Tag Archives: Ilion Little Theatre

I Don’t Feel Particularly Up and Coming

Posted on February 12, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

For this week’s Non-Sequitur Thursday, I shall take a break from last Saturday’s adventures and look ahead to a future adventure for me:  I am slated to direct a play for Ilion Little Theatre.  The only writing I did while at work today (sue me) was a press release on the upcoming auditions.  I make bold to include it here:

“Ilion Little Theatre will hold auditions for Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 29 and March 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the theatre in The Stables on Remington Avenue in Ilion.  Five men and three women ranging in age from 20s to 70s are needed.  Actors do not need to prepare anything.  ILT member Cynthia Quackenbush will direct.

“The hilarious comedy concerns two down on their luck Shakespearean actors who come up with a scheme to impersonate a rich old lady’s nephews to gain an inheritance. When they find out that nieces not nephews are required, they make a slight adjustment in plans.  After all, in early Shakespearean companies, weren’t the women’s roles played by men?

“Performance dates are Friday and Saturday April 29 and 30, May 6 and 7 at 8 p.m. with matinees on Sunday May 1 and 8 at 2 p.m.  For more information contact Cynthia Quackenbush at ***-***-****.”

I confess to feeling a little overblown, calling it a hilarious comedy.  It is pretty hilarious, though.  I laughed out loud when I was reading the script.  I confess further that it seems to me to be a pretty boring blog post.  Sorry, kids, Aunt Cindy is having a bad day (I like to call myself “Aunt Cindy” when I am having a bad day).  But I am trying to keep a cheerful heart.  After all, tomorrow is Lame Post Friday.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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Blame Edith Wharton!

Posted on January 28, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

My nice husband gave me a volume of novels by Edith Wharton for Christmas. I’ve been reading House of Mirth, and tonight I just could not put it down till I finished it.  So I have a very literary reason for this week’s Wuss-out Wednesday post.  Doesn’t that sound higher class than “I’m tired”  or “I’m drinking wine”?

In fact I am tired, and I have to admit that it is for no discernible reason.  I worked for a mere eight not very strenuous hours and did not go running after work.  I obviously did not write a blog post while at work.  Did I write? Oh my, yes, I did.  Just not a blog post.

I am working on the actual script for the murder mystery Ilion Little Theatre is putting on for a church’s fundraiser.  I started it yesterday, dragging one sentence at a time out of my brain. I knew how I wanted it to start, so I wrote that.  Then what?  Another line. What next?  Another line.  Then a line that gave me a few more lines after that.  Maybe this would work.

Today it was different.  I had ended yesterday not exactly sure where to go next, but thinking in a vague sort of way that I would figure it out.  While I worked I just sort of let the characters float around in my head.  Full disclosure:  I’m not even sure who the murder is yet.   Soon a few lines of dialogue magically appeared.  Then a few more.

When it was lunch time I wrote like a maniac, quickly getting down everything I had been composing in my head.  Then I came up with a few more things.  The only problem was, what I came up with does not follow consecutively with what I wrote yesterday.  This is a problem I shall easily solve in editing.

Ah, now I must get to editing, mustn’t I?  I came home and fired up the desktop to type in what I wrote.  Then I was overcome with fatigue. I called my mother for a pep talk.  I told her how tired I was, but when I got off the phone I said I would try to do something useful.  She said I should do something fun,  “like read a book.”  So I picked up Edith Wharton JUST FOR A MINUTE.

And that brings us to the present.   Ooh, and it’s 400 words.  That’s pretty good for a Wuss-out Wednesday.   Hmmm…. would that have made a better headline?  “Pretty Good for a Wuss-out Wednesday.”  Discuss amongst yourselves.

Or do you suppose I used it before?  I’m too tired to check.

 

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Ulterior Motives in Theatre

Posted on January 4, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

In lieu of my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday, I thought I would share a little local theatre news.  Full disclosure:  I have an ulterior motive for doing so, as you’ll see.

The next production of Ilion Little Theatre (ILT) is The Birds, to be directed by Stephen Wagner.  Performance dates are February 26, 27, 28 and March 4, 5 and 6.  Auditions are January 4 and 5.  Yes, folks, tomorrow and the next day!  Auditions will take place at 7 p.m. at Ilion Little Theatre in The Stables, Remington Avenue, Ilion, NY.  Auditioners (what, computer, that’s not a word? It should be) do not need to prepare anything.

The cast calls for two males and two females, ranging in age from 20 to 50. Backstage people are needed as well.  For a brief plot summary and break-down of characters, you can consult the Ilion Little Theatre Club Facebook page.  For more information on Ilion Little Theatre in general, you can visit their website at http://www.ilionlittletheatre.org/.

Regarding my ulterior motive:  I think my delightful husband, Steven, should audition.  I thought if I published this in my blog post, some of our friends might read it and say, “Yeah, Steve should audition!”  Then they might call him or message him on Facebook or tell him when they see him.

However, I thought the post might be of interest to other readers as well.  Are you a local reader with an interest in drama?  I encourage you to audition.  If you are more interested in helping out backstage, you are also more than welcome.  We love new members.

Do I intend to audition?  Regular readers know I love ACTING (said with dramatic gesture)!  Well, I do not plan on it at this point.  I am committed (I know, some of you think I ought to be committed) to directing the next play at ILT.  However, I will accompany Steven to auditions (if I am successful in talking him into going), and, as we all know, in theatre, anything can happen.

 

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Lame Words, Different Friday

Posted on December 19, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I can’t do everything right.  I’m just not built that way.  And really, would I be as charming and lovable if I always took the sensible choice?  This is where the inner critic chimes in with remarks about who ever said I was charming and lovable, and never mind EVERYTHING but could I possibly do ONE thing right ONCE in a while?

You see why I do not like to listen to my inner critic. She is not very nice in addition to being quite sarcastic and not in a good way.

That is what I wrote earlier today, and I was feeling pretty damn happy about it. It was fun to write, and it was easy.  The words were flowing. It was great.  Now, I confess, I look at it an realize it is the same schtick I have written before and it is not that many words anyways.  Then again, what do I expect on Lame Post Friday?

What I did wrong this time, in case anybody was wondering, was to stay up too late drinking white wine at Ilion Little Theatre’s monthly dinner meeting.  The December meeting is always more of a party than a meeting, which is one reason I try not to miss it.  I had a marvelous time and am full of theatre plans for the coming year.

However, before the New Year, I must get through Christmas.  That is what this weekend is all about.  I am a little later than I prefer in making this post, because I was out Christmas shopping earlier.  And I spent a little time on the phone with my sister, making Christmas plans (and by “making Christmas plans” I mean asking her what she’s going to fix for Christmas dinner) (No, I’m not cooking for Christmas — hey, she volunteered!).

So another thing I do wrong is to make yet another foolish post where I just don’t say a hell of a lot.  But I hope you’re all having a marvelous Friday.

 

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Is That an Excuse, or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

Posted on November 20, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I wrote one paragraph of a blog post while at work today, and it wasn’t very good.  I had a title I thought was pretty good, but I don’t want to use it till I have a half-way decent blog post to go with it.  What I’m saying is, welcome to Non-Sequitur Thursday.

One can’t really take a nap at 5:55 p.m., unless one is planning on staying up quite late, which I am not.  I personally don’t care to take naps after 3 p.m., although I love them at almost any time prior to that.  Sleep, ah, wonderful sleep.  According to Shakespeare it knits something or other (I probably could think of the actual expression if I tried, but I thought it would be funnier if I did not).

Am I babbling?  Ooh, that might make a good headline. Or not.

I am waiting for Steven to come home and we are supposed to head to the monthly dinner meeting of Ilion Little Theatre.  I made guacamole and hummus to bring.  I had planned to make the guacamole, without benefit of recipe.  I told a work friend about it as we were walking out.

“I’ll put some stuff in, then mush it, taste it, mush it, taste it,” I said.  “Then I’ll write a blog post about it.”

Of course it did not go as planned, although the adventure did include mushing and tasting.  I thought it would, in fact, make a pretty good blog post.  Only I am too tired to write it.  How embarrassing.

On the other hand, I am now over 250 words, and I call that respectable.  Now I just need a good, non-sequitury title, and I’m in business.   Tune in tomorrow for Lame Post Friday, when Mohawk Valley Girl says, “And the reason I did not write a blog post today is that…”

 

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Wrist to Closing Night

Posted on November 16, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I knew much earlier today it was going to be Wrist to Forehead Sunday, but I was still unable to actually write the post.  I didn’t feel good.  I’m not exactly feeling better now, but the wine I drank has kind of disguised my ill feelings.  Never mind.  I do not despair of writing something readable.

Today was the last performance of Lunch Hour at Ilion Little Theatre.  It was a truly wonderful show.  The cast was top notch.  How about a few words about the cast?  They were kind of a mixed bag, but a really great mix.

We had two fellows who had done a lot but not recently, a woman who had not done much at all, and a young woman who had done a lot recently but mostly musicals.   I hope I have that right.  It doesn’t matter if I didn’t, because those things don’t really matter to the audience.  All that matters to the audience is that the play is good, and this one was.

Quite frankly, I was at most of the rehearsals and I did not realize any of these people had not been doing lots of shows right along.  They were awesome!  What made this cast good all along the line was their attitude.  They wanted to work hard to put on a good show, and they did.

They learned their lines, they listened to their director, they thought about their characters, they got on stage, and they went for it.  And it worked.

I don’t want to go on at too much length about how wonderful it was, because it is too late for anybody else to see it.  It closed after tonight’s performance.  We had a very enjoyable cast party, involving wine for those of us who were of legal age to enjoy it, which I am.

Did I drink and type, you may ask.  Full disclosure:  yes.  Sue me.  No matter.  I had an authentic Mohawk Valley Adventure and I made a blog post about it.  I am only having a Wrist to Forehead Sunday now because I am worried my blog post is not as good as it should be.  Then again, what ever is?   I hope what I’m typing  now will be good enough.

Lunch Hour was definitely “good enough.”  The audience liked it.  I liked it.  Come see the next show at Ilion Little Theatre.  I bet you’ll like it.

 

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Dithering Before the Matinee

Posted on November 9, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought it would be a good idea to make my blog post earlier than usual on a Sunday, because I have a big theatre afternoon planned.  Unfortunately, I do not have a good blog post planned.  I  am just going to randomly type in some stuff, hit publish and hope for the best.  Oh, you thought that was pretty much what I always do?  I am not going to dignify that with a reply.

The first two performances of Lunch Hour at Ilion Little Theatre were excellently done and very well received.  Some of us went out for drinks and laughs afterwards on both nights.  More laughs than drinks, so I feel a little ill-used that I had a bad headache yesterday and a tiny one today.  I blame it on my drastically altered sleep patterns (in bed after midnight!  Yikes!) and drive on.

As I sit and type this, I realize it is turning into Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  I rather thought it might, as time draws closer to when I have to get over to the theatre for today’s matinee.  Will I remember everything I need to do?  Why in the world didn’t I make a list, so I could make comforting check marks after each item?  Could I make a list now?  Would it help?  What if I don’t put everything on the list?  What if I check something off then leave it sitting on my kitchen counter?  Why doesn’t dithering burn calories?

I’m hoping my life settles down after the play.  Then my plan is to become more organized, so I am thrown into less disorder when I become involved with the next play.  I can dream, can’t I?  In the meantime, I hope you are all enjoying your Sunday.  Tune in tomorrow when I MIGHT have a nice post about going out for drinks and laughs after the matinee.

 

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A Marginally Improved Woman?

Posted on November 8, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

You know, Scattered Saturday is kind of a relief.  All I have to do is briefly recount what I have been doing all day.  That seems to be all I am up to today.  Oh, don’t sit there and tell me I’m whining; if you don’t like it then just don’t read it!  Sheesh!

Opening night of Lunch Hour at Ilion Little Theatre was wonderful.  The actors were great, the audience was pleased.  A few of us had a very enjoyable time going out for drinks afterwards.  We got to bed after midnight, which is quite rare for me, then slept in till after seven, also unusual.  Please note:  I had one glass of cabernet sauvignon.  Oh, and a sip of a friend’s bourbon, because I couldn’t remember what bourbon tastes like.

This morning Steven and I had a yummy breakfast at Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer, NY.  A bacon, avocado and cheese omelet for me; French toast, fried eggs and bacon for Steven.  Mine came with home fries and sourdough toast.  I shared the toast with Steven.

After food we went across the street to Collis Hardware and bought some heavy duty cleaning supplies:  rubber gloves, a tough broom, an industrial mop and a bucket with a wringer attached.  We had a rather nasty basement to clean.  That was our main accomplishment for the day.

I felt pretty crappy after spending some time in the basement rather ineffectually scrubbing (really, I did my best).  Our basement is as damp as any.  I’m sure there is mold and mildew.  My sinuses did not thank me.  When mopping was the last thing to do,  Steven heroically volunteered to do that while I went upstairs and laid down.

I slept for almost three hours.  Considering I have been getting to bed late and getting up at 3:30 every morning this week, I daresay I needed it.  I was not exactly a new woman when I got up, but I felt at least marginally improved.

Earlier in the week, Steven had noticed a Chinese auction at Mohawk Antiques mall to benefit the veterans.  We LOVE Chinese auctions, and who wouldn’t want to benefit the veterans?  I had not realized it was for Sitrin’s Rehabilitation, a most excellent program which I wholeheartedly support.  We put in for many prizes, and I noticed nobody had donated an afghan.

“I should have donated an afghan,” I said.  “Had I but known!”

“We put this together in three weeks,” a lady said.  “You wouldn’t have had time to make an afghan.”

I told her I try to always keep a few around, for just such a purpose.  I gave them my name and number, so they can contact me if they do this again.

After browsing the antiques while we were there, I started to feel a little ill and tired, so we went home.  I did no feel like cooking anything, so Steven nicely dialed up dinner, ordering a delicious roast beef sub from Carney’s Corners.

And that brings us up to the present time.  I have another show of Lunch Hour tonight.  If I catch a second wind and others are into it, I may go out again.  Surely one more glass of cabernet sauvignon wouldn’t hurt.

 

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But I’m Not the Star!

Posted on November 7, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was going to call today’s post “A Big Night at the Little Theatre,”  after a work friend said it to me.  Then I thought it has probably been used many, many times.  They do say plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery, oh wait, I say that.  I’m not given to flattery.  And I don’t need anybody to flatter me, either! (Oh yeah, like anybody is inclined to).

Where was I?  Ah yes, opening night of Lunch Hour, the first production of Ilion Little Theatre’s 2015-16 season.  As you may recall, I am stage manager.   I composed a blog post in my battered spiral notebook while on lunch at work, hoping to lighten my load in the evening. Um, that’s right now, as I am typing it in and making a LOT of changes, including the headline.

While I worked, I made myself flustered planning what I HAVE to get done, thinking wistfully about the things I would LIKE to get done, and wondering what on earth I was going to wear.  At least the last consideration has been taken care of.

Now, just stop shaking your head and giving me THAT look (I hate it when people give me that look!).  It is not as vain and frivolous as it may appear (that is not to say that I am not vain and frivolous, but that is not the topic of this blog post).  I really have very few wearable outfits at present.  I seem to have a lot of clothes, but most of them fall into categories like Don’t Fit Anymore, Not Appropriate, Not Comfortable, What The Hell Was I Thinking When I Bought That, and Dirty.  Some items fit more than one category, as you may imagine.

But never mind about me.  The play is going very well.  We had an excellent dress rehearsal last night, marred only by a bat episode, which I will perhaps describe at further length on Scattered Saturday.

Today’s post must be short.  I have a lot more dithering to do.

Local readers may like to come see the play at Ilion Little Theatre, Remington Avenue, Ilion, NY.   Performances are November 6, 7, 13 and 14 at 8 p.m., 8 and 15 at 2 p.m.  For more information you can visit www.ilionlittletheatre.org, and/or Like their Facebook page.

 

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And It’s Two Days Till Lame Post Friday!

Posted on November 5, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh crap, it isn’t Non-Sequitur Thursday, it’s only Wuss-out Wednesday!

And here is the difference between being a stage manager and being an actor.  A stage manager says, “Oh crap, this week is taking forever.  Why can’t we open already?”  An actor says, “Oh crap, this week is flying by!  I’m not ready to open!”  Actually, just to inject my Manhattan-sized ego into this, I rarely said I wasn’t ready to open.  But I have harbored doubts about fellow cast members on occasion.

I guess this is going to be a wuss-out post about Lunch Hour at Ilion Little Theatre before I have to go to rehearsal soon.  Tonight is first dress rehearsal.  I have to sit backstage and, well, not do much of anything, as it turns out.  I have a couple of lights to take care of during intermission.  Performance nights I will be available to fetch and carry for the actors (I am quite happy to do this, as others have fetched and carried for me).  Other than that, I hope to get a little crocheting done.

Unfortunately, after opening night, I must cope with a kind of a major disaster I just found out about yesterday.  Our director cannot go out for drinks after the show.  What’s that all about?  Oh well, I suppose we’ll muddle through somehow.

So sorry for anther crappy post.  I’ll see if I can do better tomorrow.

 

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