Tag Archives: theatre

What Is It With Me and Theatre?

Posted on June 7, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yes, it is Lame Post Friday again, the day of random observations and half-baked philosophy.  The day where I get silly for about 200 words then dive into the weekend.  Once again, I look to my Media Library for inspiration.

This is NOT what my hair looks like now.

This is me as seen on stage in Prescription: Murder at Ilion Little Theatre.  Actually the last view of me on stage was my awesome slipper sticking out from behind the couch after my husband had strangled me, the bastard.

Me dead. You would think the murderer would have looked happier; I was pretty annoying.

However, I did not want this to be another theatre throwback (not that there’s anything wrong with that), so I will look for a different sort of picture.

I should cook more recipes.

I just found my copy of this cookbook underneath my coffee table.  I do not know how it got there.  It is the cookbook put out by Herkimer County Historical Society, and the inspiration for my murder mystery, Recipe for Murder Royale.   Oops, I am back to talking about theatre.

Love the mustache.

You may think I am getting away from theatre with a shot (literally) at the Elks Club in Herkimer, BUT…  to begin with, many of my murder mysteries have been performed there; this was a shot of Frangelico in a Frangelico glass, the inspiration for one of my all-time favorite character names, Frangelica Inferno; AND the shot glass reminds me of a glass that was a present from  cast of a stage play I directed that later figured in a murder mystery for Herkimer County Historical Society.

So I have walked down Theatre Memory Lame and plugged Herkimer Elks and Historical Society.  I think I’ve earned my Happy Hour beverage.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, Lame Post Friday, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Happy Blogiversary to Me

Posted on May 23, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Under the heading Shows How Much I Pay Attention, WordPress just wished me a Happy Anniversary (or did they mean Blogiversary?).  I did not even remember that was coming up.  I have been blogging since 2011.  Fourteen years (took me a minute to do the math).  Full disclosure:  my lightheadedness continues, so I am not up to doing much of a blog post anyways.  I think a Throwback Thursday will just about fit the bill.

Look how cute he is (was).

From May 2011 to October 2016, my blog was unillustrated, because I did not know how to add pictures (what, unillustrated is not a word?  I’ll be damned).  One of the first posts I did with pictures featured my dear, since departed, husband Steve at Pumpkin Junction in Sauquoit, NY.

A creepy shot from one of my favorite movies.

Once I learned how to add pictures I took, I soon learned how to download pictures from the internet, so I was able to indulge my love of movie monsters.

Yes, I am a drama queen.

And I was able to use my blog to tout my community theatre endeavors in Little Falls, Ilion, and Herkimer.

This was a great evening!

 

I also like to plug local businesses as well as the music and art scene.  The above picture is Oscar Stivalo and friends playing jazz music at the Renaissance Pub in Little Falls.  The Ren was hosting an exhibit of Stivalo’s paintings, and this was the opening.

And so my blog continues.  There are some new businesses in the area I need to check out and write about, as well as some favorites I want to revisit. As always, I thank you for staying tuned.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Throwback Thursday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

More Murder on the Menu

Posted on April 29, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here are a few of the “action” shots I took during the mingling portion of Recipe for Murder Royale at Salisbury Grange Sunday afternoon.  We are to present the show again this Saturday, May 3, at Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society, so this is also in the nature of a Preview of Coming Attractions.

I was supposed to be walking around mingling with the crowd myself, but since my character was an organizer of the event, I thought it was natural for me to take a couple of pictures.

These two are married in real life.

Our French chef and our backwoods boy were both popular characters. I thought it was delightful that BillyBob Bodine wore a bow-tie for the occasion.

It was a spontaneous smile.

In another in-character move, I asked my assistant to place the ballots on the tables.  This was where people would write their guesses as to who the murderer was.  Of course, I didn’t know there was going to be a murder (wink, wink), so I said Albert Graves (unaccountably absent) had said to put out the papers; I didn’t know why.

I dare share it again!

The last I knew tickets were still available, in case any of my local readers is interested.  I personally am looking forward to the dinner.  Italian Chicken Soup made with real Italians, who could resist?

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Community Events, community theatre, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

One Dead, One to Go!

Posted on April 28, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Our performance of Recipe for Murder Royale at Salisbury Grange went very well.  They seemed not to notice where we messed up.  Um, I mean, we didn’t mess up!  That is the thrill of live performance.

The unusual suspects.

One of the Grange people took a cast picture after it was all over.  What a great group of people this was to work with!  I must say I have been very fortunate in my murder mystery casts.  I get the nicest, most talented people.  Like the song says, there’s no people like show people!

Big smiles now that it was over!

I guess I don’t have a whole lot more to say than it went great!  Here we are in our costumes!  How dull of me.  I feel certain my readers will forgive me (especially since I refrained from calling them Shirley for once).

Only missing me and the Queen.

I did try to surreptitiously take a few action shots while we were mingling with the audience before the scripted part of the performance.  I may use them for another blog post. I will decide that subsequently.

One more to go!

We will perform the show again this Saturday at Herkimer Elks Lodge to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I’m sure it will be very fun.  Tickets are still available, in case any local readers are interested!

 

2 Comments

Posted in Community Events, community theatre, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

After All, I’ve Killed Before

Posted on April 27, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was hoping to make a quick blog post before getting ready for our performance of Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery we are presenting to benefit Salisbury Grange.  We have not rehearsed at the Grange, but I feel that is the least of my worries.  Did I say I was worried?  Say it ain’t so!  But I think many performers get butterflies of one sort of another.

This is us!

My butterflies are often regarding the pesky details moreso than the performance itself (moreso isn’t a word?  Who knew) (oh I just checked:  it is a nonstandard spelling).  Much like the butterflies I get before a road race:  I am more concerned with finding a parking space and getting to the starting line on time than the actual running.  It is not a perfect parallel, however.  I harbor a few qualms about the performance.  After all, running is a fairly straightforward proposition.  In theatre, you have lines to remember and other actors to deal with.

Well that little sidetrack took my mind off my troubles for a few minutes.

What I have to worry about this morning is getting ready, making sure I have something to eat (not easy since I have not been grocery shopping), getting to the Grange (I’ve driven there before, but regular readers know my propensity for getting lost).  Getting ready is the main thing.  What, oh what am I going to do with my hair?  I was growing it out for Prescription: Murder, and that worked out fairly well, with the help of the wonderful woman who volunteered to do hair and make-up.

I will NOT be able to do this myself!

Well, I will wash it and perhaps blow it dry and see what I can do. Time to look over my lines again, take my shower, get something to eat (not all at once, but no promises about that given my dithery state of mind).  I’m sure I’ll break a leg.  If I forget all my lines, my castmates may break it for me!

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Community Events, community theatre, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

I Would Kill for a Good Meal

Posted on April 24, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I failed to take any pictures of last night’s rehearsal for Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery we are presenting Sunday to benefit Salisbury Grange then again May 3 to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  However, I have some fun information to impart.

Mmmm… Hats and Broccoli

Of course I am looking forward to the lunch at the Grange on Sunday, but I have to really hand it to the chef catering at the Elks next Saturday.

A nice appetizing little murder.

The poster does not include the menu, but I saw a copy and wrote it down.  Diners will enjoy Italian Chicken Stew made with real Italians, and Roasted Cauliflower or is it brains?  Main dishes include Baked Chicken (sure… we’ll call it chicken)  and Balsamic Pork (wink, wink).  And watch out for the Sauteed Peas and Pearl Onions; those are definitely not eyeballs!  Dinner will conclude with some desserts to die for.

How fun is that?  I should be so creative!

Here’s an actress to die for!

Here is a shot of one of my actors at the Grange in April 2023, when we did Shooting at the Grange.  She will look different this time out; in fact, she will put the Royal in Recipe for Murder Royale.  I will definitely try to get pictures!

 

1 Comment

Posted in Community Events, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Once Again, Technology Eludes Me

Posted on April 18, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Can I manage a Throwback Thursday Post today?  Full Disclosure:  I was at the Herkimer Elks Lodge and had a few glasses of wine.  In my defense, I had to go and answer a few questions about Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery we are presenting there to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I know, I only could have answered the questions and gone home.  I chose the more fun option.

Oh swell.  I can’t figure out how to get the flier of the murder mystery onto my blog post.  I suppose it is not very surprising  considering my full disclosure.

Here it is!

It is now Friday morning, so I call this a late post and do not despair of making a Lame Post Friday post later today.  I still haven’t figured out how to get a picture from Facebook to my blog on my Chromebook, but I can do it on my phone.  I didn’t think of doing that last night, silly me!

And while I was at it…

I also managed to share the flier from the show at Salisbury Grange, a week earlier.  That makes this NOT a Throwback Thursday post.  Oh dear.  Should I edit the first paragraph or continue in my stream of consciousness way?

This was a fun one!

One throwback, to the original production of Donate to Murder, presented at Herkimer Elks in 2019 (we presented it again a couple years later).  I’m in the feather hat on the left, then Tucker Lester in the Steam Punk goggles, my late dearly missed husband Steve, and Laura Powers.  I would love to work with both Tucker and Laura again, but they are very busy these days, alas!

I see I approach 300 words, which is pretty good for a late post.  I think I”ll bill this as a Non-Sequitur Thursday and drive on.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal, Throwback Thursday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

At Last! A Post-Rehearsal Post!

Posted on April 17, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had another rehearsal for Recipe for Murder Royale, the murder mystery we are doing to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society, tonight and remembered to take a few pictures!  They weren’t the best pictures, but one does what one can.

We rehearsed at Herkimer Elks Lodge.

The setting of the mystery is that we are a group of people putting together a new recipe book, a royal recipe book, with all the recipes tested by royalty.  Our money man is missing.  We do hope nothing has happened to him.

None of us know our lines yet.

We are putting on the murder mystery twice, once at the Elks to benefit the Historical Society, and once at Salisbury Grange to benefit them.  We rehearsed at the Elks because it is closer for all of us.

You can’t tell in this picture, but it is a dramatic moment.

Rehearsals are going pretty well. I think I have a great group of actors this time.  I almost always do.  There is a lot of talent in the Mohawk Valley!

This was actually the first picture I took.

I guess I don’t have too much to say so far.  Can we call this a Wuss-out Wednesday? I fear I am a little tired after my rehearsal.  As usual, I will try for a better blog post tomorrow.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, post rehearsal post, Wuss Out Wednesday and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

The Queen of Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Posted on April 7, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh am I tired!  Today was the last performance of Prescription: Murder, the play I was in at Ilion Little Theatre.  I just got home from the cast party.  They were still partying when I left, but I am old, as you may have noticed.  Now I am sitting at my house, looking at Dateline, although I think I would rather put in a DVD of Columbo.  Regular readers may remember that Prescription: Murder is the play that eventually became the first episode of Columbo.  They changed the ending for the TV version, I think for the better, but nobody asked me.

The “real” Columbo.

I put real in quotation marks in the caption, because I feel our Columbo was the real thing as well. Really, everybody in our cast was wonderful; it was an outstanding production.  I have a few new pictures of it, which I will use to make a real post about the play tomorrow.  For today I am too tired.  Also, the pictures are on my phone, which is in one of my bags, which are in a heap by the door.  I am lounged on the couch, typing into my Chromebook and I am far too lazy to move.

Just for the record, I have been ridiculously lazy during this whole production.  Oh, I put plenty of energy into my performance, but backstage was another story.  I sent anybody handy to get me coffee.  Then I would instruct other people where I would be when the person fetching my coffee showed up.  I asked people to hand me things.  I asked people to bring me things.  I declared myself the Queen of the Cast.  They were nice enough to let me get away with it.

Now I declare myself Queen of This Blog Post.  It is at least 300 words.  I call that respectable for a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  As usual I will try for something better tomorrow.  Also as usual, I hope you will stay tuned.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Wrist to Forehead Sunday and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

In Haste and In Need of a Second Wind

Posted on April 6, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh dear, this is terrible.  I have about 45 minutes before I have to leave for the theatre and I am SO TIRED!!!  Never mind why; explanations are tiresome.  For anybody just tuning in, the theatre is Ilion Little Theatre for the play I am in, Prescription: Murder.  Everybody tells me I am doing a splendid job (although I don’t think anyone has actually used the word “splendid”), and I have no reason to believe they are insincere.

Me in the play, before I am dead.

I do not have any new pictures of the play to share, unfortunately, so I share this one again.  What a hair-do!  I tried to preserve it overnight by wrapping a scarf around my head and trying not to toss and turn too much.  I had little success, then the mop got rained on this afternoon.  It was, as they say, a good day for ducks.  It was actually a good day to stay home, but I did not, alas.

Columbo plays his game of cat and mouse.

It may be obvious by now that I got nuthin’.  Yes, I am brain dead but most somehow catch a second wind by 7:30 when the curtain opens.  I will try to take some more backstage pictures for your entertainment tomorrow, on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  Then I must navigate my way through Post-Play Letdown while putting together the murder mystery Recipe for Murder Royale (preview of coming attractions).  As always, I hope you will stay tuned.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in community theatre, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →