!) and get a picture of her as a diva actress (I mean that in a fun way, not the sort of diva who only deserves eye-rolls, especially at the community theatre level).

In the meantime, I am over 25o words and I have a show to get ready for!  That’s Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  Visit their website or Facebook page for more information!

 

Lame Flutters, Not Butterflies

We all knew this would be Lame Post Friday, and here it is.  I had a few thoughts about what I could write about, just some general commentary.  None of it seemed good enough in my head to try to put it on paper, and I had to look over my lines anyways.

The lines, by the way, are for Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  We play tonight and tomorrow, March 10 and 11, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 12 at 2 p.m.  Then we have the CAST PAR-TAY!!!  Which I may duck out of early, because I did not take Monday off.  I thought taking two Mondays off in a row was excessive.  Additionally, my husband Steven, who just happens to have the day off, plans to clean the house that day.  My job is way easier than cleaning a house as bad as mine!

For any local readers planning to go see the show, I advise you to purchase your tickets online (which you can do by clicking on the Ilion Little Theatre link in the previous paragraph) or get to the theatre early.  We are hoping to sell out.  Of course, we may not sell out.   We did not sell out last weekend, although we had pretty good houses.  We had very appreciative houses, I may add.  They laughed at the jokes!  They clapped at the end!  We even got a standing ovation on Sunday!  Ooh, I LOVE live theatre!

I am not having the butterflies that plagued me last Friday.  My stomach is not entirely quiet, but the flutters are less intense.  That is to be expected.  As the time draws nearer to my departure, the butterflies increase.  They are not the beautiful, colorful creatures we love to watch floating from flower to flower in the summer.  Therefore, I will stop calling them butterflies and henceforth refer to them as merely “flutters.”  As I come closer to my time to depart, the flutters increase.  That’s much better.  In a way.  Happy Friday, everyone.

 

Not the Same as Be-Bop

I think I am suffering from some form of anxiety.  Or do you suppose that’s just hypochondria or self-dramatizing?  Well, why wouldn’t I self-dramatize; I’m all into theatre, you know.

This is going to be a Non-Sequitur Thursday post.  I am going to just let my thoughts jump all around everywhere, type up what I can, think of a silly headline, and hit Publish.  I feel this is better than than taking a Blogger’s Sick Day, which was my first impulse (I think stress is as legitimate an excuse as a diagnosable physical ailment) (and isn’t “diagnosable” a word?  My computer seems to think it is not) (I can’t go get my dictionary now, that will only add to the stress).

Where was I?  Nowhere in particular, I suppose.  I spent most of the day at work pondering various plans for getting done all that I wanted to do before tonight’s pick-up rehearsal for Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  I formulated and discarded numerous scenarios, then came home and sat down going, “Heh-bee-be-buh-buh.”  You know, that sound you make when you just kind of fiddle your lower lip in wordless distress.

Me without words?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!

And, obviously, it is not so.  I am just over 200 words.  Score!  I call that a blog post!  Maybe I can come up with something better tomorrow, on Lame Post Friday.  After all, stranger things have happened.

 

Tired After Typing on Wuss-out Wednesday

I interrupt my typing to… type something else.  I have been typing into my laptop the script for He Laughed Himself to Death, the interactive murder mystery dinner theatre to be presented by Ilion Little Theatre at Morningstar Methodist Church in Ilion, NY on April 1. Phew, that was a mouthful.

Yes, I am late getting the script typed up, but we have not started rehearsals yet, so I am OK.  Luckily, murder mysteries do not take as much rehearsal time as full-length plays.

The murder mystery takes place at a special stockholders meeting of Gorman’s Gotchas, a company that makes novelty jokes such as plastic poo, whoopy cushions, exploding cigars, etc.  The founder of the company, Norman Gorman, wants to sell out to a conglomerate called Corporate Realignment Associated Products, but others in the company do not want to sell.  They are also a little tired of Norman’s incessant practical joking.  I really think I need to go to the store and purchase some plastic poo.  To  inspire myself if nothing else.

I have experienced this problem before:  I spend some good time working on another writing project, then I have no oomph left to make my blog post.  Then again, I did threaten yesterday to have a Wuss-out Wednesday today.  I wonder if I will be able to manage something better than a Non-Sequitur Thursday tomorrow.  Oh dear.

In my defense, Steel Magnolias opened last weekend and continues this weekend.  True, I have not had rehearsals every night this week as I did last week.  But I am still tired.  I am not a young woman, and I do not lead the healthiest lifestyle.  I’ll have to work on that.  I’ll be sure to write a blog post about it when I do.

 

Late Post on a Busy Sunday

Oh, I just knew this would happen. I waited till the last minute to post and now I don’t want to write a good post and I’m not even convinced of my ability to do so.  Then again, is that not appropriate on Wrist to Forehead Sunday?

I had a matinee of Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  Before that my husband Steven and I went to the HALO Chinese Auction at the Herkimer VFW and to Rose Quartz Stand, a gem store located nearby.  HALO, for anybody that does not know, is the Helping Animals Live Organization, based in Little Falls, NY, a no-cage, no-kill cat shelter.  The Chinese Auction, in addition to being their major fundraiser of the year, is one of the hottest tickets in the area.  There were a LOT of people walking around,  putting in their chances to win a wide variety of marvelous prizes (I donated an afghan myself).  We did not win anything, by the way.

Rose Quartz Stand is a business I visited back at Christmas time and intend to go to again.  We bought a frog carved from stone for Steven for his birthday (which was Friday) and a dinosaur to keep the frog company (I am a big anthropomorphizer).  I intend to write more about the store later, perhaps even doing an article for submission to Mohawk Valley Living, my favorite magazine.

After a well-received matinee of Steel Magnolias, Steven joined me and  several other cast and crew members for Applebee’s in Herkimer for drinks and dinner.  It was a great time.

Now I am dying to get back to watching a DVR’d Columbo and crocheting yet another afghan to donate… somewhere.  Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

Macaroni Salad on Scattered Saturday

It’s that moment in an every day blogger’s life, when you’re waiting for the macaroni salad to chill and you want to get your blog post published and you realize your brain is working no better than it was earlier today (that is, not at all).  I’ve done a few things, so perhaps I could manage a Scattered Saturday post.  We’ll see.

We slept in till almost 6:30.  It was a late night (for us), opening night of Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  So we got a slow start.  Eventually we made our way to Mona’s Diner in Mohawk, NY for breakfast.  The last time we ate there it was called The Family Fun Center.  It’s still a pretty good place to eat.  We don’t get to eat breakfast out together as often as we used to, so we enjoyed it.

Next we went to Basloe Library in Herkimer.  Ah, libraries, how they can save your life.  I had the character sheets from He Laughed Himself to Death I wanted to print out.  That is the murder mystery Ilion Little Theatre is putting on as a dinner theatre at Morning Star Methodist Church in Ilion on April 1.   It may be a scramble to put it together, but I think it will be highly entertaining.

Around one o’clock, I took a nap.  I will have another late night tonight.  As I type this, I am drinking coffee in anticipation.  I do love coffee.

After getting up from the nap, I made a macaroni salad for dinner (remember, I mentioned that in the first paragraph?).   I enjoyed the therapeutic benefits of chopping vegetables.  I will enjoy even more eating the salad with the kielbasa we got to go with it.  Yum!

Now all I have to do is wait to go to the theatre for tonight’s performance.  I don’t feel as nervous as I did yesterday, but I am far from calm, cool and collected.  That was to be expected.  However, I am glad I have at least composed a blog post.  I hope to see you all on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.