Wow!! Where to begin. This years event will be my 13th consecutive year of attending the Dark Shadows Festivals. Depending on your stance on these fan gatherings, some may applaud that number, others might think I need therapy.
The responses to the announcement that this will be the last of the 'Dark Shadows Festivals' has really been thought provoking.....at least for me. I agree with Nancy that I believe this to be more a case of Jim getting tired with organizing these massive events rather than the actors not wanting to attend. Murph, who admittedly has never attended a 'Dark Shadows Festival' made a comment above about seeing photos of fans with actors who have smiles painted on their faces. I know Murph meant no malice, but I think that is an unfair statement to make of people whom one has never met. I have always found the majority of the actors to be very kind and
genuine in their willingness to pose for photos and sign programs for fans. Lorraine mentioned having made friends with some of the actors over the years. Who would have ever thought that as a child or young adult growing up and watching Dark Shadows in the late 1960's that any of us from that generation would get to meet, let alone befriend any of these people.
I understand where Stuart is coming from, but I think LuciaPhil makes a good point, ratings are what the stations are looking for. With that said , there is not a more loyal group of fans for any, and I mean "ANY" (Star Trek included) show like there is for Dark Shadows, so I don't see the removal of a once a year event such as the festival, as a motivating force for fans to stopping watching or Sci Fi to stop airing DS.
Gothick my dear lad, it has been quite a while since you last attended a Halloweenathon
, it hasn't been held at Lockwood-Mathews since 2000.
(It is now held at a hotel in the Tarrytown area) I agree with Gothick 100% that as long as there are groups of fans willing to put on events such as the Halloweenathon, some of the actors will continue to attend. Personally, I have never seen Lara Parker smile and have as much fun as she appeared to be having dancing with the fans at last years Halloween party. The smaller gathering make these peripheral events much more intimate and relaxing for both the actors and fans. Jim Pierson has hosted similiar peripheral events that have been very successful as well. Off the top of my head I can think of :1992 DS Days at Tarrytown, The 1996 30th Ann. Gathering at LeBar Bat,(Gothick was there
) and the 30th Ann Celebrations for Both House and Night of Dark Shadows at the Vista theater.
I can certainly understand Prof.Stokes emotions. I remember how excited I was to share my Festival experience with my friends when I returned home from my first Festival experience at the 25th ann celebration in Los Angeles back in 1991. I had so much fun meeting the actors and fellow fans that I could hardly wait until the next so that I could see everyone again. Like Bette mentioned, the main reason many fans go to the Festivals every year is to meet up with friends thay have made at the events in past years. I think that is the part I will miss the most. With so many of us spead out across the country ( and across the pond in Stuart's and others cases
) it is virtually impossible for everyone to get together at one time, unless it is to attend an organized event such as the Festival. The smaller peripheral events are usually held at venues that are not set up to accommodate large numbers of people, so unless the Festival concept is reinvented like Carol and Claude suggested in their posts, it is unlikely most of us will all gather together again as a group at one time. That does indeed sadden me.
Victoria makes a good point. Fandom will only die when we say it will. I think it was Mainegirl who mentioned fans getting together on their own and sharing fan fic , poetry, or memories of the show. Many of us already do this. Several years back Darksman hosted a Halloween party at his home in IN. and several of us from Ill, Missouri, and Ohio all got together for that weekend. The Central Fla Fan Club gets together a few times a year as well and they have their own Halloween party. On other occasions many of us who have met and become friends in fandom have gathered for trips to DisneyWorld, Wash DC, or gotten together for trips up to Seaview and other DS related locations.
I think SelbyDPearson summed it up best when he said he views the end of the festivals as a transformation. Perhaps the gathering of us as fans does indeed need to be reinvented, and this is the first step in that process.
Bob
