Reporting from Tarrytown

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts about the Fest....I couldn't make it this year, but I am damned determined to make it next time, if I can afford it. It would be so great to meet some of my fellow DS cousins!!!

Big hugs,

Heather

I thought I took so many photos while I was there but now they are downloaded it appear I don't have as many as I thought.  Here are a few from Lyndhurst

On the several cruises/crossings I've been on, I've seen scores of celebrities, from actors/actresses to authors to politicians.  From my experiences, it's rather remarkable how other passengers leave them alone when they're "off duty" - many will give lectures and presentations, and have a time set aside for autographs, but beyond that, I've never seen anyone bother them on the "confinement" of a passenger ship.

That's a remarkable experience.  In all the years I've been at fests I have yet to see a single actor eating in the restaurant or walking in the hall who was not accosted by a couple of fans.  I had to physically block one woman from following Jonathan Frid into the men's bathroom not once but several times.  When he has stayed at hotels off-site of a performance, fans have walked through the halls and hunkered down in the restaurant/bar/lounge just waiting to see if he will go in there.  I could write a book on such experiences.   When he was on the Norweigan Cruise some years ago, he had a few issues with fans not leaving him alone.  Obviously he won't be on any future cruise but I am sure he is not the only DS actor who has a problem being left alone when "off duty." 

I wonder, Nancy, if DS fans are just a different lot.  Like I said, on every cruise/crossing I've been on, celebrities were left alone to the point of craving human contact.  I've seen them sitting by themselves in lounges and bars, forlorn looks on their faces, at times trying to make eye-contact and give an inviting smile to anyone they maybe thought would join them.  On one transatlantic crossing on the QM2, there was a noted maritime/nautical historian and author who published over 60 books.  He gave lectures and had several autograph sessions (which I attended, both, faithfully and got his autograph on several of his books that I owned and had with me).  The planetarium/lecture hall was packed with standing room only, and there was always a line weaving through the immense library and out the door.  But when he was no longer lecturing or signing, everyone stayed away.  When I and my friend went into one of the bars for a pre-dinner drink, there he was, sitting at a table, by himself.  He called out our names and insisted we join him.  After that, we all became fast friends and he finally had someone to have meals with and to invite to his stateroom. 

But then, of all the celebrities I saw none of them were DS who just might draw a more, shall we say, "unique" fan base.

Gerard

I have seen a few "fans" overstep boundaries at the fest.  Just this past weekend I noticed a few hovering over Lara as she checked in with camera ready and paper to sign.  I saw KLS being followed into the ladies room and the women following her had a camera which is very rude.  Not the place to take a photo.  In years past I have seen people follow them to their rooms, bathrooms and into restaurants ( uninvited).  In your case Gerard I think the person on  your cruise just recognized that you were not one of those types of fans and felt comfortable and safe inviting your to join him.  Several years back I was in my hotel room when I heard a knock on my door.  I opened it and a fan said he was knocking on all the door on my floor because he heard a cast member was on that floor.  I called security after I closed the door.

It's so sad that some fans extend their devotion into the root word of fan and fandom - fanatic.  They become so obsessed that they don't care about being rude, obnoxious and even dangerous.  Although I have no statistics to bear it out, but I would think that those who enjoy the genre from which DS sprang (and those in the same ballpark, such as Star Trek) can have a tendency of being well over the top in their "devotion" to the point of being bores.  I give kudos to all the DS celebrities who have had to put up with type of behavior time and again for decades, but still avail themselves to their fans.

The one good thing about doing a DS-themed cruise is that the problem can be easily nipped in the bud.  Warning can be given that anyone who harasses the stars (or anyone else) will be confined to their quarters until the ship reaches the next port where they will be summarily deposited, with bag and baggage, on the pier and told that they have to find their way home at their own expense.  Cruise lines do it all the time with boorish passengers and it's perfectly legal and beyond litigation; I've seen it done.  It works like a charm.  After just one incident of dumping an annoying passenger who now either angrily or with supplication asks how he/she is suppose to get home, especially from some foreign port, when his/her credit card is already almost maxed out (quite often from his/her on-ship bar-bill) and is left there in rage or tears as the ship sails away, I can tell you, it never happens again.  So, should some DS "fan" get too "up-close-and-personal" with any star, he/she can enjoy Martinique longer than Josette did.

Gerard

one thing that struck me at last year's fest was how approachable...and readily available...most of the DS stars were.


when i arrived friday evening(granted, probably not the most populated time)david selby...david selby...his wife and an assistant were sitting alone at a table selling david's books. i got his autograph instantly. for a large part of the weekend it was a similar story with most of the actors. there were some peak times but david, kathryn, marie, christopher pennock, and most of others were pretty accessible. only lara parker was inundated for most of the time.

speaking of lara and kathryn what were their new offerings this year? or the new offerings in general? anything worth hunting down?

I was in and out of the tent so much I missed a lot of what was new.  The only thing I watched in it's entirety was the video by Spencer Productions which started at noon.  The house tours closed at 4:00 and I did that right after.  The only person I got an autograph from was Jerry Lacy because 100% goes to animal charity!! Yah Jerry!  His line was very short at the time so I asked for a photo and sadly it did not turn out.  He was very nice.  My biggest thrill was at the banquet.  I had worn a hair fascinator made of flowers, feathers and beads that a friend made.  It was quite lovely and as Nancy Barrett left she leaned over to me and told me how much she liked it. 

i guess roger davis wasn't there selling pictures of himself with his ex-wife jaclyn smith like he was last year...


always in the height of good taste.

No .  Does he really do that?  Well, she is a lovely women.

david selby...david selby...his wife and an assistant were sitting alone at a table selling david's books.

That's because everyone was waiting in line to purchase a Bobbi Ann Woronko t-shirt, the "must-have" garment of the season.

I kind of liked that t-shirt with the nurse photo but all she had was extra large.

Some further impressions after returning home ...

I was thinking about Lara Parker's comments during her appearance on Saturday in the "big tent," and she referred to "Dark Shadows" as "our little show," in comparing it with the big, expensive, explosive Burton-Depp collaboration. She indicated that the new movie deviated greatly from the vision and tone of the original series. She was careful not to push that point into negativity, but one sensed a wistful disappointment from her. Her observation was that "our little show" would outlast (and probably has already outlasted) the blockbuster movie.

At Lyndhurst, I was surveying some of the books behind locked glass doors in the tall bookcases in the library, and one ancient tome caught my eye, a red clothbound volume with gold lettering, I think it was, on the spine, that said "Linton's Witch Stories." A quick search this evening yielded only a little information, but the book was published in 1861, the author was Mrs. Eliza Lynn Linton, and the book concerns 17th century witch trials, though whether in America or England I don't know. She was a British author.

After checking out of my room on Monday and having a few hours before my flight out of Westchester County, I settled in the lobby and began reading a copy of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" that I had purchased a few days earlier. I'm not certain whether I had actually read the original story years ago, though I know I had read a simplified children's version (possibly the Classics Illustrated version) growing up. So while I remembered every detail of the story, I felt that I was reading many long passages for the first time, including the two following:

"A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. . . .  [T]he place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvellous beliefs, are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air. The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions.

". . . [T]he visionary propensity I have mentioned is not confined to the native inhabitants of the valley, but is unconsciously imbibed by every one who resides there for a time. However wide awake they may have been before they entered that sleepy region, they are sure, in a little time, to inhale the witching influence of the air, and begin to grow imaginative, to dream dreams, and see apparitions."

I can't help feeling that my own experience of déjà vu going back to dreams I had a few years ago falls right into the bewitching influence surrounding Tarrytown that Washington Irving describes.

Ah, "the witching influence of the air"!  Beautiful.

G.

This is the first opportunity I've had to check in since returning from the Fest.  It was delightful to be able to see Teresa, Philippe, jimbo, evan_hanley, Julia99 and others again, though I'm very sorry to learn that I missed meeting Lydia!   

Philippe, thank you for sharing your report of your time in Tarrytown.  I didn't realize this was your first time seeing Lyndhurst. It sounds like you made the most of your weekend by checking out the local sites of interest.  Your description of your dream-induced deja vu reminds me of the plot of Michael Balcon's Dead of Night! What an eerie experience that must have been!

I no longer have the stamina to write full-length recaps, but I will hit a couple of the high points.  It was a thrill to see Back From the Dead to Haunt Me played on the big Festival screen.  This was my third time getting to see the film, and I notice new nuances to the performances every time.  I know how much work everybody put into this project, and I was gratified by the audience's positive reaction to it (and especially to the twist ending).  The film was shot on location at Seaview Terrace with the participation of the owner, Denise Carey, and so it includes a number of inside jokes geared toward people who have been to Seaview.  However, I was glad to see that a general audience was able to relate to the movie and appreciate its humor too.

I only attended three of the star panels, Sharon Smyth's, Marie Wallace's, and Jerry Lacy's.  Sharon was a delightful speaker, very down-to-earth and friendly.  She recognized several people in the audience as her Facebook friends and greeted them by name.  She was also the first person to address the "controversy" of the movie, even polling the audience as to who did and did not like it (the split was about 50-50).  Sharon herself seemed to lean toward the latter camp, admitting that she thought certain scenes in the movie didn't need to be there and extolling Jonathan Frid as the one and only Barnabas.  However, she expressed her dismay over the polarization of the fandom in the wake of the film, and did not try to fan the flames between the camps.

Sharon also shared a funny anecdote about working with David Hennesy, remarking that she naively trusted him because of his experience on the show, and sometimes allowed him to get her into trouble.  For instance, he once persuaded her to get inside Barnabas's coffin, then sat on the lid, trapping her inside and causing her to miss her cue!  She explained that she didn't have many friends her own age because of her odd work schedule (commuting to NY during the week and returning to Philadelphia over the weekend) and didn't mingle with the much older adult cast members, so it was a real thrill to work opposite someone her own age.  She also freely confessed that her acting career came to an end because she became cocky and uncooperative as she entered her teens.  Finally, when her exasperated mother confronted her about whether she wanted to continue acting or not, Sharon declared she wanted to quit.  However, she didn't seem to think the move was a great loss to the acting world, and joked that she got the role of Sarah more because of a superficial resemblance to Jonathan Frid than because of her talent.

Marie Wallace was very gracious, thanking the loyal fans from around the country who have turned out to see her recent stage performances in the NY area.  She shared her memories of performing in "Gypsy," especially of participating in the legendary "Christmas Tree number," which has never been replicated since the original run due to prohibitive costs.  She also described an art show that the cast put together, as many of the actresses had taken up painting as a hobby during the show's run.  Ethel Merman purchased two of Marie's paintings to gift to relatives.

Jerry Lacy spoke about working with Woody Allen on Play It Again, Sam, saying that Allen's even more neurotic than the characters he plays.  He also revealed that the Trask-bricking scenes were accomplished using a three-sided wall.  I asked about his work on Dr. Mabuse.  Citing the original film and emphasizing that this movie is a new incarnation, Lacy described his role as that of an evil hypnotist who wants to enslave the world and rule over the ashes.  The movie will likely not be ready for release until December at the earliest.  Evidently, the director is some kind of prodigy, a man in his early 20s with some 20 films already under his belt.

I missed Lara and Kathryn's panels (and the Mabuse teaser) because I took that time to walk through Lyndhurst and its greenhouse/rose garden.  Unfortunately, I made a wrong turn on my way back and ended up trudging through the woods on the River Walk path (aptly named because the walkway turns into a river during a heavy downpour) just as the rain started to come down in earnest.  After carefully retracing my steps along the slippery road back to the Fest tent, I was completely soaked and more interested in getting back to the hotel to dry off and change clothes than in sticking around to watch videos or hear the Frid tribute.  I would love to hear details of what Don Frid had to say about his Uncle Jonathan from anyone who did attend this event.

Considering the small scale of the Fest event, it was a much fuller and more satisfying day than I had anticipated, but it still flew by much too fast. I can't believe that the biggest event of my summer boiled down to only a few hours in a day.  Whether next year's event is on land or sea, I certainly hope for a return to the 2.5 day format so that I can at least have more time to visit with my friends,  in addition to checking out more elaborate programming.

ProfStokes