Tag Archives: theatre

Post Rehearsal Pictures

Our director, directing one of our actors.

I promised pictures of rehearsal then almost forgot to take any.  These few shots were taken at the end of our rehearsal. I guess I could not have taken many during rehearsal,  because I was on stage most of the time.

This lady is really good in her part.

The rehearsal was for Morning`s at Seven, the play I’m in at Ilion Little Theatre.  It was a short but useful rehearsal.  Only three cast members were there, so it would be a good idea if I bring my Tablet to future rehearsals as well.

And here is our stage manager, you know, stage managing.

The play is to be presented April 26, 27, 28, May 3, 4, and 5, at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays,  2 p.m. Sundays .  For more information , you can visit Ilion Little Theatre`s website or Facebook page.

Well, this is a short, kind of dull blog post.   I comfort myself with the fact that at least it is about something and not just whining that I can’t make a decent blog post right now.   Additionally,  I am posting on my Tablet, typing one letter at a time with the stylus .  Regular readers know how I hate that.

So I close now and say Happy Sunday.  I feel pleased with myself that I am not posting it Monday morning .

 

 

Joan Crawford Had Nothing To Do With It

I feel that I have a good excuse for making my Non-Sequitur Thursday post on Friday morning, and it’s not just, you know, non-sequitur.  I was late getting home, because I made three stops, then I had two rehearsals starting at 5 p.m.  So here is a Non-Sequitur Shout-Out post, because, as regular readers know, Mohawk Valley Girl loves local businesses.

First I had to pick up a prescription at the Medicine Shoppe in Ilion.  They are so nice there, and it is the sort of place where they recognize regular customers.  That stop did not take long.  Right across from the parking lot are Ilion Wine and Spirits.  I like to support them, because, in addition to being nice and a good liquor store, they support Ilion Little Theatre (where both my rehearsals were, incidentally).  Unfortunately, I did not have anything particular in mind so spent a few minutes wandering around before settling on a bottle of Barefoot Pinot Noir, a favorite of mine.  Then I stopped into Honey Brook Hobbies to get a treat for my husband.  I easily picked out a brownie with mini chocolate chips on top. I did NOT purchase one for myself, nor yet did I ask Steve for a bite.  Weight-loss goals, here I come!

I should perhaps mention that this will be another hasty post, because I have to sit, drink coffee, watch the news, and play solitaire before I have to get ready for work.  Otherwise I shall feel too flustered and be a danger to myself an others (that last was a self-dramatizing exaggeration, so don’t shake your finger at me) (you know who you are) (don’t shake your head either, although you may feel free to shake your bootie, I don’t mind that on a Friday) (oops, I just pointed out again that I am making my Thursday post late) (once again, I’d better quit while I’m ahead, if in fact I am).

 

Pre-Rehearsal Monsters

Really, when you come to think of it, my life is pretty boring.

To begin this week’s Monstrous Monday post, I went to our laptop’s Downloads, to see if my husband, Steven, had downloaded any monsters I hadn’t used yet.  This is what I found.  I would love an outfit like the one that lady is wearing, but I am less enamored with her escort.  She looks as if she is regretting it as well.  You just can’t trust those on-line dating apps.

“Did somebody say Monstrous Monday?”

Finding no further treasures in the Downloads, I return to my Media Library and find my old favorite, Nosferatu (1922).  I should perhaps mention that I am posting in haste (posthaste, that is an old word seldom used these days), because I have a rehearsal this evening.  I feel fortunate that I don’t have any days of two rehearsals this week (unless we reschedule Wednesday’s rehearsal for Thursday, but I can’t worry about that now).  One murder mystery is in the books!  In less than two weeks, both murder mysteries will be over and done with, and I will only have to worry about Morning’s at Seven (the full-length play I am in at Ilion Little Theatre).  Regular readers may recall that I mentioned in a vague sort of way another theatre project I may have undertaken.  Well, it seems not, so Phew!

My happy face when I only have one rehearsal.

I hope to do a couple of longer posts, telling more about my theatrical endeavors, especially in case local readers might like to attend.  For today, though, I must say Happy Monday and may all your monsters be nice ones.

 

Post Before Murder

I keep telling myself that a few nerves before a performance are a good thing (good things?  Is each nerve good?  Discuss amongst yourselves).  That said, why do I feel as if I am having a full-blown panic attack?  I said it in a recent post and I will say it again, what the hell, me?  This is not my first rodeo, as regular readers know.  Additionally, I know how many things can go wrong and a performance still be entertaining and appreciated.  These heart palpitations have got to stop!

For anyone just tuning in, and for those who cannot keep all my gyrations straight (indeed, why should you be expected to when I cannot keep them straight myself?), tonight’s performance is A Trivial Murder, an interactive murder mystery presented to benefit Herkimer County Historical Society. We are rehearsed.  We know our lines, we know our characters.  We know where we are going and what time to be there.

I will feel better after I am completely ready.  My costume is not laid out but what I want to wear is in my head.  If the shirt I am thinking of is dirty, there are other candidates in my closet.  I even found my rubber gloves so I can put the purple in my hair (not a necessity, but I think it will add a nice touch, and I did find the bottle earlier).  Enough heart-burnings! (Ooh, that’s it: I have heartburn because of the egg sammich I ate earlier to tide myself over till dinner) (yes, I like to spell it “sammich”).

Perhaps I will do a post-murder post tomorrow.  Or it will be Wrist to Forehead Sunday, as I hurry on to my next theatrical endeavor.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Too Much on my Lame Plate

How embarrassing.  I get caught up by making my Thursday post on Thursday, then fail to make my Friday post on Friday.  I confess to getting a good laugh at myself.  I set up my rules.  I break my rules.  I make contingency rules.  It is not easy being me, but it can be entertaining.  Seriously, how lame is it to not even make a lame post on Lame Post Friday?  Yet I have similarly failed before.  Well, I could have posted last night, but at the time sleep seemed more important.  We make our choices.  The Spanish have a saying, take what you want and pay for it, says God.

Well, I got a bit of philosophy into that first paragraph.  I won’t call it half-baked, though, because I have always liked that expression.  Most of my philosophy falls into the half-baked category.  Full disclosure:  I have never read much “real” philosophy.  I’m afraid it would make my head hurt.

In the meantime, my life could have gotten less complicated after today, but I fear it will not.  Again, it will be my own fault.  Today is the murder mystery for the Herkimer County Historical Society, A Trivial Murder.  I still have a prop to make, and I’d better go over my lines again.  And figure out what to wear.  I wonder if I can find my purple hair dye.  My character might have purple hair.  But I digress.  The point is, it will be one thing off my plate.  But I have added one, possibly two more. What the hell, me?

The item I have definitely added will not even get going for another month or two.  A friend is putting together a Mummer performance for the Great American Irish Festival at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds in July.  I have never been to the Irish Festival.  I believe beer is involved.  I have also never been a Mummer.  It is a traditional Irish kind of guerrilla theatre.  I will definitely post more about it later.

The other thing that I can’t quite bring myself to say no to involves writing a few scenes about Roscoe Conkling, owner of one of the famous mansions on Rutger Street in Utica.  Theatre AND writing.  How can I not do it?  But it is coming up soon, and the scenes need to be staged as well, so I am trying to find out how simply we can get away with doing it, and how much help I will have.  We’ll see how it plays out (see what I did there?).

In the meantime, this must count as my Lame Friday Post, typed in Saturday morning over coffee (THANK GOD for coffee!).  I will strive to make today’s post TODAY, before I am off for what I hope will be another theatrical triumph (I feel certain it will be, relying on the awesome talent of my cast mates and the readiness to be entertained of our audience).  Happy Weekend.

 

Look, Everybody: Thursday’s Post ON Thursday!

So what is it with me?  Last night I stared at a blank WordPress Add New Post screen and my whole body said, “No.”  This morning it said nothing: all was blank.  I managed to type something  so, yay, me, I guess (perhaps you read it, if so, thank you and sorry).  Right now I am sitting at a break table in my place of employment and the blank page of my notebook stared at me accusingly, still I started writing in it (this nonsense which I now type into the blank WordPress Add New Post screen; I feel quite self-referential).

My script for Morning’s at Seven (you may remember, the play I’m in at Ilion Little Theatre) is mocking me:  “You’ll never learn these lines!”  Well, I can ignore the script, at least.  My brain has never failed me in that way. Knock wood.  At least, I can’t ignore the script if I am going to learn my lines, but I can ignore the mocking.

I thought I might write about how I got myself into this mess, but the more I think about it, the more I think that it really does not put me in a good light.  Apparently it is possible to reach middle age (if in fact I live to be 110) and still not know how to manage one’s time.  Can an old drama queen learn new tricks?  I hope so.

In the meantime, I have got to stop making these blog posts in which I meander on about how I can’t make a blog post, I have to much to do, etc. etc.  I don’t now how soon I can get to that.  After all, tomorrow is Lame Post Friday, and thank God for that!  However, I am typing in Thursday’s post ON Thursday (at least according to my watch if not my WordPress timestamp), so perhaps I am showing signs of improvement.  As always, thank you for playing.

 

Tardy Tired Tuesday

I knew yesterday morning I would be late for this post, and when I thought of this title, I didn’t mind so much.  Anyways, I mean to make Wednesday’s post today, on Wednesday, by my clock if not by my WordPress timestamp (why does my computer not recognize “WordPress” as a word?  According to the website, it powers a good percentage of the internet) (but I digress).

I had two rehearsals last night so left the house prior to 5 p.m.  I might have been able to type in something, but I felt too flustered.  I left my second rehearsal early, because I was feeling ill so went to bed without getting on the computer at all.  I am still not feeling 100 percent, so we can call this a blogger’s sick day as well.  Tomorrow I have two rehearsals again. Oh dear.

One might be tempted to point out to me that I am too old to burn the candle at both ends.  Well, the joke’s on that know-it-all, because I could NEVER burn the candle at both ends.  Oh, I’ve tried.  I’ve always tried.  There are just so many good things to do sometimes!  Additionally, one must work for a living, overtime if possible, because, you know, money (not that I’m one of those money-grubbing individuals, but sometimes a little extra comes in handy) (but, once again, I digress).

I see I am over 200 words.  As usual (and how embarrassing that it has become SO usual), I apologize for a foolish post.  Undaunted, but feeling a little silly (that is a quote from a friend), I drive on.  Happy Tuesday/Wednesday, everyone!

 

Witless But Deadly

Well, I spent another day NOT writing a blog post while on breaks at work.  In my defense, my light-headed-ness continued.  In my — what? accusation? prosecution?  Somebody get me a thesaurus! — it was not as bad as yesterday.  Well, these things happened, and blog posts must be made.  Why, you may ask.  I say, because they are not there.  See what I did there?  Thus, mildly pleased with myself, I continue with this week’s Witless Wednesday post.

She is cold, yes.

First I throw in a random picture, so this can be a kind of a Wordless Wednesday as well (not that I am every completely wordless).  Here is Bette Davis, committing the murder that begins The Letter (1940).  I thought a picture from a murder movie would be appropriate, because the rehearsal I am about to go to is for a murder mystery.  Unfortunately, the murder in The Letter is no mystery.  At least, not unfortunately for the movie; it’s a great movie.  Unfortunately for the picture being entirely appropriate.  I did mention this is Witless Wednesday, did I not?

Judith Anderson and Vincent Price.

Here is a picture from an authentic murder mystery, Laura (1944).  In my mind, this is the real romantic couple of the picture, never mind Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews.

I don’t imagine it was trivial to the victim.

The murder mystery we are rehearsing is A Trivial Murder, an interactive dinner theatre to be presented March 23 at the Travel Lodge in Little Falls, NY, to benefit Herkimer County Historical Society.  Doors open at 5, dinner starts at 6. Cost is $25 per person.  For more information, contact the historical society at 315-866-6413.

 

Monsters, Can You Help Me Now?

As I walked into work this morning, I came up with a rather depressing description of a Monday through Friday job:  Five days of hell, two days of hangover.  It amused me in a cynical sort of way, although I doubt it is original and I assure you it is not accurate for me at least.  However, it seemed a good enough intro for a Monstrous Monday post.

Monday! Bad!

My job, of course, is not hell.  It has its drawbacks, as any job does, and I increasingly dislike being forced to get up in the morning.  I like to BE up early in the morning; I just don’t like to GET up.  I’m sure you now what I mean.

Where was I going with this?  Ah yes, Monstrous Monday.

“Was somebody looking for a monster?”

I have a bear of a week ahead of me, with rehearsals, writing, and a hundred issues and details to be dealt with.  It is my own fault, of course. So are hangovers, but in neither case does that make it any better.  Full disclosure:  I don’t often get hangovers, but when I do, they SUCK!

For the future, I can resolve to drink less, no matter how yummy it is.  However, can a similar resolution help me with my overloaded theatre schedule?  Just say no, you may advise.  Many people have no problem whatsoever with this (hence, our common community theatre casting woes).  What, I ask, is my problem?  Is it my eagerness to be loved?  My love of theatre?  The undeniable thrill I get from being onstage?  Or — and I think I may have something here — is it all the times in my misguided youth when I auditioned, auditioned, auditioned and almost never got cast?

Speaking of eagerness to be loved.

Now I fear I am straying into psychological territory way above my pay grade.  If I am trying to resolve issues from my youth, I am way more pathetic that I like to think I am.  Let’s end this analysis right here.  For one reason, I have lines to study.

 

Post Rehearsal Post

I thought for a change I would do a Post Rehearsal Post. I know, I almost always have a Lame Post Friday, but for one reason, I have had a number of lame posts lately.  For another, I would like to begin plugging A Trivial Murder, the interactive dinner theatre we are putting on to benefit Herkimer County Historical Society.  Regular readers might remember that mystery was originally scheduled for last October but was postponed.  It has been rescheduled for March 23, and we are in rehearsal mode.

Full disclosure: there was actual wine in those glasses.

The mystery begins with a toast to Jack German, the previous host of Who Knows Herkimer History? He died under mysterious circumstances.  Somebody claims to know something about those circumstances. Will he or she meet with an untimely end?

 

One taking notes, one grief-stricken, one blase. Which is sincere?

 

The plot thickens!  Of course, I cannot tell you much about the actual plot, since I am hoping to entice local readers to attend the murder mystery.  I think it is going to be highly entertain, but perhaps I flatter myself.

Accusations fly!

A Trivial Murder is scheduled for Saturday, March 23, at Little Falls Travel Lodge, doors open at 5 p.m.  Tickets are $25 for dinner and the show.  For more information, contact Herkimer County Historical Society at 315-866-6413.