An Open Letter to Kathryn Leigh Scott

Dear Ms. Scott,

As lifelong Dark Shadows fans, we have followed your acting career since you first portrayed waitress Maggie Evans in 1966.

Yes, millions of kids across America rushed home to see you and your fellow DS actors every weekday at 4:00 PM. Our enthusiasm and steadfast loyalty prompted the late, great Louis Edmonds to nickname us the “Dark Shadows kiddies.”

And, as the the years passed by, we watched re-airings of DS on local television stations, PBS stations and finally on the Sci-Fi Channel, which broadcast the entire series. In addition, we got to meet you and many of your DS cast mates at the Dark Shadows Festivals, which have taken place in Los Angeles and New York City since the early 1980s.

Unfortunately, the “Dark Shadows kiddies” are not nearly as spry and active today as we were during the
1960s. In fact, we might better be described today as the “Dark Shadows sexagenarians” and the “Dark Shadows septuagenarians.”  Over the years, we’ve experienced the inevitable “joys” of the aging process, including arthritis, hernia surgeries, knee replacements and a hip replacement, which, I understand, you, yourself, underwent several years ago.

As much as we would all love to be as ageless and eternally youthful as Quentin Collins (courtesy of Charles Delaware Tate’s seemingly magical portrait), we’re all starting to understand our grandparents’ lament, “that the ‘golden years’ aren’t so ‘golden.’”

Of course, another aspect of the aging process, that many of us are now dealing with is that as retired individuals, we just don’t have the disposable income that we had when we were still working full time and receiving that steady paycheck every two weeks. Today, we have to carefully balance what we can spend on
entertainment and other social events. Living on pensions, Social Security and investments, has forced us to limit the activities that we used to frequently engage in.

And, to be quite frank, charging $40.00 to attend your upcoming Dark Shadows event at Lyndhurst with an additional charge of $125.00 to also attend your “Champagne at Collinwood” event on the weekend of July 19/20 is rather expensive. And, if you plan to attend both events with your spouse or significant other, the cost then exceeds $300.00. I don’t think that many of the older Dark Shadows fans can now afford that amount. Is the money raised from this event that important to you?

Finally, Ms. Scott, you’re now an octogenarian yourself, entering the “ninth inning of life.” And, we Dark Shadows fans are not far behind you. In his song, “The Last Worthless Evening,” the Eagles’ Don Henley wrote that, “there are just so many summers, babe, and just so many springs.” I know that you re-married last month. At this point in life, isn’t more important to spend your remaining time with your husband instead of organizing, yet, another Dark Shadows event? If I were to re-marry at this point in life, I would want to spend
as much time as possible with my wife. There really aren’t too many more summers and springs left for us to spend with the people we love.

Dark Shadows went off the air 54-years-ago. The Dark Shadows Festivals have been held for over forty years. As much as we all love Dark Shadows, due to the increasing age, declining health and reduced financial circumstances of many of the “Dark Shadows kiddies,” it really is time to put an end to these Dark Shadows
events. All good things must come to an end.

Sincerely yours,

Bob-the-Bartender

Boy, did this hit home, Bob. I attended my first DS event back in 1983 and managed to attend most of them through 2016. My retirement income is decent but I can no longer afford the luxury of a three or four day weekend. The Tarrytown area can get extremely hot and humid in July which is not good for anyone,  especially seniors. The cost of the event and related activities is sky high. This of course does not include hotel accommodations, meals or transportation. And, since this is not a Dark Shadows Festival, will they be charging for autographs?
TLATKLS is definitely not hurting for money. Her 90210 zip code proves that. Her second husband left her well provided for. And husband #3 seems quite well off as well. And they seem to be off on an extended wedding trip through Norway
I don't think that she gave much thought to the financial strain this event could place on some people. Not that Jim Pierson did either
But I'll bet that some of those same fans will show up with wedding gifts

Wow Bob. I know in a lot of your more recent posts, you tend to wax philosophical on what if's pertaining to Dark Shadows - which are fine. In previous years, you liked posting in the games section for captions. Me also .. nothing I post there is done out of ridicule or meaness but finding humor out of my love for the show.. I wouldn't have been running a Dark Shadows fan club for going on 33 years now. But I have to say I was surprised to read your letter that had so much sourness and meanness to it. I feel like I need to step up and play devils advocate in support of KLS on this.

I'm not attending the event ... mostly because of availability issues. But I have no issues as far as what she is planning. I'm totally in favor of opportunities for fans to gather and celebrate DS. I attended 9 festivals and 4 Collins Association gigs in the past. If Pierson is no longer interested, I'm happy that KLS is willing to pick up the ball do this. No reason to go low blow about her age.

As far as prices, well, guess you haven't attended many conventions lately.  Orlando has 2 huge conventions Spooky Empire and Megacon.  Between tickets and parking, you can be looking at $100 before even entering the door. Then factor merchandise and autographs ..oh boy. Yet they both have thousands of people attending each day. Your arguement about prices doesnt really hold up because both days of walking tours were sold out, both days of the movies were sold out, both days of the brunch were sold out and the Saturday meet and greets were sold out. Obviously, there still is interest. You don't have to tell me 1st generation fans are getting older. 5 of our club members have passed just in the last couple years.  That certainly doesnt mean we are it. There are plenty of 2nd and 3rd generation fans who didnt grow up watching the show but
experienced it thru Sci Fi channel,  tapes and dvds and now streaming.  Im certain that Dark Shadows conventions still have interest and can continue one form or another.

To wrap up, I think fans owe a lot to KLS. Scrapbook Memories  totally raised the bar for Dark Shadows memorabilia.  Up til then, only primative newsletters and fanzines existed. It completely raised Dark Shadows visibility and could have played a part in getting the show released on tape ..a major effort at the time. Plus so many other high quality publications folowed. So I have no beef with her hustling books or even some of her memories..lol. The good has far outweighed any negatives. I hope everyone attending has a great time. Getting off soapbox.

Bob, very well written and put I couldn't areee more its true we all can't do those things anymore .
I just wish that others could see your point in this event which is not possible to attend .
Again, thank you for the honesty and coming forward.
Anne

Anne and Uncle Roger,

Thanks to you both for your input and kind words.

Uncle Roger, I especially enjoyed reading your excellent points on this upcoming DS event at the Lyndhurst
estate. Yes, it tends to be very warm there in Tarrytown, NY during July. I remember being on my uncle’s boat on a very warm July day several year’s ago, approaching the Tappan Zee Bridge and directly across from the Lyndhurst estate and the heat was oppressive even in the middle of the Hudson River. There was no breeze at all out there on the water.

And, as you are well aware up there in Connecticut, the tri-state area has recently experienced many days of oppressive heat with heat indexes over 100 degrees or torrential and damaging downpours. Several New York
City subway stations were literally flooded out during an especially heavy downpour the other day. And,
tragically, two women were killed in Plainfield, NJ last week after
their car was swept off the road by a flood caused by another heavy rainfall. Only yesterday, a man was struck
and killed by lightning in Jackson, NJ after a sudden lightning storm erupted in central New Jersey. We’re
experiencing some of the horrific weather here in the tri-state area that the residents of Texas and New Mexico
have had to contend with on a much larger scale.

The weather forecast for Sunday, July 20, calls for oppressive humidity and heavy rain storms. Can you imagine
Kathryn Leigh Scott leading a group of DS fans, of a “certain” age on Sunday, to see the spot on the Lyndhurst
estate where Jeff Clark discovered a bleeding and dazed Daphne Budd on a lonely road during a scene from
“House of Dark Shadows” and suddenly, all Hell breaks out with rain, wind and the immediate threat of lightning
strikes? I hope that doesn’t happen this weekend.

I also think your point about Ms. Scott living in a very affluent zip code area (90210), and being indicative of how well off financially she really is, is right on point. I mean, it’s not as if Ms. Scott and her new husband are residing in decidedly less affluent zip code areas like 46401 (Gary, Indiana) or 08101 (Camden, New Jersey)! By the way, it’s kind of hard to imagine seeing Ms. Scott and Mr. Oster taking advantage of early-bird special dinners specials or cutting out store and brand coupons out of the Sunday newspaper in order to save money. 🙄 As to Ms. Scott deciding to charge somewhat exorbitant prices to attend her “champagne at Collinwood” event this weekend, maybe she’s been channeling the insouciant spirit of the late Marie Antoinette for
guidance? 🤔

Patrickm,

I’ll be magnanimous and won’t respond in kind to the personal shots you directed at me in this thread.

You mentioned that you doubted that I had recently been to a “fan festival” and was unaware of the increase in today’s prices for these events. You’re quite right about that, I haven’t been to a “fan festival” in a long time because I have a life.

Although, I do recall standing in the Marriott Hotel near Times Square in New York City in 1995 for that year’s Dark Shadows Festival. As I stood in the conference room of the festival, I noticed KLS and her husband, magazine publisher Geoff Miller, sitting at their table containing Ms. Scott’s assorted books, photographs and other items for sale. I took particular interest in Mr. Miller’s reaction to the people, lining up to speak with Ms. Scott and to purchase various items from her. Mr. Miller had this look on his face that I took to mean, I can’t believe that these grown men and women are actually shelling out twenty to thirty bucks to buy this stuff? Needless to say, I did not purchase any of KLS’s items myself. Heck, I had purchased several of Ms. Scott’s books in the past. And, I really didn’t see the need to buy her book about the 1991 NBC DS series, which ran for a grand total of 12 episodes or the book on the two DS movies, which had been filmed at the Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown, NY. I understand that Ms. Scott’s later book, Return to Collinwood, which she collaborated on with longtime associate, Jim Pierson, was essentially a re-hash of her earlier books. I didn’t buy that one either. 

I also recall that at a previous Dark Shadows event at Lyndhurst, that were a number of Dark Shadows fans, who were serving as unpaid volunteers at the event. These volunteers were very impressed with the way in which Ms. Scott set-up her goods for sale in such an efficient and precise manner. The volunteers joked among themselves that if Ms. Scott could set-up her table at the gated entrance to the Lyndhurst estate, that she’d probably do it in order to get a head start on her fellow DS actors and the other DS fans, who had set-up their tables with DS-related items for sale inside of the Lyndhurst mansion. Ms. Scott truly is a Dark Shadows Dynamo!

Patrickm, you wrote I committed a “low blow” by stating that Ms. Scott is now an octogenarian. Well, she IS 82-years-old. And, at that age, instead of running another DS event, Ms. Scott and her husband Patrick Oster (husband # 3, by the way) would be far happier sitting on a beach in Santa Monica and enjoying the beautiful ocean view, just like Ms. Scott’s contemporary, the 82-year old former President of the United States, Joe Biden and his lovely wife, Dr. Jill Biden, are, no doubt, enjoying the ocean view right now in beautiful Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in my opinion.

Patrickm, you must be a guy in, at least, his early sixties with a lot of life experience. And, I’m probably
several years older than you are. As a grown man, do you really believe that Kathryn Leigh Scott continues to run these DS events out of some benign and altruistic sense to preserve the “spirit” and “legacy” of Dark Shadows and that she’s NOT just trying to make an Almighty Buck out these events? If you do, then I just don’t know what to say to you.

All the best, and I hope you have a great time attending these future DS events (if, in fact, there are anymore of them) even though there are, sadly, fewer and fewer of the “Dark Shadows kiddies” still breathing and alert.
fewer

Bob, let me first say I had no intention of turning this into some sort of pissing match. I have too much respect for the hard work that MB and Midnite put into the site each and every day so that fans can express themselves in a respectful and reasonable way.

I didn't respond to the points that you made that I think are valid. Yes, the cost of living can be difficult and not everybody has the disposable income that they would like to have for recreational spending such as travel and books and videos. Plus, travel used to be fun ..now it is more of a burden. Also,  yes weather can be oppressive and Lyndhurst being a large and hilly property, it certainly can be taxing on people with mobility issues. To you and Anne, I get those points ...I truely do. Had you mearly stuck to those points and said, I can't attend - hope everyone who does attend has a good time and looking forward yo reading their reports - I never would have responded. Here is where I think your post went sideways.

First, you constructed it as a letter to KLS. That made it personal. No need to go there.

Second, maybe you meant your musings about aging were meant to be humerous. IDK. But to tell somebody she is in the ninth inning of life ... E-oww. That is incredibly mean and something I would never say to anybody. Kathryn is still working, active and a vibrant person. Definitely no need to go there. Also, who can judge whats in a persons heart or their intentions how they live their marriage. That is nobodys business. You make it sound as though they should be strictly spending their time holding hands sitting in side by side rocking chairs on the front porch and not spending her time putting fans thru this. Again, besides being arrogant..absolutely no need to go there. BTW, I'm pretty certain that her husband will be attending, so they will be spending time together.

Third, to Unc's point ... I did not know that there is some sort of "Economic Litmus Test " who can and can't organize a fan event. Does having money somehow disqualify her? I 'm glad shes doing well but frankly could care less how much money she has. It really is nobody's business. If anyone is bothered by that sort of thing, theres a pretty simple solution... DONT ATTEND. I fully belive it's a good thing she is doing putting this event  together and giving fans options to attend or not and nobody can can tell me otherwise. That also includes the memorial for Lara Parker she put together last year ..which btw was free of charge for Dark Shadows fans to attend.

Fourth and lastly, what I found most irksome was your attitude that basically since I can't attend,  DS fan events need to end. Period. Oz has spoken. Since when did you become the voice for all Dark Shadow fans  and speak for us. Fans have spoken in regards to ticket sales - which btw were al la carte. Fans were able to pick and choose the activities they wished to attend and were free to decline the more expensive brunch if they chose. So to you Bob, I respectfully say speak for yourself and not for all of fandom. And yes, I do have a life sir. No need to be insulting and snotty to fans who do attend fan conventions. Oviously you've got issues in this area but no need to drag them out in an open forum here.

Fellow cousins, please discontinue personalizing this public conversation. Personal attacks, no matter how thinly veiled (or not) are a violation of Forums guidelines, as I interpret them. IIRC, the DS Forums was created in response to the unabated discourse of the DS message boards of yore. If I'm misinterpreting the guidelines, I apologize in advance. And if so, I'm more than willing to be corrected. Thanks for your consideration.

Bob-the-Bartender...

As Uncle Roger said, this really hit home. Pissing matches aside, I'd like to say your timing was well-targeted. You posted this on my birthday, and the official day of my retirement, though I still haven't processed all of that yet.

Until reading your post, I never really gave much consideration to my connection to or involvement with Dark Shadows. I was one of those “Dark Shadows Kiddies,” having discovered the show one day after school in 1967. I missed the early episodes, but I never missed a single one after that day. Growing up in San Diego put me in the perfect position to attend the very first ShadowCon in 1977. And then a decade after that I was part of the team working on a new DS soundtrack album, and I was writing a proposal to Dan Curtis to try and get a DS reunion TV Movie off the ground.

However, my most significant memories have always been my DS friendships, several of which are now over 50-years strong.

I was an avid convention and festival goer in the 70s, 80s, and early-90s, but work became demanding, and I didn't like traveling, and I was growing weary of large groups of people. So, I stopped attending altogether, and I can't say that I miss any of it. I wouldn't have minded going on one of the Lyndhurst events over the years, or returning to a festival or two, but the timing never worked out. And now, with the economy as bad as it is, and my transition to a fixed retirement income, I don't see that happening at all in the future. And there are health concerns, as well.

Frankly, if Kathryn wants to keep organizing and hosting DS events, more power to her. She has been Dark Shadows biggest cheerleader for over 40-years, and she seems to enjoy doing what she does. As for the prices you mentioned, I don't have an opinion either way. I've seen far worse. I guess it all depends on what's included. For example, the “Champagne at Collinwood” event, did the $125 cover unlimited refills, or did it include a solitary obligatory glass of champagne? Did the guests receive a commemorative champagne glass, or was the champagne served in plastic throwaway cups? The price could be reasonable if it had some value added to it. So, not knowing all the details, I can't comment on it.

Anyway, thank you for the thought-provoking post. You gave this sexagenarian a lot to think about.