Thank my atheist-self that I didn't grow up in a right-wing, conservative Republican "my-way-or-the-highway and the rest of you are going-to-hell" family.

Cool -- niether did I, thanks to my Christian parents!    Hey, nobody's ever said a word against DS at my church and I never hear anything but encouragement when I go to the Fests each year!    Woohoo!!

So true, Mary. Around 1971 when DS was cancelled, "The Edge Of Night" had a storyline about a house that was supposedly haunted (blood on the walls, ghosts, a terrified woman named Martha, a deranged houseguest named Cookie) - but it was less a supernatural occurance than an escaped convict hiding out in the basement, hoping to scare the residents out of the home where his stolen drugs were hidden. I was always waiting for more "Dark Shadows" alumni to show up on "Edge." Michael Stroka (Aristede) played a character named Quentin, which I thought was cool.

Yes!!  That's the storyline that got me into Edge of Night!  Thanks for refreshing my memory, Sandor!  A friend told me people were hiding in Martha's basement trying to make her think her house was haunted and she said it was kind of like DS, so I started watching and got hooked!  Though there weren't really any ghosts, it was still a cool story!  LOL!  And such a great show!  Yep, I remember Mike Stroka being on it.  Wow -- didn't realize so many DS actors were on the show!  Thanks for the list, Penthea!  All I knew about were Joel Crothers, Mike Stroka, and, wait, Robert Gerringer was on too -- hey, two Dave Woodards on EON!  Wow!  LOL!

Well, this is quite a relief to have this all clarified and learn that the 2006 Fest may not indeed be the last one!  Whew!!!!!  Thank you, Midnite!!!

Jimbo, thank you for your theory about the dealers room.  Yes, that would be very cool if they'd have the new DS busts this year!

Well, goodness, if DCP decides they don't want to have any more Fests, I don't see any reason why some other group can't have their own get-together and invite the DS actors, just like the Big Apple Con did and just like the Halloween Parties used to do.  There are a lot of actors out there besides the DS ones who go to a lot of different conventions throughout the year and sign autographs, many of whom are at least age 65, so I wouldn't think aging would be a factor as long as they enjoy it.  Plus many of them are doing a lot more than signing autographs -- they're writing and publishing books, cds, and other merchandise so it's given them a second career that they don't seem ready to retire from yet.  I'm also not sure I can really imagine DCP and Jim Pierson deciding to completely do away with any future get-together whatsoever.  There are so many fans who come each year and plus I'd think they'd want to keep up the fan interest to try to syndicate the reruns, keep selling the DVDs and other merchandise, and to try to come up with a new DS.  I just can't see that they'd be willing to let it die.  (Or am I being naive?  LOL!)  What does everyone think?

all three actresses confirmed that the 2006 fest will be the last.we've heard that before but somehow i believed them.none of the participants is getting any younger and in terms of merchandising diana suggested that they were "beating a dead horse".

Thank you for the report, mscbryk.  I'm totally devastated to learn that the 2006 Fest will be the last one.  Going to the Fest is always the highlight of my year.  I always make a big touristy vacation out of it and I've made so many friends over the years at the Fests and I always look forward to seeing them again each year.  Did they say anything about having some sort of other annual event instead of a Fest?  Does anyone else know if they would do that, like the "weekend" last year or a day trip to Tarrytown or somewhere?  I need one of Julia's sedatives at this point.  Moan.   

Jane Krakowski was indeed the blonde secretary on Ally McBeal.  I think she'd make a great Carolyn, actually.  Or especially a great Pansy Faye singing "I wanna dance for you" -- LOL!  Jane Kaczmarek would make a hilarious new direction to take Julia in, IMHO -- she wouldn't give Barnabas any choice in having a relationship with her -- "Barnabas, put that music box down right now and get over here and bite me right this minute!"  LOL!

I told her with all the seriousness that I could muster that I couldn't marry her because vampires didn't have wee wees.

ROTFL!!

Oh how cute!  Thanks for posting that link, jimbo!  When I was a kid I didn't make up my own plays, but we used to play DS at all our Girl Scout meetings when I was in the 5th grade and take turns being Barnabas -- LOL!