Tag Archives: Ilion Little Theatre

Write, Post, Eat? Or Just Yell?

Is three weeks too early for All Leading Ladies All The Time?  Oh well, in the first place, it isn’t a full two weeks any more and in the second place, I’ll probably sneak in some other foolishness along the way.

That said, I’m stressed.  I have to finish my article for Mohawk Valley Living, make today’s blog post, and eat something.  Full disclosure:  I thought of the title while I was taking my shower and I have already eaten something.  Priorities, people!

I am having the damnedest time with the article.  Not the smallest problem is that I am on my new lap top not my old desk top.  I’m not used to this program!  Of course it is not all that hard.  I mean, I’m typing in words, how much to I have to do with them?  Still, it’s just one more thing to occupy my meager brain (which is still not back from yesterday’s tiredness, although I did go to bed early).  Yes, I know, one more thing to whine and cry about.  How tiresome am I?  Sorry, readers.

Earlier today I was talking about tonight’s rehearsal.  I have been discussing the play a lot at work.  People are interested, or pretend to be.  One fellow somehow got the impression that I intend to holler at my cast tonight.  He kept bringing it up:  “Go to rehearsal, yell at your cast, go home and go to bed.”  Me, yell at my cast?  I’m a woman of peace!  I am soft-spoken and gentle.  Who said I yell?  I got something to say to that bastard!

This week we rehearse today (Tuesday), Wednesday and Friday.  Next week it will be Tuesday through Friday.  The following week is production week:  every damn night till we open on Friday!  If this really is All Leading Ladies All The Time, that will be 17 more posts about the play, including opening night.  Let’s hope I come up with something to say besides, “I’m so stressed!  I do NOT yell at my cast!”

 

 

A Friendly Stop

I pause in my Saturday gyrations to make a brief blog post.  I am having quite the lovely day with my dear husband, who has a rare Saturday off.

I began my day with the useful part: going to Ilion Little Theatre for chores related to Leading Ladies, the play I am directing.  The normal bribe for folks helping out on a Saturday morning is donuts.  Accordingly, I headed to Frankfort, NY and the Friendly Bake Shop.  Frankfort is not a far drive from Herkimer, where I live.  I parked across the street and walked in to find a line.  This, of course, was not surprising.

“Is there a VISA logo on their cash register?” I asked a lady in line ahead of me.  I had not provided myself with cash so thought to use my bank card.  She did not see one.  “I”m in trouble,” I said and sadly left.  She followed me out the door and called me back before I had crossed the street again.

“I was looking right at it,” she confessed.  Having done that myself, I completely understood.

I got plain, glazed, jelly-filled and chocolate glazed, three of each to make a dozen.  I wasn’t sure how many people I would have to bribe, but I was fairly sure of having leftovers with a dozen.  Anyways, a dozen is the normal amount of donuts.  Every once in a while I like to do something normal.

“And I’ll have a loaf of this bread,” I added, grabbing one.  It was Italian with sesame seeds, sliced fairly thin.  I’m sure it will be yummy.  The donuts definitely were.  I ate two myself almost as soon as I got to the theatre.

The Friendly Bake Shop is located at 122 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY.  Phone number 315-894-8861.

 

I’ll Be Looking for that Link

I don’t think Tired Thursday has the same ring as Tired Tuesday, and yet here I sit.  Well, instead of crying about how tired I feel, I will give a brief overview of my post-work errand running.  I had thought to write a blog post about that earlier today when I had difficulty coming up with a topic to write on while on break at work.  Of course now all I want to do is sleep on it and I fear the post will not be very good, but we have established that for Mohawk Valley Girl, a bad post is better than no post at all, so here goes (I don’t care if that is a run-on sentence).

I need some props and costumes for Leading Ladies, the show I am directing at Ilion Little Theatre (stand by for this blog to become All Leading Ladies All The Time, it’ll happen soon).  This being the only weekday I don’t have rehearsal, I thought a few stops on the way home would be appropriate.  Full disclosure:  I did not make all the stops I intended to and one place I was pretty sure would not have any props or costumes.

It was pouring rain when I left work, but one must not let weather deter one, must one (one being me, of course).  I kept telling myself that this was better than snow, but I’ve heard we’ll have snow again before too long, so I suppose I will have a basis for comparison.

First I went to the Thrift Store in Ilion, NY (I work in Ilion, by the way).  No props, but I found a black shawl, which I have been wanting to go with my little purple dress (I refuse to own a Little Black Dress).  Now all I have to do is lost that damn ten pounds so I can wear my little purple dress. I merely glanced at the fancy dresses.  My costume ambitions were merely to look.  We’re going to check the Ilion Little Theatre costume collection before purchasing anything.

At New 2 You Consignment Store, where I went next, I found a decanter such as a someone might have sitting on a table in a ritzy sitting room.  I wasn’t sure I loved it, though.  The lady there, who I am acquainted with because her daughter did a marvelous job in the murder mystery I have been talking about (perhaps you read my latest blog post about it), said if I decided I wanted it, I could call her and she would hold it for me.  We talked about the play, and I mentioned my need of dresses for a couple of manly-sized men.  She said she had some quite large fancy dresses, so I may be in touch with her about that, too.

I was getting sick of being out in the rain but decided to make one more stop at Earthly Matters, a store I have lately become aware of.  I did not think it was anyplace I would find anything for my play.  I thought I would like to write about it.  Oh, I SO DO!  I stood there for a while talking to the owner, looking at beautiful things, and taking notes.  I shall write a full post about it and perhaps an article to submit to Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  For today, however, I content myself with a mere mention.

I went home after that, bypassing the dollar store and a couple of other stops.  There is another thrift store and at least one more consignment shop I can check.  When I don’t feel so tired.  Sorry to keep complaining about it, but you know how it is.  If you don’t know how it is, well, just work some overtime and direct a couple of plays and do a few more things other than sleep and then write a blog post about it.   You can post a link in Comments and perhaps I’ll read it.

Happy Non-Sequitur Thursday, everyone.

 

One Dead Body, at a Church

I feel I can get away with one more post about my murder mystery, because some readers may be wondering how it went.  Well, it was splendid.

The church, Morning Star Methodist in Ilion, NY, sold more tickets than they were hoping to.  In fact, serving dinners was delayed at one point when they ran out of potatoes and had to cook more.  I told them if they ran short of meat, I could go hungry, but luckily that was not necessary.

I stood by the table of the lady taking tickets and welcomed people.  I warned them they would meet some unusual people but should not be worried about talking to them.  I’m not sure my warnings were needed, but people were very nice about it.  More importantly, I had to be the liaison between the actors and the dinner-servers.  I gave the actors the high-sign to start the performance part.  I told the audience when to fill out their guesses and collected the papers after they had guessed.

As I attended to these duties, I realized my folly in undertaking such a role.  I wanted to be acting!  There are few things more fun for me than to dress up in a costume and pretend to be somebody else.  I love it on a stage with lines, and I love it at a murder mystery when mingling with the audience.

The lucky ones who did get to act enjoyed it quite a bit, and they did a marvelous job.  A few lines were dropped, but I believe only the author noticed (um, you remember that was me, right?).  The audience was full of praise, except for one gentleman with a hearing aid who hadn’t heard a word.  I felt quite terrible about that.  At least he got a good dinner out of it.  Roast pork.  Yum!

I hope Ilion Little Theatre will be asked to present more murder mysteries in the future.  I’m ready to write them and I am more than ready to act again!

 

I’d Like to Watch Television, Too

I can’t make two real posts in a row, can I?  I know, I have done it before.  Well, I’m not doing it today.  I started to write something at work and it wouldn’t quite gel.  In my defense, I had a bit of a headache.

“Oh no,” my readers moan, “she’s not going to start THAT again!”  Seriously, have I ever really stopped? Sorry, I won’t go on about my aches and pains, except to maybe blame it on the weather.  Up and down the temperatures go, now it’s rainy, now it’s sunny.  I rather enjoy the variety while still pining for that deck-sitting weather I mentioned yesterday.  But changes in the barometric pressure can be bothersome.  I suppose now some readers with superior weather knowledge (or just a superior attitude) are saying with a sniff, “It’s not the barometric pressure, it’s…”  whatever it is.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “Don’t be didactic, Myrtle Mae.  It’s unbecoming, and men loathe it.”  That’s a line from a play.

Where was I?  Ah yes, making a Non-Sequitur Thursday post and trying to be quick about it, because I have a baby afghan to finish for a co-worker’s prospective grandchild.  One must be timely about these things, you know, because babies grow awfully fast.  This one isn’t born yet, so I still have time.

In my further defense, I have two plays going on at once.  The murder mystery goes up in two days.  I believe I spoke about that on TuesdayLeading Ladies at Ilion Little Theatre goes up in less than a month.  Yes, you may expect this blog to go All Leading Ladies All The Time soon.  I hope you are all having a lovely Thursday and I hope to see you tomorrow, when I try to think up some play on words involving Lame.

 

Engaged to be Tired

So yesterday I promised to do my damnedest to finish the post I started. I bet some of you were sitting there shaking your heads in a superior fashion saying, “She won’t do it.  She’ll have a Tired Tuesday post.  You watch.”

Well, technically we’re both right.  I did try my damnedest to finish that post before giving up and starting the Tired Tuesday nonsense you are now reading (ooh, here are a couple of Freudian slips for you:  I started to type “Turd” instead of “Tired,” and “not reading” instead of “now reading”).

We had rehearsal last night for “Engaged to be Murdered,” the murder mystery being presented by Ilion Little Theatre at Morning Star Methodist Church this Saturday, April 3.  Just to give another plug, that’s at 5 p.m., tickets are $20 and include the performance and a roast pork dinner.  Reservations are required by March 31 by calling the church office at 315-894-4093.

Rehearsal went marvelously.  The actors all brought their costumes and let me tell you, they are fabulous.  Everybody looks awesome!  The performance should be very enjoyable. I’m only sorry I’m not acting in it myself.

Tonight I have another rehearsal for Leading Ladies, ILT’s spring production, which as you may remember I am directing. I’m sure that will go well too. We’ll be missing an actor, but these things happen in community theatre.  We must make the best of them.

In summary, I think I have legitimate reasons to be tired (I didn’t even mention being on overtime at work, but I am).   I suppose it’s no reason not to write a blog post.  Oh wait a minute, I just did.  On to rehearsal!

 

How About Edward G. Robinson?

I don’t want to say I’m feeling old (at least, no older than I actually am) (in dog years) (just kidding!), but recently I have felt somewhat… dated.

It started at the read-through for Leading Ladies.  I told one of the actors who will portray a man dressed as a woman that when he was a woman, I wanted Rosalind Russell.

“He doesn’t know who Rosalind Russell is,” Steven told me.

What’s this?  A drama person who hasn’t seen Auntie Mame?  Say it ain’t so!  Of course it is so.  Luckily the actor understood what I wanted from the gesture I made when I said it.  However, I felt a point had been made about generations and different frames of reference.

I don’t want to telegraph any jokes, in case this is read by people who might come see the play (Come see the play!), but there is a reference to a Marlon Brando imitation.  I thought to myself,  “I’ll have to tell the actor involved that it is not Marlon Brando in The Godfather but Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire or On The Waterfront.”  Then I remembered that The Godfather was in the ’70s, not a recent movie this young person was likely to have seen.  (Full disclosure:  I haven’t seen The Godfather either; I just know Marlon Brando was in it and he was a lot older than he was in the other two movies.)

Anyways, I don’t know why it’s a Marlon Brando imitation anyways.  I think James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart would be better.  And I don’t mean James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy or Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (yes, I’ve seen both those movies).

Yes, I can direct a play without resorting to references to old movies.  And, no, I did not see these movies first run at the theatre.  Any other questions?

 

About that Murder Mystery

Murder is on the menu when the Morning Star Methodist Church in conjunction with Ilion Little Theatre presents “Engaged to be Murdered,” an interactive dinner theatre, on Saturday, April 2 at 5 p.m. at the church located at 36 Second St., Ilion. Tickets are $20 and include the performance and dinner. Reservations are required by March 31 by calling the church office at 315-894-4093.

“Engaged to be Murdered” takes place at the party celebrating the upcoming nuptials of society girl Genevieve Raglan to handsome up-and-comer Luke Donovan.  Representing Genevieve’s family are her elegant parents, Eliot and Marseille (it’s pronounced mar-SAY) Raglan, her glamorous Aunt Theodora, and family matriarch Grandma Nell.  Luke is accompanied by his father, cattle rancher Harry Donovan.  Also present, although nobody is sure who invited her, is ne’er-do-well Cousin Randy Raglan. All of these people have secrets to hide, and the audience will have a chance to ferret out the clues and try to solve the mystery.

That is from the press release I wrote for the murder mystery Ilion Little Theatre is putting together for the church’s fundraiser.  I had meant to copy the whole thing for today’s blog post, but, well, my desk top would not cooperate.  I managed to copy the first paragraph and half of the first sentence of the second paragraph.  Now I am on my new laptop, trying to remember the rest of it.

I think I have included all the relevant information.  My press release went on to toot my own horn as the writer. I figured the papers, if they used the release at all, would cut that part out.  Therefore, I shall feel free to cut it out now.  Local readers may like to come see the performance. I understand the dinner is roast pork.  Yum!

 

I’m Not Stressed

It is another lovely warm day in the Mohawk Valley, and I am not in any position to enjoy it.  Much. OK, I’m loving it.  Only I would love to go running again and I cannot.

Today is the read-through for Leading Ladies, (all together now:) the play I am directing at Ilion Little Theatre.  We haven’t even started yet and I am stressed, Stressed, STRESSED!  Oh dear, mustn’t admit that.  I hope none of my cast members read this.  They might get worried and quit.  I’m thinking as soon as we get started I will be fine.  There may be one bad moment at the beginning, where everybody is looking at me expectantly and my mind will go completely blank. I’ll tell you what, the Actor’s Nightmare is nothing compared to the Director’s HeebieJeebies.

However, it will not last long, if it even occurs.  I’ll start talking, and then we’ll rehearse.  I don’t know why I’m even worried, but there it is.  And here I am in the middle of a Wuss-out Wednesday post, trying to remember what-all I thought I absolutely had to get done before heading over to the theatre.

Here’s the funny thing:  it did not even occur to me to write a blog post on a break at work today.  I had planned to work on next month’s article for Mohawk Valley Living, the deadline for which is looming.  Unfortunately, I brought the wrong notebook to work with me.  You might think that once I realized that, my thoughts would turn to what other useful writing I could do. Instead I started looking at the script, because I am still struggling with working out a rehearsal schedule.

That was arguably another useful thing to do, but it doesn’t help you much, does it?  Here you tuned into a blog, hoping to read something good, and what did you find?  Me.  Then again, regular readers are probably not surprised.  I guess I’m not either.  Tune in again tomorrow, and we’ll see if I resort to Non-Sequitur Thursday.

 

A Good Problem on a Tired Tuesday

This timeI think it really is Writer’s Block.   I just sat here by my notebook for a good ten minutes and no thoughts came through my head and out my fingers.  I was also eating my sammich and vegetables at the same time (although in general I am no fan of multi-tasking).

I finished my lunch in short order, and as you can read, I’m writing now.  Perhaps it isn’t any good, but it’s words on paper.  Sometimes we must take what we can get.

All morning as I worked (yes, when I COULD have been thinking about my blog post), I was obsessing about Leading Ladies, the show I am directing (should I say that every time and should I specify at Ilion Little Theatre?  I don’t like to bore regular readers, but I must also consider those of you who are just tuning in) (if any) (um, I mean if any AT ALL, regular or otherwise).

Thirteen people showed up for auditions Monday night.  That is a marvelous turnout for our little community theatre.  I only need eight actors!  Oh dear, maybe this is not so marvelous after all.  How can I turn people away?  How can I decide who to turn away?  Now what?

I know, it is a great problem to have.  Usually we are making phone calls, sending emails and tearing our hair out.  So I’m not exactly complaining, although I suppose it sounds suspiciously like I am.

Be that as it may, I have now blathered on for over 200 words.  It is Tired Tuesday and I must get to the second night of auditions.  Wouldn’t it be cool if even MORE people showed up?  Maybe I need to find a bigger play.