Tag Archives: Ilion NY

The Post I Should Have Made Friday

Posted on February 2, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am in full wrist-to-forehead mode. I have a headache, I keep forgetting what time I have to be at the theatre, I have to clean my upstairs and organize laundry, and I can’t think of what to write for a blog post.

I do have one shout-out to a local business. Friday, regular readers will recall, was opening night of Busybody, the play I am in with Ilion Little Theatre. I had rehearsal the night before but had gotten up at 3:30 that morning to work overtime. I got home from work before four, planning to nap till 5:30 or so. I found a note from my husband: “Honey- If at all possible, please don’t take a nap or your shower before 4:30. You will find out why. Love, Steve”

At first I was not best pleased. I had my schedule planned! Why was he messing with a nervous leading lady on opening night? Then I realized: it’s got to be something good. What sweet thing had my husband planned? And how could I modify my schedule to accommodate?

I ate some food. This was actually better. Obviously I had to have fuel in my body for the show, but it is a mistake to eat too much too close to curtain. This would work. And it didn’t take long. What else could I do? I turned on the computer, checked my Facebook notifications and email, then logged onto WordPress. And realized I was much too flustered to come up with a post.

Around twenty after four the phone rang. The caller ID said “Flowers by Suzanne.” So that was it! The nice lady on the phone asked said she had some flowers to deliver but wanted to make sure I was there, because it was much too cold to leave flowers outside.

Soon I was opening the door to the nice lady and a lovely basket of flowers. My schnoodle Tabby ran out to greet her, too. She may have gotten a little too friendly while I was admiring the flowers, but I got her back into the house eventually. The flowers smelled wonderful. I was delighted.

I still had time for nap, shower, and more butterflies before opening night, which I have already told you went well. And making this blog post has alleviated just a few of my butterflies for today. Once again, Busybody is at Ilion Little Theatre, 13 Remington Ave., Ilion, NY, today and Feb. 8 at 2 p.m., Feb. 6 and 7 at 8 p.m.

Flowers by Suzanne is located at 433 Mohawk St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-0206. Their website is www.flowersbysuzanne.net.

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Break a Lame

Posted on January 31, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I did say I might post late (and lame) so I could write about how the play went. Full disclosure: that isn’t the only reason. I was just too flustered earlier to write. I was pretty sure the play would go well. After all, the script is strong, the cast is talented, and everybody has been working hard. Still, one can’t help but be nervous.

At work today a friend was keeping a count for me. He started about twenty minutes to eleven.

“Nine hours and 18 minutes till curtain,” he said.

Luckily our work spaces are not all that close, so I didn’t get the update every few minutes. I did not need any help getting butterflies in my stomach. All I could do to counter it was continue to look over my lines (while on break) and think about my character (which I am capable of doing while I accomplish my job).

Briefly, then, the play went great. The audience laughed a lot. I confess, there were some mistakes and dropped lines. However, everybody helped everybody else and the performance ran smoothly. I don’t know why I still feel flustered. Perhaps because I have five more performances to get through.

Still, the first performance is out of the way and went well. I am looking forward to doing it again. And eventually to finding something other than the play to write about.

Just to reiterate, the play is Busybody at Ilion Little Theatre, 13 Remington Ave, Ilion, NY, Jan. 31, Feb. 1, 6, 7 and 8, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. For more information visit www.ilionlittletheatre.org, or Like Ilion Little Theatre Club on Facebook.

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Blame It On The Play

Posted on January 22, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was afraid that after two “real” posts I would have a Wuss-out Wednesday. I had hoped to avoid it. I had two other Mohawk Valley adventures on Saturday I can write about. I still can. Just not today.

Yes, I am going to blame the play. I can’t write blog posts on my breaks at work when I have to study lines. Full disclosure: on one break I called my husband and on another I worked on a crossword puzzle with my co-worker. I think anyone can agree that these were also important activities. If you do not agree… hmmm, have we met? Have you read this blog? Never mind, on with my dithery non-post of the day.

There was a moment during rehearsal yesterday when I was suddenly having the time of my life. I was on stage, knowing most of my lines, saying them with the proper accent (at least as good as I get at it), and suddenly I started coming up with fun things to do. I knew why my character was crossing the stage. I reacted to the other people on stage. I was — dare I say it? — ACTING! Perhaps I flatter myself. But it was fun.

Don’t get me wrong. Rehearsal is always fun. There is no reason to participate in community theatre if it is not fun. But I cannot deny that some rehearsals are more fun than others. When I don’t know my lines it is painful. When other actors don’t know theirs it is even more painful. When nobody knows their lines it is excruciating! And of course learning lines is only the first step.

Oh, in case any of my fellow cast-members are reading this: No I did not know ALL my lines! I screwed up plenty of times. But I had moments where I felt like I knew what I was doing and it was fun.

Just to reiterate: the play is Busybody at Ilion Little Theatre, Remington Avenue, Ilion, NY, Jan. 30 and 31, and Feb. 1, 6, 7 and 8, at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. For more information visit ILT’s website at www.ilionlittletheatre.org. You can also Like them on Facebook.

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Not Exactly Armani

Posted on January 21, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

One of my first stops on my busy day Saturday was the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Ilion or, as I like to call it, Salvation Armani (full disclosure: I did not think of that myself; I stole it from a lady who wears thrift store finds with as much panache as if they were Armani). I wanted two more skirts and possibly a blouse for my character (I believe I’ve mentioned I’m in a play).

I play a crazy old lady. I wore one of my own skirts for rehearsal and some people in the cast declared it perfect for my character. Cue jokes about my wardrobe and crazy old ladies, but you won’t make me laugh. I know it was type casting. The skirt is a colorful, voluminous affair. I hoped to find a couple more that were similar. I had flowers in mind, but anything big and bright would do.

I walked down the skirt aisle, at first seeing nothing then throwing several possibilities over my arm. The first one was black and white checks. I wasn’t in love with it but thought at least the shape looked OK. Guess which was the only one that fit me.

Actually, that’s not true. A few of them fit OK but seemed wrong for one reason or another. Additionally, I wanted to purchase something I would be likely to wear myself, in case it didn’t work out for the play. The black and white checks were growing on me. And the skirt had pockets, one of my favorite features.

I also went through the jumpers and dresses. One dress I tried on might have worked, but no way on earth would I have worn it in real life. I put it back on the rack. I thought, two skirts would be all right. I could wear the same thing in Acts I and III. People often repeat outfits in real life. Hell, I wear the same skanky BDU pants to work every day (and you needn’t say TMI; how can it be too much information when EVERYBODY already knows).

A search for props was fruitless, but I quite by accident found a book about Queen Elizabeth I. Score! I love that period of history. I quickly glanced through the other books but with no further luck.

At the checkout I paid with my bank card, chattily telling the clerk I needed my cash for the laundromat. This led to a conversation about laundry in which another customer told me that bleaching my whites would eventually cause them to yellow.

“Use Oxyclean,” she advised. “Or baking soda.”

“Baking soda is a miracle drug,” I said.

“I clean everything with it,” the clerk volunteered.

“I brush my teeth with it,” I shared.

“That’s right! You can brush your teeth with it.”

We parted friends. This is how I like to shop.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store is located at 164 W. Main St., Ilion, NY. Phone number is 315-894-9028.

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Yearly Shout-Out to Melfe’s

Posted on January 20, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last Friday I made my annual shopping trip to Melfe’s in Ilion for my work shoes. My employer has a deal with them where I get a free pair every year, sometimes two depending on what I pick. Some of my co-workers do not take full advantage of the benefit, feeling their shoes can last more than a year. I like to pamper my feet. They have enough trouble holding up my weight all day.

I like wearing steel-toed work shoes. I enjoy knowing if I kicked anybody in the ass they would feel it. Full disclosure: I have never literally kicked anybody in the ass (note correct use of “literally”). But I have the option.

Only one other person was shopping at the time. Vicki greeted me right away and we went over to the women’s work shoes. I like the ones that look like sneakers. Right away I saw the same pair of Sketchers I have had three times.

“Seven and a half wide,” I said. They were in stock and they fit. Vicki told me they were included in the two-for deal, so I pointed to a Reebok and a Converse I liked. Only the Reeboks were available in my size. They felt pretty good, so I took them. It was an unusually decisive day for me.

As always I complimented Vicki on the good service.

“I’ll write a blog post about it,” I said. “Not that I think a lot of people read my blog.” (I did not mention to her my 500+ followers, because I don’t really know how many of them are local.) (Oh dear, did that just sound like I was bragging about all my followers to you? I’m not! I’m grateful for all my readers!)

Vicki said she had read my blog posts, remembering that I had written one about her and one about Mike, the other clerk. I was so pleased.

Melfe’s is located at 64 Central Ave., Ilion, NY. Phone number is 315-894-4094. In addition to work shoes, they carry sneakers and dress shoes. They also offer shoe repair.

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Did You Know I’m in a Play?

Posted on January 8, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Once again I did not write my post earlier in the day, as I prefer to do, because I was studying my lines for the play I am in. And I did not write it before rehearsal, because I was worrying about my props. I almost said I was gathering props, but I must be honest. I had already gathered most of the props. Today I grabbed like two more things and worried about the stuff I don’t have yet.

So now I’m writing this post after rehearsal, and it is past my bedtime. OK, my bedtime is earlier than many people. I shall not apologize for that. I shall instead, speak briefly about the awesome theatre experience I am having.

The play is called Busybody. It is a British comedy, so I get to talk with a Cockney accent. It is fun to talk with an accent. The plot concerns a nosy cleaning lady who discovers a dead body which moves then disappears. Get it? A busybody who finds a busy body. Guess which one I play? It is a very funny play, and we have an awesome cast. Some of my favorite actors from Ilion Little Theatre are in it as well as a few newcomers.

I guess this is not going to be a very informative post. That is because I do NOT want to include a spoiler alert. I want local readers to feel free to come see the play without having any of the major plot points revealed ahead of time. Performance dates are January 30, 31 and February 1, 6, 7 and 8, two consecutive weekends. Curtain times are 8 p.m. on the Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. For more information, you can visit ILT’s website, www.ilionlittletheatre.com or Like their Facebook page.

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I Shop Local and Score

Posted on November 30, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

I pause in the midst of my Saturday chores to compose a blog post on How I Shopped Local on Shop Local Saturday (or whatever today is called; I just read somewhere you are supposed to show local today).

To begin with, I didn’t have anything to wear. This has ever been the case with me as I rarely purchase clothes to begin with and as my weight fluctuates, many of the ones I do have do not fit at any given time. Kindly do NOT lecture me on the evils of yo-yo dieting; this is not that sort of a blog. I only mention it by way of introduction to today’s shopping. To be fair to myself, I don’t yo-yo a whole lot anyways but tend to go up and down in long arcs. Right now I am at a plateau.

Another wardrobe problem I have is that clothes get dirty. Our washer and drier perished in the flood of 2013, and we are still utilizing the laundromat (you may have read some of my blog posts about it). Getting to the laundromat in a timely and regular fashion requires a level of having one’s act together that I am unlikely to attain.

Be all that as it may, I went to the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Ilion, NY this afternoon in search of skirts. I prefer to wear skirts when not at work. Long, large, comfortable skirts with pockets. I wear them with spandex tights, leggings or long johns. Unfortunately I shrunk out of the last two skirts I had. I have been wearing jeans or else this batik wraparound I purchased in 1983. The wraparound is thin cotton (which is getting thinner after 30 years, I suppose. Wish I was) (you just knew I was going to say that).

This is turning out to be a long introduction to my shopping trip. That’s OK, I’ll skimp on the trip itself. I quickly went through all the skirts and found three to try on. I liked two, one teal, one brown. Only the teal one had pockets, but you can’t always get what you want. I went through the dresses and found a denim jumper, which I also tried on. Score!

Of course I can’t go to the thrift store without also looking at the books. I found an Agatha Christie paperback that did not look familiar, although I probably have read it. It features Hercule Poirot. Another score!

The two skirts I liked were on sale. Every day one tag color is 50% off. This was getting better and better. I mentioned to the clerk that I was shopping local because it was Shop Local Day (or whatever they’re calling it).

“It’s also reduce, reuse, recycle,” I said. He pointed out that the money I was spending also went to help people. So two skirts, a jumper, a paperback and a frisson of virtue. What could be better? Oh I know, making my blog post so I can get back to my Saturday chores. At the risk of being obvious, once again, Score!

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Back on Stage?

Posted on November 19, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Ilion Little Theatre is moving right along with their 2014-15 season. Noises Off still has another weekend to run (Nov. 21, 22, 23; catch it if you get a chance!), but they are already holding auditions for their next production, Busybody.

My public will be pleased to know that I auditioned last night. OK, I guess my public mostly consists of my husband, Steven, and maybe my Mom and Dad. Steven thought it was cool I tried out. So did I.

The theatre is located in The Stables behind Remington Arms in Ilion, NY. It is a short drive from Herkimer, where I live. It was pouring rain and I was nervous. What if I’d forgotten how to act? Worse yet, given the weather, what if I’d forgotten how to drive? I managed to arrive safely, so I trusted I would be OK on stage.

The director greeted me and introduced himself. Very polite of him, since I’ve known him for five years, ever since I joined the theatre group. I filled out my audition sheet, pausing only when I got to the “experience” section, because I couldn’t seem to remember my character’s name in And Then There Were None (good God, I think that was before I started writing a blog. Did I even have a life back then?) (Note to self: answer that question on Lame Post Friday).

Another auditioner was looking at the script.

“This smells awesome,” he said. “It smells like elementary school.” I just love a good description like that. Ilion Little Theatre gets the coolest actors.

When I checked out the script myself, I was more worried about sight than smell. I had neglected to bring my reading glasses. My regular glasses are progressives, but I like a wider reading area, just to give myself every advantage.

It turned out pretty OK. I think I did all right on the scenes I read. It seems like a really fun play. I’m looking forward to reading the whole script. Or, you know, seeing the show, if I don’t get cast. I hope I get cast. I’ll write numerous blog posts about it if I do.

For more information on Ilion Little Theatre visit their website at www.ilionlittletheatre.org, and Like their Facebook page.

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A Fun Saturday Night

Posted on November 18, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Saturday night Steven and I combined three of our favorite things: time with friends, dinner out and theatre.

First we met our friends Phyllis and Jim at Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer, NY. This is one of our longtime favorite spots, and I have given it several shout-outs. It is a regular destination for Phyllis and Jim as well.

After a delicious dinner and enjoyable conversation, we all headed over to Ilion Little Theatre for Noises Off, their first production of the 2014-15 season. Ilion Little Theatre (ILT) is another Mohawk Valley institution which I have given many a well-deserved shout-out. I love the historic Stables that houses it. I love the intimate size of the performance space. And I love seeing my friends from the theatre group on stage.

Noises Off features some players who are new to the ILT stage as well as returning players. All the actors are very talented and they had the audience laughing heartily. My favorite was Act II, which involved whiskey and an ax.

We had originally thought to go out for drinks after the show, to discuss the production. We’ve worked on plays with Phyllis and Jim, so we often find a lot to say about plays we merely watch. However, by the time the play was over, it was late and we were tired. We had a great time and plan to do it again. Perhaps at the next ILT production, if we’re not onstage.

For more information on Ilion Little Theatre, visit their website at www.ilionlittletheatre.org or you can Like their Facebook page. For more information on Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner, their website is www.crazyottosempirediner.com, and they also have a Facebook page.

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I Missed the Drama!

Posted on September 20, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last night Steven and I attended the monthly dinner meeting of Ilion Little Theatre Club. It was the first meeting of the 2014-15 season. Through one cause or another we missed all the dinner meetings last season, although we made it to all the plays. It was so nice to be back in the theatre again, reconnecting with our theatre friends.

Rehearsals were going on for the first production, Noises Off. We did not audition for that one but may audition for something later in the season. I’ve missed being onstage. Also, being in a play usually gives me any number of blog posts.

A new season always brings new projects and goals. One of the most exciting things I heard last night was the upcoming Save Our Tower campaign. Ilion Little Theatre, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, is in The Stables on Remington Avenue in Ilion, NY. It used to be the Remington family’s stables. It is a beautiful historic brick building. Like many historic buildings, it is in need of repair.

One of the most pressing problems is a crack in the tower. The Board of Directors has talked to a couple of masons about repair or, better yet, restoration. It’s a complicated process and it don’t come cheap. A number of ideas were mentioned, including forming a Fundraising Committee.

I hope to follow this matter, participate in some of the fundraising (I can’t beg for donations, but I could, for example, wash a car at a car wash), and of course write blog posts about it. In the meantime, I’m just happy to be back at the theatre and with a great group of people.

For more information on Ilion Little Theatre Club, you can visit their website at www.ilionlittletheatre.org and you can Like their Facebook page.

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