Tag Archives: Ilion Little Theatre

Is It Worth 3,000 Words?

Posted on January 13, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I think I may have run out of things to say about not having anything to say.

I am forcing myself not to backspace and erase that, as I did to at least three other possible leads.  I’m thinking at least one of those leads was better than what I went with, but of course now I can’t remember any of them.

Using a few random pictures seemed to work yesterday.  I wonder if I could get away with it two days in a row.

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He’s telling me what to say, and I’m thinking he’s full of beans.

 

This picture is from the Ilion Little Theatre production of Harvey in 2012.  Steven played Dr. Chumley.  I was Veda.  Perhaps longtime readers remember when this blog was All Harvey All The Time.

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My character is drinking wine, but it is not real wine in the glass, a source of much disappointment to me.

This is a more recent stage appearance: Splitting Issues last October.  I believe I also wrote a couple of blog posts about that.

 

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In jail, where some believe we belong (you know who you are).

 

I don’t have another theatre picture of Steven and me together, so I will show a picture of me in costume with Steven.  This was a Haunted Tour of Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners.  I reprised my role (wait a minute; my computer thinks “reprised” is not a word, but apparently “reprise” is. Oh, I can’t worry about that now) of Roxalana Druse, who was hanged behind the 1834 Jail.  I don’t think I did a blog post about that event (the haunted tour, not the hanging, although I never wrote about the hanging either).  How remiss of me.

So this is my Non-Sequitur Thursday post for the week.  I think I’ve jumped around enough to qualify.  If only I could think of a catchy headline, I could head to my Steel Magnolias rehearsal content.

 

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Remember Those Donuts?

Posted on January 11, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

So Tired Tuesday follows Mental Muck Monday, everybody must have seen that coming.  For anyone that was worried (although I don’t imagine anybody was),  my writing abilities seem to have returned.  Um, not that I expect this post will reflect my best efforts, but I did work on my articles for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.   The deadline is looming; I must make haste.  In the meantime, I need a blog post.

I had thought I would be posting in haste (posthaste, there’s a word you don’t see much anymore) before getting to rehearsal.  First, of course, I had those articles to work on.  As I worked, I could hear the sleet striking my window panes.  Oh dear.  Luckily my rehearsal is not far.  Still, it was not going to be a fun drive.  This is why I don’t like being involved in the March production, but it is useless to repine about that now.  Then the phone rang.  It was the director, cancelling rehearsal.  Cast members who live farther away than I do had phoned him, saying they did not want to drive in this weather.  I didn’t blame them.

I’m sure some readers are thinking, “Well NOW you can write a decent blog post, can’t you?  Can’t you?”  And I’m thinking,”Apparently not.”  However, I do have a few pictures to share.  Not very good pictures.  Perhaps not worth a thousand words.  Then again, my posts don’t usually run to a thousand words.  Who has time to read thousand word blog posts anyways?  Not me!  Let’s look at the pictures.

These were taken Saturday, at the set-building session to which I brought the donuts (perhaps you read my blog post about it).

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Two walls were already up when I arrived. And you see how fast our set-builders were working: this fellow is a blur!

 

 

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There was much discussion about where the window would be.

 

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They are discussing more walls to raise. The walls are there now, but I did not have my tablet with me at rehearsal last night.

Perhaps I can remember to bring my tablet to the next rehearsal and take more pictures of the set in progress.  At least I can hope to post pictures of the completed project.  And I will write many more word about the play itself, especially when the blog becomes All Steel Magnolias All The Time.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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I Brought the Donuts!

Posted on January 8, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a brief shout-out to a local business instead of my usual Scattered Saturday post?  For one reason, I get to talk about donuts.  Mmmmm… donuts.

The director and a few others were going to begin building the set for Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre  (ILT) this morning.  I sometimes show up for these sessions in hopes that I can be useful, but I rarely am.  I know how to use a few tools, but I am no hand at carpentry.  However, we all offer our contributions according to our talent.  I thought I would offer moral support by bringing donuts.

Being, as I am, Mohawk Valley Girl, I naturally wanted to go to one of those unique local businesses I treasure.  For set-building donuts, I like the Friendly Bake Shop in Frankfort, NY.  I have several times stopped there for donuts before heading out to ILT.

The first thing I grabbed before the lady waited on me was a loaf of their good Italian bread.  Yum!  I looked at the donuts in the display case while I waited my turn, pondering.   Some might call the decision I reached radical.

“I’m going to make this easy,” I said.  “I’ll take a dozen plain.”  They just looked really good, and they can be less messy than the powdered or filled ones (not to mention the ones that are powdered AND filled) (the frosted ones can get a little messy, too).

The donuts were a big hit at the set-building.  I ate two myself.  The guys appreciated the old-fashioned, crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside cakes.  I brought three home for Steven.

The Friendly Bake Shop is located at  122 E Main St., Frankfort, New York, phone number (315) 894-8861.  they are open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, closed Monday.  You can Like them on Facebook.

 

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No Wine, No Words

Posted on January 6, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh, could I use a couple of pictures today!  Because the words that are currently swirling around in my head are just not  coalescing into a blog post.  And I must make a post soon, because the read-through for Steel Magnolias (you know, the play I’m in a Ilion Little Theatre) is tonight.  Yes, we are heading into another few months of hurried posts before I hurry off to rehearsal or performance.  Yes!  I AM a drama queen!

I am not, unfortunately, a blogger queen.  I typed in the first paragraph and have been sitting here staring at the computer since.

Then I paused to eat supper, bacon and scrambled eggs, made by my husband, Steve.  Yum!  And I keep getting distracted by the Reba re-run on the TV.  That is a largely ignored but very fun little show.  I love Reba McEntire.  I like the rest of the cast as well.  Phew, it’s over now.  Now it’s a show I don’t like.  Watch me get interested in it in spite of myself.  I do that sometimes.  Steven just changed the channel to 20/20 on OWN.  I love true crime shows.

So I guess this is truly a Non-Sequitur Thursday post.  All I have to do now is think of a catchy headline that may or may not have anything to do with this nonsense.

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All Kinds of Drama in 2017!

Posted on January 3, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Welcome to the first Mental Meanderings Monday of 2017.  I hope nobody is expecting brilliance (I know, most of you never had such expectations of me) (OK, me neither),  because I feel tired and stupid.  These are not unfamiliar feelings for me, but I do not repine.  I just have to wait and sooner or later I will feel some other way.  That is how it works.

Where was I?  Ah yes, mentally meandering.  I’m expecting my post-Christmas letdown to continue at least for a few more days, with the occasional relapse as the month wears on.  On Wednesday I have a meeting to talk more about the murder mystery LiFT Theatre Company is doing at the Overlook Mansion in Little Falls.  Who could be uncheered by a murder mystery? (That is a paraphrase from Winnie the Pooh, by the way.  I think the real line is, “Nobody could be uncheered by a balloon.”) Thursday I have the read-through for Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.

And then I have at least two more murder mysteries to write, in addition to writing articles for Mohawk Valley Living magazine and making a blog post every day. Then there is running, finally organizing my house and life, and of course seeking out new Mohawk Valley adventures.  I hope to also find time to crochet, knit, and watch true crime on cable television, as well as the occasional cheesy movie to write a blog post about (I haven’t done one of those posts in a long time!).

I see that I am over 250 words.  Score!  And never once did I whine about my inability to come up with a blog post for today.  That makes me feel a good deal less stupid than I felt when I typed the first paragraph.  You see, I was right:  just wait and I will feel a different way.  Bring on 2017!

 

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Neither Wordless Nor Wuss

Posted on December 29, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was all set to do a Wuss-out Wednesday  post when I remembered that some bloggers do a thing called  Wordless Wednesday.   Not that I am usually wordless, nor do I intend to be entirely Wordless now.  But I do have a couple of pictures to share.  So here are two views of me.

 

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Do you even like my feet?

 

I was hoping for slippers for Christmas.  I quite frankly never pictured these, but I LOVE them.  You can’t imagine how cool it is to look down at your feet and see these big fluffy things.  Unless you have a pair too, in which case,  excellent!

The next was taken last night before Steven and I went out to eat.  I wanted to put on something cute and this is what I came up with .

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Steven said, “Hubba, hubba!”

 

Full disclosure  I purchased the shirt in the late 1980s, when I worked at JC Penney in Potsdam, NY.  I rediscovered them during Leading Ladies (remember?  the show I directed for Ilion Little Theatre), when I wanted to dress fabulously each night to make the curtain speech.  I added the Christmas vest and jewelry last night.

I confess, I thought I looked pretty fine.  So fine, in fact I was the one to say,  “Hey, Steve, take a picture!”

Oh dear, now I’m looking at the picture and seeing my pile of footwear at the bottom of the stairs.  Then again, maybe most people didn’t notice them till I foolishly pointed them out.  Oh well,  these things happen.

 

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I’m Claree!

Posted on December 22, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just imagine everybody is waiting with bated breath to see if I have been cast in Ilion Little Theatre’s upcoming production of Steel Magnolias.  Yes, I know, that’s what I said:  I am just imagining it.  Nevertheless, that is the topic of today’s blog post.

Last night I got a call from the director of the play, offering me the part of Claree.  She is the former first lady of Chinquapin (nobody at auditions knew how to pronounce it either; I’m not even sure I’ve spelled it correctly). I think I read on the back of the script that Claree is an eccentric millionaire with a sweet tooth (I haven’t gotten my script yet, so I can’t double check that).

Full disclosure:  the part I originally had a hankering for was Ouiser, who has the immortal line, “I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in an incredibly bad mood for the past forty years.”  A co-worker described her as “the miserable one” and thought I’d be perfect for the part.

After reading scenes at auditions, I am quite happy with the part of Claree.  I think it will be a very fun role.  Additionally, the actress cast as Ouiser is marvelously talented and a great person to work with (she was my stage manager for Leading Ladies, the play I directed last spring).  I have worked with most of the other cast members as well, and they are awesome.

Another full disclosure:  I kind of wish the play had a few more roles, because some of the ladies who did not get cast would have been great to work with too. As I often say, you can’t have everything (no matter what the positive-thinking Facebook memes say!).

I am looking forward to beginning rehearsals for Steel Magnolias.  Performance dates are the first two weekends in March.  That should give us plenty of posts before this blog becomes All Steel Magnolias All The Time.

 

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Mental Meandering before Additional Auditions

Posted on December 20, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Earlier today I sat down in front of a notebook (paper, spiral bound, I need hardly say), because I knew it would be a good idea to write a blog post ahead of time and avoid sitting at the keyboard and typing off the top of my head, as I do all too many times.  Nothing particularly inspired came out.  I don’t know why I use the adverb, “particularly.”  Nothing the least bit inspired came out.

On the other hand, it is Mental Meanderings Monday.  I’ll just let my mind meander a bit.  If nothing any good comes out, oh well.  Does anybody even read blogs on a Monday?  Um, I just read one before starting this.  I started reading another one, but it was too long.  I’m on a time budget tonight.

And WHY am I on a time budget, you may ask.  Or you may not ask.  You might not care OR you may have leaped to the logical conclusion that I was indeed cast in that play I auditioned for… was it only last Monday?  Is it still jumping to a conclusion if it is logical?  I think not.  I think that is an oxymoron.  That is unusual, because usually I am a regular kind of moron, so I will let it stand.  For another reason, “leaping” and “logical” make an alliteration, which kind of hooks into last Monday’s post.

Where was I?  Ah yes, explaining that I must make this post quickly, because I have to go to auditions for Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  Yes, I already attended auditions for Steel Magnolias at Ilion Little Theatre.  They are having an extra day.  Long story, not very interesting.  I will let you know if I get cast.  In the meantime, happy Monday.

 

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Alliteration before Auditions

Posted on December 13, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m afraid it’s Middle-aged Musings Monday, or Mental Meanderings Monday (choose your alliteration).  I’m sitting in Basloe Library in Herkimer, NY, with my usual Monday back-ache (and you were hoping I could get through a post without griping about my physical ills) (quite frankly, so was I), sipping coffee and typing on my laptop.

I will just mention that there is something vaguely comforting about my Monday back-ache.  I won’t pretend to be so twisted that I enjoy having a back-ache, but at least it feels familiar.  Does that make any sense?  Does anything make any sense?  How about that headline?  Let’s talk about that.

After famously saying, “No more plays!” after Much Ado About Nothing (a truly grand theatrical experience, thank you, LiFT!), I am planning to go to Ilion Little Theatre tonight to audition for Steel Magnolias.  Oh come on, did anybody seriously believe I wasn’t going to?  Of course, there is no guarantee I will get a part.  It actually might be kind of better if I don’t get one.  I mean, I’m writing three or four murder mysteries.  They are scheduled for February, March, April and TBD.  More details to follow.

I’ll tell you what, this is not the best place to sit with a laptop.  The florescent lights are reflected in my screen in a most annoying fashion.  I just re-tilted in an attempt to minimize the effect.

Where was I?  Ah yes, too busy to be in another play.  Additionally, the deadline looms for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  My computer problems have delayed my getting my articles written and submitted.  To be more exact, my dithery, ineffective attempts at dealing with my computer problems have had that effect.  A more organized writer would have handily completed said articles.  Here we come to the ugly truth about me.

On the other hand, I see it is 4:24 according to my computer.  That is almost two hours before my ride will pick me up to go to auditions (it’s so much more comfortable to go to these things with a friend!).  I can progress on my articles now!  As Gene Wilder famously said in Young Frankenstein:  “IT!  COULD!  WORK!”

 

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Post Play Postmortem

Posted on October 25, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m going to call this a Middle-aged Musings Monday, but it is really  one of those whiny posts about how I am just too tired to compose a real post.  Perhaps we could call it a Blogger’s Sick Day, because I am suffering from some sinus-y, headache-y virus or something.  Or from being too old to keep up with myself.  At least Post-Play Letdown has not kicked in yet, so I have something going for me.

Yesterday was the closing performance of Splitting Issues at Ilion Little Theatre.  Things went very well.  The audiences loved us, we loved each other, and a good time was had by all.  We had our cast party at Applebee’s in Herkimer after we struck the set (which was luckily not an extensive one).  Now before you start shaking your head or your finger (or your booty) at me, I did NOT have any wine, nor yet a Margarita, Sangria, or this really cool looking drink with an upside down beer that one member of our group had.  I am temporarily off alcohol.  Several people noticed I was not imbibing.  Could it be I am becoming known for my love of adult beverages? SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!

Be that as it may, we had a nice dinner with lots of laughs and conversation.  It was really quite a delightful cast. I hope to work with all of them again.  Maybe in a play where I can have scenes with other people beside Steven.  Not that I did not thoroughly enjoy being in the scene with my dearest husband.  Obviously I DID.  He’s a great actor!  Lots of fun to work with!  Yes, he usually reads my blog, why do you ask?

Oh dear, I think I have just talked myself into Post-Play Letdown.  Well, one must endure these things as the almost inevitable aftermath of a wonderful experience.  As I like to say, sometimes you just have to feel that way until you don’t feel that way any more.  Alas, that is probably the case with my sinus condition a well.  I hope to see you all on Tired Tuesday, when I hope not to be too tired.

 

 

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