Tag Archives: Little Falls NY

It’s All About Me, and The Tempest

Posted on August 19, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

 

In lieu of my usual Friday Lame Post, I thought I would continue my theme of All Tempest All The Time and plug tomorrow’s show at the Utica Zoo.  They have a nice little amphitheater.  Last year we performed Much Ado About Nothing there.  That had the charm of rhyme:  Much Ado at the Zoo.  Well, we can’t have everything.

We rehearsed at the zoo on Wednesday.  Did you know they block off the Parkway on Wednesday nights for the Utica Roadrunners?  Kim and I had to take a little walk to get to the zoo.  Oh well, I needed the exercise.  Alas, I did not bring my Tablet so have no pictures of rehearsal.  I just don’t imagine I will be able to get any of the performance either, because, you know, I’ll be acting.

The show at the Utica Zoo begins at 2  p.m. and is free with admission to the zoo. Cue jokes about animals in cages and on stages (I won’t make any of those jokes myself, because it still is Lame Post Friday, you know).

I’ll close with a couple of pictures from our dress rehearsal at Caroga Lake, where we performed Aug. 5.  Naturally I chose pictures that included me, because, as you know, it’s all about me.

That’s me with my arms upraised, you know, acting.

 

I chose this one, because I thought it would be nice to include one with swords out. I’m hoping for some actual sword fights in next summer’s Shakespeare play.

For more information about LiFT Theatre Company, you can visit their Facebook page.

 

 

 

 

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Oh, That Band!

Posted on August 17, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

When I was running the Boilermaker 15K in July, I LOVED the band that was playing outside the Utica Zoo.  They were bluesy and danceable.  I dance-ran by them, a move which I am sure looks perfectly ridiculous but is fun nevertheless.  I still had not gotten around to looking up who the band was.  In my defense, I’ve been busy.

Fast forward to Chicks Along the Canal, part of Little Falls Canal Fest, last Saturday, Aug. 12.  While the cast of The Tempest (remember, that play I’m in?) waited to perform, the best band was playing!  They were bluesy!  They were danceable!  I went over to the tent and danced.

“Bands like it when you dance to their music,” I told my fellow cast members.  Another listener was dancing, a gentleman wearing an ARMY cap.  He waved at me, and  went over and dance with him.

It was while I was dancing that the band began to sound familiar.  Ooh!  Was it the awesome band from the Boilermaker?  I thought maybe!

After their set, I saw the lead singer chatting with someone, so I approached and asked if they had been in front of the Zoo during the Boilermaker.  They had!

“I LOVE you guys!”  I said.  “What is the name of your band?”

“The Cathie Timian Band,” was the answer.  She gave me a card.  When I got home, I looked up their website: http://www.cathietimian.com/.  I also Liked the Cathie Timian Facebook page.  I hope to hear them play again soon.  You bet I’ll write a blog post about it.

 

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Two Tempest Pics for Mental Meanderings Monday

Posted on August 15, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Some of us may look a little shady, but we are bad hyphen ass.

Well, rather than whine about how tired I am and that’s why this is going to be a Mental Meanderings Monday, I thought I would open with a picture of the cast of the Tempest, taken after Sunday’s performance. Regular readers know that we just had three performances in four days (Thursday, Saturday and Sunday).  Oh, I know, YOUR play ran for ten performances in three days; there’s always someone!

Performances went very well, but I’m sure I’ve mentioned that already.  Did I mention how hot it can get for some of us in our costumes?  Not the fellow front left, in the shorts and body paint.  I think I may hold out for a similar costume if I do Summer Shakespeare next year (which I keep saying I am NOT going to do and for some reason nobody believes me).  One thing I keep saying is no pantyhose and only one layer.  I suppose it is my fault for not finding a lighter vest, but we all know that the selection in thrift stores only goes so far.  Never mind.  With only two more performances to go, I am more than capable of sucking it up (but please don’t call me Buttercup).

Having rattled on for over 200 words, I think I’ll close with the other cast photo taken Sunday.  The first one we smile, the second was in character.

Incidentally, that fellow is asleep in my shoulder because he is drunk. Had he not been there, I may have been smiling in both pics, because my character is rather a happy fellow.

 

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Post Performance Post

Posted on August 13, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Wouldn’t it be cool if our set  looked like this?

Last Saturday, I meant to act and type (as opposed to drinking and typing), but that did not work out (don’t judge me).  This Saturday, I just got back home from, you guessed it, acting, and here I sit typing (and drinking as well, once again, don’t judge). Therefore I continue my theme of All Tempest All The Time with a few words and pictures.

We had our first of two performances at Sterzinar Park, Canal Place, Little Falls.  We were part of the Little Falls Canal Days Celebration.  Chicks Along the Canal were in the park with all kinds of vendors, craftspeople and artists.  I did not get a chance to walk around the booths, but it seemed there was a lot of good stuff.  Surprisingly, the weather cooperated.  There was a little rain before we started.  Then it seemed there might be a downpour during the last scene.  The wind blew some set pieces around.  However, we dealt with all problems and got through the whole play.

I think the audience was very pleased.  At least, they kept clapping through the entire curtain call, which I think goes on for kind of a long time (then again, once I’ve said all my lines I confess I’m a little anxious to get on to wine time).  Alas that I have no picture of today’s performance.  However, a trip to LiFT Theatre Company’s Facebook page showed me several good ones from last Saturday’s performance in Caroga Lake (full disclosure:  this might be from our dress rehearsal the night before that performance, but I think it will work just as well).

I’m the one in the orange tights.

Naturally I had to include a picture with me in it.  This is what I refer to as my big scene, because I have a few sizable speeches (not as long as some actors have, but they gave me a little trouble learning).  It is also the scene where I get made fun of, but you’ll have that when you play a garrulous old man.

I’m wondering if the teeth glow in the dark.

This is a shot taken when we were still searching for costumes.  I get to wear one of these masks in one scene.  I must confess I’m not too nuts about it, because it squishes my nose down and it is difficult to see through the eye-holes, even when I wear contact lenses.  Still, it is fun to be a wolf.

We have another performance at Sterzinar Park tomorrow at 3 p.m. Then we are at the Utica Zoo next Saturday and at the Herkimer Elks Lodge Sept. 1.  For more information, visit the LiFT Facebook page.

 

 

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More About the Tempest

Posted on August 10, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I hope everybody can read it.

It may be All Tempest All The Time for the next couple of weeks.  Our Aug. 5 performance is in the books, but we have shows the 10th, 12th and 13th.  Then we’ll have at least a couple of rehearsals at the Utica Zoo, preparing for Aug. 19.  I may be able to sneak in a few real Mohawk Valley posts after that, but then we’ll be preparing for our final performance on Sept. 1.

Then I’ll start getting ready for Halloween, yes!

Thursday’s performance is at Benton’s Landing in Little Falls.  It is where we did our preview performance on July’s Third Thursday (that’s a thing in Little Falls).  Perhaps you read one of my blog posts about it.  It is an interesting performance space with a couple of different levels.

It doesn’t really show the whole space, but you can get an idea.

This is the cast of last year’s summer show, Much Ado About Nothing.  It was the only photo I could find on LiFT’s Facebook page of Benton’s Landing.  As I was adding it to this post, I remembered, I shared some photos of our Preview Performance last month at, you know, Benton’s Landing.  How silly of me!

I took this one standing behind the rapt audience (if they were not rapt, I would rap them on the noggin!) (just kidding, in order to make a pun).

So I am getting ready to go to rehearsal at Benton’s Landing.  Tomorrow is the performance.  Yikes!  That happened fast!  How did three days of this week just slip right by while I was at work thinking time was dragging on?  Ah, that is a topic for Lame Post Friday, when I occasionally indulge in half-baked philosophy. Now Friday seems pretty far away.  Perspective!

 

 

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What’s Wrong with Monsters, Anyways?

Posted on July 28, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

He’s an ex-marine.

When in doubt, lead with the picture of the half-clothed muscular guy.  Oh dear, was that sexist and exploitative?  I was just trying to get your attention.  These are more pictures from LiFT Theatre Company’s preview performance of The Tempest last Thursday at Benton’s Landing in Little Falls (see yesterday’s post, if you haven’t already).  The chest-baring dude is our Caliban, a son of a witch (no, really, his mother was a witch; she’s not actually in the play, but they mention her) and kind of a monster (although the guys that call him “Monster” are drunk).

It’s too bad her face is in shadow; I’ll try to get better shot for a future post.

And here is our Ariel, a tricksy spirit who is servant to Prospera, the deposed Duchess of Milan.  I don’t have a great picture of Prospera, but here is a not too awful one of her and her daughter, Miranda.

Don’t worry; she’s nicer to Miranda in other scenes.

 

Antonia is in the foreground; Trinculo is on book.

Trinculo is one of the fellows who calls Caliban “Monster.”  Caliban is apparently not offended by this form of address.  Right now Trinculo is “on book.”  For the uninitiated, that means he is standing by in case an actor forgets a line.  The actor has only to yell, “Line!” and the prompter supplies it.  In the movies, I’ve seen prompters backstage during performances, loudly whispering forgotten lines to hapless actors on stage.  I personally have never been in a play where this was the case.  However, we presented the Preview Performance as a Work on Progress.  Hence, the prompter.

Astute readers may have noticed that I have referred to people by their character names only.  Well, you see, I did not want to take a chance on misspelling anybody’s name, and I do not have ready access to this information.  I know, real bloggers research this sort of thing in advance.  And here we come to the ugly truth about me.  I can’t worry about that now.  I have rehearsal in less than two hours and I haven’t even showered yet.    Additionally, today is Non-Sequitur Thursday.  I’ll just slap a catchy headline on and hope for the best.

Oh crap, now I have to think of a catchy headline.

 

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A Few Pics from the Preview

Posted on July 27, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

You know, time does not fly JUST when you are having fun.  It flies other times, too.  Not usually at work, of course.  I’m not at work right now (I can’t get online at work, for one reason).  Time flies when you have a limited amount of it and a great number of things you were hoping to get done.  Well, I just won’t get everything done, that’s all.  And I will not make the blog post as long as I had hoped (some people may not find that to be a tragedy, I’m sure).

Today’s post was to have been a cross between Wordless Wednesday and Wuss-out Wednesday.  For one reason, I wanted to share the pictures I took at last week’s preview performance of The Tempest in Little Falls.  However, it seems I have quite a few shots, and my internet keeps going on (bad modem?  lousy router? operator error?).   My new plan (my plans are nothing if not flexible!) is to spread the pictures out over a few posts.  It! Could! Work!

“I don’t always wear pumpkin pants. But when I do, it is for Shakespeare.”

I led with one of my favorite shots.  This is Ferdinand, the son of Alonso, the king of Naples.  He really was posing like The Most Interesting Man in the World.  As a matter of fact, in the play, Miranda finds Ferdinand the most interesting man in the world.  Of course, she does not have much basis for comparison.

This was also described as a pirate outfit.

This is our director.  He also plays one of the sailors in the first scene of the play then goes on to lay Stefano, the king’s drunken butler.  One thing we do in community theatre is multi-task!

They may look nice, but they are up to no good!

These are Antonia and Sebestian.  Antonia has deposed her sister, Prospera, the rightful Duchess of Milan.   They spend a good amount of time in Act II making fun of my character, Gonzalo.

Looking regal and kingly.

And this is Alonso, the King of Naples.

You may have noticed that a number of the names begin with the same letter: Alonso and Antonia (Antonio in the original script).  Sebastian and Stefano.  There is also a Francisco, to get mixed up with Ferdinand.  I couldn’t believe Shakespeare could do such a thing!  When I start to name my characters, I write the alphabet at the top of the page and cross out letters as I use them, just to avoid such confusion.  The fellow who plays Alonso is also a writer. When I remarked about the alliterative names (the one time I do NOT like alliteration), he said, “Yeah, Shakespeare made a rookie mistake.”  I have to love someone who thus off-handedly accuses Shakespeare of a rookie mistake.  Rock on, Alonso!

Ooh, look everybody, I’m over 400 words!  I may have wussed out, but I am far from wordless (really, am I ever wordless?  Those who know me in person will tell you I am NOT).  I hope to see you all on Non-Sequitur Thursday.

 

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Pre-Party Post

Posted on July 23, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Regular readers know I adore alliteration.  I seem to be having a minor run of “P” these days.  Make what adolescent jokes you wish.  I have a mere 11 minutes to complete this post before my handsome husband Steven is due home (just throwing in a gratuitous compliment to the man there).  He will quickly change his clothes and we will arrive, as he puts it, “fashionably late”  to our friends’ anniversary party.  Being so happily married ourselves, we are delighted to celebrate with other contented couples (see, there I go again with the alliteration).

Today’s would be a Slacker Saturday post at best in any case.  Never mind why; nobody wants to hear me go on about my various ills.  I encourage myself to stop being such a big fat baby, but old habits die hard (as the nuns found out when they tried to change the color of their apparel) (I’ve been spending a lot of time on a pun page on Facebook).

I did not run this morning.  I managed to write a few post cards, although I might make out a couple more tomorrow.  I even wrote an almost letter.  At least, it was a note card in an envelope, so more space to fill.  I was sending a card with the Ilion Little Theatre schedule to a couple of club members emeritus (at least, that is how I think of them), and that was the best envelope to fit it.

There was enough time to run two errands before my rehearsal for The Tempest at eleven, but the window of my vehicle decided to get stuck halfway down (or halfway up for you optimists).  Yikes!  I drove to the dealership, where the guy who sold it to us got the window up and started to make me an appointment to get it really fixed.  Alas, I did not remember Steven’s work schedule next week (we must do these things on his day off), so I had to drive home and call the guy back.

Still, I made it to rehearsal even a little early.  I treated myself to a giant chocolate chip cookie from Ole Sal’s Creamery at Canal Place, Little Falls (just to throw in a plug for a local business).  After rehearsal I managed to finish one errand and bagged the other one.

Never mind what I did with the rest of the afternoon; remember my dictum of being less of a big fat baby.  I see it is 5:30.  Steven will be hope any minute!  I must find the fancy purse I wanted to carry to tonight’s soiree.  Happy Saturday, everyone!

P.S.  He got home while I was proofreading.

 

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Preparing for the Preview

Posted on July 20, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Um, our set doesn’t look like this.

Did I mention I might be seguing into All Tempest All The Time sometime soon?  Well, I am once again posting in haste (posthaste, remember?) before hurrying off to rehearsal.  We are rehearsing on Benton’s Landing in Little Falls, NY, instead of our usual Sterzinar Park, because that is where we are having a Preview Performance tomorrow.  Performance tomorrow!  Yikes!

The preview promises to be different from the usual, “Here’s a scene or two, come see the whole show later!”  It is a performance “under construction,” according to the Facebook event.  The audience will witness and perhaps participant in the rehearsal process in “our most immersive preview yet!”

I still have to figure out my costume.  From the waist up, I think I’m set, although I would like a hat.  With a feather.  I think my character would definitely wear a hat with a feather.  From the waist down, well, I’ll think of something to put on that looks halfway period, to be improved upon before actual performances.  Come to think of it,  I was kind of like that for last year’s preview for Much Ado About Nothing, only without the “halfway period.”  I had a terrific top and trusted the audience to ignore my bicycle shorts.  I found suitable pants at the Thrift Store at a later date.

So any local readers who are looking for something to do tomorrow, July 20, stop on down to Benton’s Landing in Little Falls at 6:30 for a preview of The Tempest.  I’ll be there!

 

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Love that LiFT

Posted on July 11, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about an update on The Tempest?  For anybody just tuning in, that is the play I’m in with LiFT Theatre Company of Little Falls.   I just got back from rehearsal,  where I was mortified not to know my lines better.   Still, I’m working on it, as are we all.  The week before last, I took a few pictures of rehearsal, which I have not yet shared.  I thought today I would repair that omission (that’s an expression I love: “repair that omission”).

Here is a wide view: You can see Canal Place, Little Falls Antiques Center, and The Shops at 25 West.

Weather permitting, we rehearse at Canal Place in Little Falls, where some of the performances take place.  LiFT is something of a traveling theatre company, performing at various venues in the Mohawk Valley.  Little Falls Antique Center and The Shops at 25 West are nearby.

You could read “CANAL PLACE,” if that guy’s script wasn’t in the way.

 

There are a couple of picnic tables and several stone benches we hang out on when we’re not on stage.

Rehearsals are fun.  When we’re not on stage, we run lines or discuss blocking, characters, or costumes.  OK, sometimes we also just chat.  After all, nobody’s perfect.  When we have to use the restroom, we go into Little Falls Antique Center.  When we need refreshment, we patronize Ole Sal’s Creamery, an excellent establishment.

Stone Mill is the home of an Inn, Ole Sal’s Creamery, the Antiques Center, a Black Box theatre and more.

I guess I haven’t given you much of an update, but I think the pictures are kind of fun.  We’ll that a win on a Monday.  Regular readers will recall that today is the day after the Boilermaker 15K, which I ran.  I’m still a little tired.  Lets call this a Muddled Monday and drive on.

 

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