SHADOWGRAM
The Official Dark Shadows News Updates Yahoo Group
Marcy Robin's Cyberspace "Dark Shadows" News Updates

An Official Internet Publication of SHADOWGRAM - The Official "Dark Shadows" Published Newsletters

http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/ShadowGram/
ShadowGram@aol.com

---

Number 212. February 24, 2010.

---

Hello, Dark Shadows Fan,

ShadowGram (SG), The Official Newsletter & News Source for Dark Shadows (DS), announces the following breaking news in this Online News Update "bulletin."

---- UPCOMING ONSTAGE PERFORMANCES BY DS ACTORS:

MARIE WALLACE – MARCH 1-14
MARSHA MASON – MARCH 23 – MAY 1
DONNA McKECHNIE – APRIL 9/10
DAVID SELBY – MAY 9-10
JERRY LACY & His Wife, Actress JULIA DUFFY – MAY 13

NOTE: Fans attending any of these performances are invited and encouraged to please send their photos, reports, program books, local publicity, media articles and reviews, and similar material to SG's postal- or e- mail addresses at the end of this Update.

In this way, fans who cannot attend can share the event through your experience. A complementary Contributor's Copy of the published ShadowGram print issue – The Official Dark Shadows Newsletter & News Source – is given for major contributions of information. Thank you!

**** MARIE WALLACE IN "WHERE'S SHEILA?"

SG Online Update #211 shared news from Marie (Eve, Mad Jenny, Megan Todd) that she appears as "Lois" in the new play "Where's Sheila?"

Performances are Mar. 1-14 at the TADA Theatre, 15 W. 28th St, 2nd Floor. NYC 10001 – located between Broadway and 5th Ave. Shows are Thurs. and Sat. evenings plus Sun. afternoons. Tickets are $18 adults, $12 student/seniors.

For information or tickets: (800) 838-3006 or www.eatheatre.org or www.emergingartiststheatre.org.

The play is part of the Spring EATFest event for the Emerging Artists Theater (EAT). Marie has worked with the group for quite some time and starred in their play "The Chiselers" a year ago. Publicity: "EAT provides a dynamic home for playwrights and artists to develop their work from an idea to fully realized production."

**** MARSHA MASON IN "I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER"

Marsha (Vampire Girl Audrey) stars in "I Never Sang for My Father," a classic drama about a man trying to come to terms with himself, his aging parents, and his lifelong relationship with his father.

Previews begin 3-23 and the play opens 4-4, running to 5-1. The production is staged off-Broadway at the 99-seat Clurman Theatre is at 410 W. 42nd St., NYC 10036. 212-279-4200.

**** DONNA McKECHNIE IN HER ONE-WOMAN SHOW

Donna (Olivia Corey, Amanda Harris) will perform her 1-woman show as part of "The Broadway Series," a new dinner theater series of programs "dedicated to the memory of the Broadway veteran Thommie Walsh." (Publicity)

On 4-9/10, she will present her show "about life onstage and off" at the Springside Inn in Auburn, NY. The $85 ticket price includes a full dinner (choice of entree), dessert, tax, tip and performance. There is a pre-performance reception before dinner is served.

The Springside Inn is located at 6141 W. Lake Rd., Auburn, NY 13021. (315) 252-7247. Auburn is southwest of Syracuse "at the north end of Owasco Lake."
http://www.springsideinn.com/broadwayshows.html

**** DAVID SELBY IN STORY-TELLING PROGRAM

David (Quentin) will appear in the closing show of the season at the "Speaking of Stories" program series.

David's wife Chip just told SG he will be in Santa Barbara, CA, May 9-10. Publicity: This "Celebration of Stories" is a "cornucopia of great stories by great authors," and features "the SoS debut of film and stage veteran David Selby, the return of Pamela and Bradford Dillman as well as a special appearance by T.C. Boyle, reading from his newest book."
Chip explains David is 1 of "4 actors performing, each reading a short story. We have been to this ourselves, and it is very well done."

The location is Center Stage Theater, 751 Paseo Nuevo, Santa Barbara CA 93101.

Purchase tickets at the Box Office (805) 963-0408. Website: centerstagetheater.org For information: 805) 966-3875 or visit: info@speakingofstories.org

**** JERRY LACY & WIFE JULIA DUFFY IN "LOVE LETTERS" BENEFIT

Jerry (Tony Peterson, Rev. Trask, Lamar Trask, Gregory Trask) tells SG "Julie and I will be doing a reading of the play `Love Letters' in Pensacola, FL as a fundraiser for a new theatre there."

The 1-night-only benefit on 5-13 is for the new Shakespeare Theatre and includes a catered dinner and the performance.

Theatre announcement: "Our first fundraiser...is going to be quite exciting. We're `bringing Hollywood to Pensacola' by having 7-time Emmy Award nominee Julia Duffy, star of NEWHART and DESIGNING WOMEN, and her husband Jerry Lacy, from DARK SHADOWS, LOVE OF LIFE, and PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM (Broadway and film) to perform LOVE LETTERS." The play is "A.R. Gurney's wry and poignant story of a fifty-year relationship told through their correspondence."

The event is at the "beautiful new" Sanders Beach – Corinne Jones Community Center, 913 South St., Pensacola, FL 32591.

For more information or to purchase tickets: 850.439.2289. info@pensacolashakespeare.org

**** Again, SG welcomes fans to share these special performances with SG readers through your photos, reports, media coverage, program books, etc. Occasions such as these let you support the DS people throughout their careers and in a variety of roles and preodctions, each showcasing the range of their their talents.

Please also send - at any time – any mentions you may find about the DS personnel and their projects, the new DS film, DS merchandise, or other DS-related news/references. Please send these to the SG addresses below.

You will be named as a Contributor in upcoming print issues. You also may receive a complimentary Contributor's Copy for major donations of information, funds, postage stamps, supplies, publicity, assistance, etc.

--- The next print issue newsletter, SG #117, is underway and will expand on the above news items and much more, plus remember the DS acting and production people we recently have lost. The issue, subsequent SGs, and future SG Online Updates also will cover all the latest DS-related news, including official developments for the "Shadows in the Sun" convention in Burbank (Los Angeles) July 16-18. For more about the Fest, please see recent SG Updates – Update #208 – and prior posts to the SG YahooGroup.

**** Subscription information for the ShadowGram Newsletter print issues follows. When your order arrives, I will mail you the current SG #115-#116 Double Issue newsletter to begin / renew your subscription. SG #117 and subsequent issues will be sent to you and all postal-mail subscribers as they are published.

**** This Update is posted to the ShadowGram YahooGroup and dispersed by interested fans to various lists, boards, websites, groups, in personal emails, and other online/print communications.

You can join the actual SG YahooGroup easily at no cost by going to: http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/ShadowGram/

You can read past SG Updates once you're a member of the group by clicking on the "Messages" tab.

If you'd like more information on how to become a SG YahooGroup member, or an invitation to join the group, please e-mail Marcy Robin at shadowgram1@yahoo.com

Thank you.

Marcy Robin
ShadowGram Editor / Publisher
P.O. Box 1766
Temple City, CA 91780-7766

Official ShadowGram Website: www.ShadowGram.com

In the redo at the beginning, Paul left a messy pile of papers on the top of the desk for Megan to find, which he didn't do the last time.

The heavy breathing was bad enough, but it grunts and stinks too.  Ick.

Megan has some sleeping pills.  I forget this was the 60’s/70’s when one could virtually go to the drug store and get anything.

Since her ward just passed away, Megan probably would have had no problem finding a Collinsport doctor to prescribe them.  But who carries sleeping pills in their purse-- the kind that knock you out with one dose, anyway?

So the Leviathan is invisible?

I *think* they just didn't know how to show any part of the creature, so they simulated its descent down the stairs.

Paul picks up chair... he should use it legs first as a lion tamer would.

LOL  What happened to the gun that Paul hid in his robe at Collinwood?  Since he left the house knowing he would head to the antique shop, you'd think he would have brought it with him.

What was the beginning of Julia's conversation with Barnabas today?  I don't think we saw it.  The last time we saw her with him, if I remember correctly, she all but accused him of planning to kill Amy.  And now she sees he's different.

In the part we did see, Julia was being confrontational with him.  When she said Barnabas was different now than in the past, she wasn't referring to his recent change back to good guy; she was talking about the difference in him after he returned via the I-Ching.  That's why she told him that he used to have feelings and care for the people at Collinwood.  He has not yet let her in on what we already know-- that he has concern for his peeps again.
　

The monster apparently obeyed Barnabas in letting him take Paul out of the room, an indication that at this point Barnabas does have authority over it.  I could make a case that it gave Paul up because it had realized it couldn't kill him, and then went down to the basement because it just couldn't stay away, but I'm not sure I would believe myself.

I believe the creature wanted very much to terrorize and kill Paul.  And that it doesn't care about rules, what the book says, or that Paul is important.

It should have paid attention to that last one most of all because what it's about to do could prove very problematic for itself down the road.

Camila Ashland played the alcoholic Mrs. Hutchins in Leviathans (and other roles).  "I'm not well!," tee hee.

The opening scene was identical to the last scene of #928 (same director, too), so I don't know why they bothered to reshoot it, although I thought the 2nd time turned out better because the performances were toned down.

What will Julia think when she finds out that the Todds accepted Carolyn's dinner invitation even though Philip was very clear in his instructions to her the day before that Carolyn and the others at Collinwood were NOT to phone or contact them in any way?

Philip to Megan:  "We're gonna need a bigger bolt."
Okay, he never said that because I made it up.  What he really said was, "I'll put a heavy bolt on the door," but I like mine better.

Paul to Carolyn:  "You know that doctor they got for me?-- he's a clever one. He's been putting the medicine in my food."
Paranoid much?

In the previous ep, Megan realized that Professor Stokes might be dangerous because she could "almost sense those things about the Others."  In this one, she picked up that Barnabas was somehow different, asking if he was feeling well but looking dissatisfied with his answer.  Megan has a super power!

It seemed pointless to have Paul find the gun that had been stashed in the drawing room when they could just as well have had him arm himself when he searched the desk in the antique shop.  But the writers probably forgot that Megan kept a loaded gun in there, and I only managed to remember it because I'm scary that way.  Just don't ask me what I ate for breakfast because I probably forgot.

the whole world stands to be overrun with Leviathan Snake People!   Ugh….I hate snakes.

Oh me too.  But while I would call the Leviathans a snake cult, I don't think of them taking on the form of snakes.  For me, their worship of snakes is part religion, part symbolism, the latter explained by Adlar a while back when he said that the Leviathans were forced to wait "silent as the serpent, swift as the snake" for their chance to come into power, and also because the snake, as Lydia alluded to, is a symbol that represents rebirth (much like the Death card in a Tarot deck).  As to what forms they do take, Adlar's description that they were demons, fiends and creatures of the night is not pleasant to contemplate.

Phillip yells, "Get back to your room!" and I imagined his following that with more stern warnings, like... And stay dead, young man!  ... and... Don't make me come up there and kill you!

Good one Barnabas, just stand there staring through the Drawing Room doors at Paul Stoddard as he's trying to sneak out unnoticed...

<snicker!>
Liz:  "Barnabas, who is in the foyer?"
Barnabas:  "No one. I was just looking at the time."
Yes, the time on the foyer clock, bounced off an orbiting satellite and into his view.

Magnus said that Michael's terror was due to having to experience something resembling a real death, and MB suggested that Michael was showing his fear of taking the next step in his evolution, and I have yet a third interpretation (it's all good!) of Michael's intense reaction when he learned that he had to stop being Michael-- that he panicked at the thought of not being able to spend the time leading up to his next transformation in human form-- interacting with people, seeing Carolyn, being bratty and throwing his weight around-- and of having to endure the loneliness of the boarded-up room.

Wasn't Michael Maitland scheduled to appear at an East Coast Fest-- in 1995, I think-- but he didn't show up?

(Should Vanessa Paradis be worried?)

Kaplan/Welles again.  But I give it an F for continuity.  The scene was reshot with Julia in a plaid coat instead of the dark suit she had on before, and her scarf is very different.  Philip wears a different shirt and is now in a tie; he's not sporting a bruise anymore, but he IS wearing a crapload of makeup.  Megan lost her chain belt.

Hey, the back wall of Professor Stokes' cottage isn't from the Seaview House anymore.  He admired Megan's locket even though it was turned around and he could only see the back of it... You'd think someone would have signaled her to fix it.  BTW, the yellow sofa in Mrs. Hutchins' house was from the caretaker's cottage when 1897 Laura lived there.

The Leviathan gang sure didn't waste any time. Michael's funeral was staged on the afternoon of the same day that his death was staged.  I suppose the story was that it was easier on Megan to get it over with, but it still must have looked strange.

I suspect that Grayson misspoke when her character told Stokes that Michael had died that same day.  (Logically, it's almost illogical. )  It was 4 p.m. when Maggie dropped by the antique shop-- she commented that it was late, and Michael died soon after, yet Stokes mentioned that the funeral took place in the morning.  And Mrs. Hutchins said she received the tragic news "yesterday."

Mrs. Hutchins:  "Manners. That's what I always taught Michael-- manners."
Yep, she's obviously lying.

The antique shop has as many customers as the Blue Whale.

I loved the ending too, Lydia!

Cool!