Had Fun at the Fest

[BuzzH]

My favorite line in that skit was when Barabas, or Willie, or somebody was saying, "She will be my/your BEARD... er, BRIDE."  I about bust up every time I think of that. 

I believe it was Willie, and that was my favorite line too, I lost it on that one, LOL!  But my favorite scene was when Barnabas, aka Richard Halperin, went to the fireplace and did that pose!  I know that 'inside' joke was lost on most, but those of us 'in the know' died laughing!  

[CrazyJenny]

But my favorite scene was when Barnabas, aka Richard Halperin, went to the fireplace and did that pose!  I know that 'inside' joke was lost on most, but those of us 'in the know' died laughing!  

Oh God, Buzz.  I hadn't even thought about it that way!  I just assumed he was posing by the fireplace because it was cool to be doing a skit with the set and he wanted everyone to take his picture there.  LOL!  Richard is too funny

[Nancy]

Oh yeah, I took that to be a play on that fake/photoshopped-typed nekkid photo of JF that has been circulated around the internet.  I even sent it to JF for a laugh.

nancy

Oh God, Buzz.  I hadn't even thought about it that way!  I just assumed he was posing by the fireplace because it was cool to be doing a skit with the set and he wanted everyone to take his picture there.  LOL!  Richard is too funny

[Charles_Ellis]

Thank God someone else mentioned it first- I thought I was the only one who had seen that alleged "Frid photo" on eBay!  Besides, Jonathan's too much of a gentleman of the old school to do something like that.

[Nancy]

Oh you are so right. Besides, a close look pretty much spells out there is some cut and paste of body parts here and there, lol.  When I sent it to JF, he was flattered that the creator made him look "better than I ever did."  I said "what about it being fraudulent and people paying for it thinking it's real?" His response was that anyone "dumb enough" to think the photo was authentic just because it was on the internet "deserves" to be taken advantage of.  

The old showbiz adage there's a sucker born ever minute or something like that.  Maybe even a blood sucker.

So your instincts were correct, Charles. I was quite surprised though to find out a lot of people simply accepted it as being real.

Nancy

Thank God someone else mentioned it first- I thought I was the only one who had seen that alleged "Frid photo" on eBay!  Besides, Jonathan's too much of a gentleman of the old school to do something like that.

[Heather]

Midnite and all, thank you SO much for your informative and detailed synapsis of the fest--and the great pictures! ...it's much appreciated from one of those who could not be there. 

[ProfStokes]

The usual disclaimers apply: these reports are written entirely from my memory, which is faulty, so if I've omitted or distorted any of the events, feel free to jump in with corrections or addendums.  Also, please keep in mind that I cross-post these reports to various boards and lists, so you may see some names and references that are familiar, and others that are not.

Friday started predictably enough with a long registration line.  This time, for the first time in 7 years, I was at the very front of the line along with Minja/Wicked_C.  We'd originally been told registration would start at 3:00, but the materials (badges and programs) had not yet arrived and would not until 4:00.  We were encouraged to get back in line later, but I preferred to wait at the front of a line rather than at the back since I was clearly going to have to wait either way.  This year's program features Victoria Winters running away from Collinwood on the cover.  On the inside back cover is a tribute to the late Dan Curtis with several photos of him.  One page from the end is a collage of photos from the first episode and its rehearsals titled "The Beginning:1966".

   Events began about 15 minutes after the listed 6:00 PM start time.  The first thing one noticed upon entering the ballroom was a lovely recreation of the Collinwood drawing room just to the right of the podium: in consisted of a portion of paneled wall, a fireplace, a portrait over the mantel (a Charles Delaware Tate, perhaps?), and a couch.  I was thrilled to see some set dressing this time around.  The Festival stage usually looks so bare with just a podium and occasionally a "Dark Shadows" banner.  The set was built by Patrick deBlasi, who intends to add to it next year (Wouldn't it be cool to have surprise Fest guests enter onstage via the secret panel?)  After a greeting from emcee Richard Halpern, we settled in to watch the second episode of DS with original commercials (most of which were aimed at women, such as ads for laundry soap, shoe polish, and cleaning supplies,  but also included spots for "The Dating Game" and "F-Troop").  The episode itself showed Carolyn and Joe dancing and fighting, respectively, at the Blue Whale, and Vicki alerting Roger that Burke Devlin is back in town.

   Next came the first guest, Marilyn Ross, whose name is associated with the famous DS paperback novels of the 1960s and ¢â‚¬Ëœ70s.  She and Richard had a seat on the sofa while he interviewed her.  First of all, Marilyn revealed that it was actually her husband Dan who had written the novels using her name ("He always wrote using a variation of his name") and that neither of them had actually seen the show at the time.  "They needed someone who could turn out the novels quickly, once a month or more, and he was in the Guinness Book of Records for writing the most novels (over 300!)" Dan wrote and Marilyn edited.  "I also coached him on some of the characterizations, mostly for the female characters.  After a while, writing and reading so many books in such a short period of time, they all blend together."  Because the Rosses lived in Canada, they did not have the same access to DS as American viewers, and hence were not familiar with the setting or characters from TV.  "The first book was really different from the show.  It had Barnabas in London.  The publishers contacted us and said, ¢â‚¬ËœYou can't do that; we can't have a story where Barnabas is running around London because we can't bring in the other characters.  You're going to have to put him back in Collinsport.'  The books and the characters were always very different from the show.  Some people actually liked the books better than the show."  Someone asked Marilyn if they had been given an outline or any kind of directions on what to write for the novelizations.  "No, we were told about the main characters, Barnabas and Quentin, but that was it.  Except for the movie novelization; I remember we got a copy of the script for that and we had to stick very closely to the script."  "How much give and take did he have with the studio and the publisher?" Ross was asked.  "Could he pretty much write anything he wanted?"  "Yes," she responded.  "Did he have a favorite DS novel?" another fan wanted to know.  "Yes, Barnabas, Quentin, and the Serpent.  He really enjoyed bringing in the sci-fi elements and being able to write a sci-fi novel.  "Why did he stop writing?" another fan asked.  "He died!  He was writing right up until the time he died.  I guess if you're a writer you have to write, and if you're an actor, you have to act.  It's a compulsion."  Marilyn described how, after Dan died, she had attempted to clean out his closet and study.  "I opened the door and all these manuscripts poured out and almost engulfed me. It scared me."  One fan asked how much research Dan Ross had done in preparation for his books.  "He did lots and lots of research.  There was one novel (non-DS) he wrote about mummies and Egypt.  An Egyptologist contacted him thinking that he was an authority on Egypt, but he only knew what he had read for his research."  Halpern and Ross also showed off the painting of Victoria Winters that had graced the cover of the first paperback book (although they didn't make clear that this was what the painting had been used for, so unless you read the Fest's publicity materials, you might not know exactly what the painting signified).

   The next panel was "DS: The First Year" with Kathryn Leigh Scott and ConARD (not ConRAD) "Connie" Fowkes, who played the family's lawyer and Vicki's beau, Frank Garner, during the Mathew Morgan and Laura Collins story lines.  Immediately, Conard received several questions.  "What happened to you?  Where did you go so suddenly?  Frank Garner opened up an office in Collinsport and it seemed like he was going to become a regular character and be more involved with Vicki.  Did you have to leave the show for some reason?"  Connie was hesitant to go into detail.  "I don't want to spoil the mood of the event by stirring up bad memories.  It had to do with studio politics.  On December 23, I received a letter that my services were no longer needed.  I spoke to Bob Costello, the producer and he said, ¢â‚¬ËœBaloney!  You're on the show; the executives are just shaking up the cast a little.'  So I went home and tried to relax; even though I didn't have a contract, I had his assurance that I was still going to be on the show.  Then my agent contacted me about appearing on "Edge of Night"; the salary was twice what I was making on DS.  I had a family and three children to support, and it just made sense to take that job instead.  But I always thought it was in poor taste to fire me right before Christmas."  "Did they ever try to get you back on as another character, or to bring your character back?"  No.  Someone asked Kathryn Leigh Scott what became of Josette's music box.  "Do you have it or did Dan Curtis have it?"  "No, it disappeared, and it's a shame because it was a really lovely music box," she recalled, "with a carved glass lid and it actually played music."  (This is contrary to the recollections of various people who worked behind-the-scenes and claimed the ¢â‚¬Ëœmusic box' was just a drinking glass with the top and bottom fastened on with electrical tape.)  Another question was directed at Conard: "What did you think after DS started becoming so popular?  Did you used to tell people that you had been on the show before Barnabas?"  "Oh, I told them I had been on DS, but not that it was before Barnabas," he chuckled.  "They were always very impressed.  I remember that my kids loved to watch DS. Whenever they visited their grandfather, they would be right in front of that television set, even after I was no longer on the show."  "Well, everyone who appeared on the show, however briefly, is part of the DS family," the fan assured him, "and you certainly made an impression.  Thank you for coming to the Fest!"

Someone else asked Conard if he remembered the other DS actors that he worked with. "Mostly I was working with Alexandra Moltke, but I do remember Mitch...Miller? No, Mitch Ryan. And Joan Bennett, of course, and Louis Edmonds."  How did the actors feel about being at a Festival 40 years later? Conard voiced his amazement and appreciation for the fans while Kathryn became more philosophical. "I think it's that Dan Curtis was able to tap into stories and ideas that are universal and resonate with audiences even years later--stories of love, betrayal, jealousy.  In that way, he was much like Gene Roddenberry, who created "Star Trek," another show that's turning 40 this year and has a large, dedicated following." Conard was also asked what other serials he had been on, and he rattled off a list of names including "Kitty Foyle," "Love of Life," "Search for Tomorrow," "As the World Turns," "The Edge of Night", "Secret Storm".  Someone asked Kathryn Leigh Scott if she knew what had been Thayer David's favorite character to play on DS.  "His favorite character?  Oh, my.  I don't know if he had a favorite.  He played so many characters--more characters than any other actor on the show. (He played 8 in fact--Matthew Morgan, Ben Stokes, Prof. T.E. Stokes, Sandor, Count Petofi, Parallel Tim Stokes, Mordecai Grimes, Parallel Ben Stokes, and if you count Night of DS, Rev. Strack.)  Was there a Professor Petofi?"  People in the audience shouted back "Count Petofi" (though Kathryn may have meant Professor Stokes).  "Yes, I think that was his favorite," Kathryn agreed.  "Thank you!  That's what I wanted to hear," the fan said.  Someone else asked Kathryn about Joel Crothers.  "First of all, he was a child actor--did you all know that?  He was also very intelligent.  He was a Harvard  man and a Dickens scholar.  Joel and I were very close; he was like a big brother to me."  She also shared the story, discussed in her DS Memories book, about how the two had gone to Italy together on a vacation during the run of the show.  "I was going to visit my boyfriend and Joel was able to join me at the last minute.  People who saw us thought that Joe and Maggie were running away together!"  Conard also chimed in on this question, as he and Joel had worked together on "The Edge of Night" after each had left DS.  He cited Crothers's major role in "Barefoot in the Park" on Broadway and mentioned a small part he'd had in the film What's So Bad About Feeling Good? (a psychedelic romp that Richard Halpern remembered fondly).  "It was so strange to have seen Joel in such a big part in the play, and then in the movie playing such a tiny part," Fowkes recalled.  "If you blinked, you would miss him."  "Did you feel that there was more depth to your character that should have been explored?" one fan inquired of Conard.  "After all, there was a lot of tension between you and your father--he kept reminding you that Elizabeth was your client and not Vicki, but you still wanted to help Vicki."  "No, I never got that impression," Conard said.  "Frank Garner was pretty bland and one-dimensional--a potential love interest for Vicki.  That was the only image the producers wanted."  Regardless of whether or not Frank was one-dimensional, it didn't keep one fan from remarking, "I always though that of all the men Vicki dated--Barnabas, Burke Devlin, Jeff Clark--Frank Garner was perfect for her.  He was young and handsome, a lawyer¢â‚¬¦" Many in the audience cheered.

Lara Parker was up next to read from her latest book The Salem Branch.  However, as I had already heard her read from the book at the past two Festivals, I decided to duck out and visit the dealers' room instead.  Actually, the "Dealers' Room" (AKA the DS Marketplace) consisted of only two vendors--MPI and Shadowgram.  The other sellers--including all of the actors who were selling books, Majestic Toys, CynD's jewelry, and people selling vintage photos of the DS actors, books, and videos--were scattered out in the hallways. While I stopped at CynD's table, where I bought a bat charm, a man came up behind me.  "What's this?  Dark Shadows jewelry?" he asked.  I explained to him how CynD made all the jewelry herself, including charms of the characters' faces and Barnabas-style rings.  He then began to ask me several questions--Where was I from?  Did I work in the entertainment industry? (lol!)  Was this my first Festival?  No?  How many had I attended?  And who were those people who just finished talking in the ballroom?  I explained what parts Fowkes and Scott had played (and how Kathryn had multiple roles on the show).  He seemed especially interested to learn that Kathryn had played Barnabas's fiancee, Josette.  Finally, the gentleman revealed that he was a reporter, Gary Shapiro of the New York Sun, and introduced his assistant, Lauren.  He began to seriously interview me then, asking how many people usually come to the Fests (it varies depending on the coast: generally, in the high hundreds for the West Coast and a couple thousand for the East Coast). Where do people come from to attend the Fests? (From as far as England and all over the United States--Florida, Ohio, California, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, New York.) What was I most looking forward to at this Fest? (Seeing old friends, seeing fan-generated activities like the fan videos, skits, and costume gala, and hearing from the new Fest guests like Betsy Durkin, Conard Fowkes, and Donna McKechnie). Why did I think DS has such a strong following 40 years later? I thought that nostalgia played a large part in its longevity. The show came along at a time when there were lots of major changes, both in the fans' lives (as they grew older and entered their adolescent years--middle school and high school) and in the world (the Vietnam War, political turmoil) and probably served as an escape hatch from all the pressure. (Ultimately, that was what he latched onto, and it's the only part of my interview that made it into the article: http://www.nysun.com/article/38664). I added that I thought KLS had made a good point about the stories having broad and enduring appeal. He then asked what drew me to DS, since I am not an original fan. I answered that I had always been interested in the supernatural, and that was the aspect that initially attracted me to the show. He also wanted to know if I had attended any other types of conventions, like Star Trek. Except for the Lost convention in Burbank last year, I said no, but that I was involved in a local fan club in Southern California, Shadows in the Sun, and in Internet fandom. When asked what was the best DS site, I named www.dsboards.com (I am sorry the plugs didn't make it into the article). Then, Mr. Shapiro thanked me for my time, and that was the end of my Q&A session.

Just at that time, John Karlen came by and asked where the ballroom was. We fans pointed him in the right direction, and he hurried off. Figuring that there was bound to be some excitement when he crashed Lara's Q&A, I followed and found a seat in the ballroom. As Lara was telling the fans that she would write another book if The Salem Branch sold well, Johnny edged up to the stage and came up behind her. Amid cheers from the audience, the two shared a long kiss. Then, Karlen addressed the fans. "Every year, we get the same old questions. This year, I want you all to ask some real, meaty questions, and Kathryn and I will--" Lara stared at him as he fudged her name and stormed to the opposite end of the stage in mock fury. Johnny laughed. "I'm sorry. Sorry, Lara. Lara and I will answer them for you." Obligingly, the first person to the microphone asked, "Can you tell us some dirt about the cast?" "Oh, what a question," John waxed. "How to answer that question?  Here's a little known story about a guy named Lenny Spoleto. Most of you never heard of him; he wasn't with the show very long." "No, don't tell them about Lenny," Lara joined in. "You're not supposed to tell!" But Johnny continued. "Lenny came on the show, and right after, several ladies got pregnant. And that was the end of Lenny." (I'm sure the story is made up, but I thought it was cute that Lara helped John ad-lib it). Lara was asked how she enjoyed making the new Big Finish audio dramas of DS. "It was terrific! And if you all buy the CDs, we'll be able to make more of them--in London! They'll fly us to London to record."  John was asked to share his favorite DS memories. "My favorite part of DS was the Brittany. After taping the show, Dan Curtis would take us all to dinner at the Brittany (du Soir). How many native New Yorkers are in the audience?  Then you know about the Brittany.  It was terrific!"  One bold young fan approached the mike and said to Lara, "I know you're like, 60 years old, but could you still do your Angelique laugh?" (With manners like that, he should be so lucky to live to 60.)  She did so, and it drew great applause.  However, there was trouble with the microphone, and both John and Lara complained that they were having trouble understanding the questions.  It took some time before they could finally understand what one man in particular was trying to ask. "In Angelique's Descent, it seemed really masochistic to

[spoiler]make Angelique Josette's sister.[/spoiler]

Why did you choose to do that?" "You didn't like that?  Well, I'm not sure I would call it masochistic," Lara defended. "I was trying to show how much Angelique had been abused as a child. Her father mistreated her, she was forced to act as a kind of living goddess on the plantation, and finally she was abandoned by Barnabas. All of those hardships show how she eventually became the person she was."

After their Q&A came the tribute to Dan Curtis.  This consisted of a clip reel from Mr. Curtis's many works, including DS, The Night Stalker, Dracula, Trilogy of Terror, Melvin Purvis--G-Man, the Last Ride of the Dalton Gang, When Every Day was the Fourth of July, Winds of War, Curtis's Emmy acceptance speech for WoW, War and Remembrance, Our Fathers, and Saving Milly.  (This was primarily an edited version of the clip reel that played at the Museum of TV & Radio's salute to Dan Curtis in 2004).  The clips concluded with the caption, "In Memory of Our Fearless Leader."  When the lights came back up, many of the DS actors went to the microphone to share their memories of Curtis.  Kathryn Leigh Scott was up first.  "Dan Curtis really shaped my career. I got my first acting job because of him. I got to go to London for the first time to work with Dan Curtis (in Turn of the Screw). I started my publishing company because of DS and Dan Curtis. He had a very big impact on my life.  I really want to thank Jim Pierson for fixing it so that I could see Dan again before he died. It was a good day for him, and he was cheerful and outgoing. That's how I want to remember him."  Her voice cracked as she spoke, and it seemed that she might cry. 

David Selby reminisced next about auditioning for Dan for the role of Quentin and first picking up all the golf balls that Curtis putted around his office.  "A woman came up to me today and told me she'd just had a baby boy that she'd named Quentin.  I imagine there have been a lot of babies named Quentin, but that's more Dan's doing than mine."  (A comment intended more to credit Curtis for the popularity of DS than to imply that he was naughty). 

Marie Wallace talked about the last time she saw Curtis at the premiere of Saving Milly.  "None of us knew he was sick. He may not have even been sick then. He was happy to see me and he told me, 'Marie, I always loved you.'  That made me feel so good to know that! He meant what he said (in his Emmy speech) about loving actors.  Dan really enjoyed actors." She also described her first time meeting Curtis. "I was auditioning for the part of Eve, and my agent warned me, 'You're probably not right for the part, so don't be offended if he turns you down.'  I went to Dan's office expecting to be yelled at, and instead this very nice man introduced himself and hired me for the part."

John Karlen's tribute was more light-hearted. He mentioned how fond Dan had been of him. "He used me in almost all his movies after DS. How about the rest of you?" he teased the cast.

Jerry Lacy approached the podium. "I'm not very good at impromptu speeches," he apologized. He then told the story of how he was hired to work on DS. He had been in a play with David Ford (Sam Evans) at the time. "I knew that he was on this show called Dark Shadows, and I asked him how it was going.'  Everything was fine, but now they've brought a g**d****d vampire on the show,' he grumbled." When the part of Tony Peterson came up, Ford recommended Lacy to Dan. "I went to his office for a meeting. David went in first and shut the door and I could hear loud voices, like they were arguing. I was beginning to think I wouldn't get the part. I knew David had a loud speaking voice, and I found out later that Dan did too. The door opened, Dan came out and asked, 'Are you Jerry?' I said I was. 'You're hired.' And that was that."

 And that concluded the live events for Friday. As the autograph lines formed, I headed out to the lobby and lounge to spend time with my friends. We must have chatted until almost 3:00 in the morning before finally dispersing for bed.  Saturday would bring a full 12 hours worth of activities.

ProfStokes

[Midnite]

Yay, ProfStokes!  I'm looking forward to reading your report as soon as I get this posted.


KLS' segment followed Jerry Lacy's.  As ProfStokes mentioned elsewhere, she said she has her own theme, a bobblehead, her picture is on the music box, and next year she will be an action figure.  She acknowledged the "new people" in the audience.  And she again mentioned her recent appearance on Huff and spoke about the company she began (Pomegranate Press), but she has stopped publishing and is "just writing now."  With a nod to Jessica Fletcher, she had given thought to what it's like to be an actress with a 40 year career and decided to make it all part of her book.  She also works with the homeless one day a week, which she finds most important.

About her novel, MURDER IN PRIME TIME, she said, "Please let me know what you think."  Feedback is welcome via her website or through the P.O. Box on the back of the books.  She also asked for suggestions for her nezt book.  Lara Parker had done this in the past, so she asked fans to "do the same for me."

Everyone on the previous day's panel, except John Karlen, has written books, and they're not all just about Dark Shadows.  When she first started on DS, she was advised to not give up her bunny job yet because you never know how long a job will last.  She introduced guests in the audience, at least one of whom she had worked with at the New York club.  She spoke about the success of "The Bunny Years" and next, she introduced her husband, Jeff Miller.

When asked a question about working with [her Police Squad co-star] Leslie Nielson, she said he was actually married to a former bunny at the New York Playboy Club where she had worked.  "It's a small world."  He has an amazing sense of humor, and would walk around with a whoopee cushion that he once used it on the head of Paramount Studios.  She thinks he's very funny.  And it was one of her favorite roles.  She was told to read for it as if she were a young Gene Tierney, and got it.  Her hair was very dark but she was cast as the big blonde.  The character wore braces, so she put silver on foil on her front teeth and tied it with dental floss.  It was hard to talk, "but it worked for Sally."

She explained that the original music box vanished.  It was cut crystal inside a filigreed container.  It really was a music box.  The [MPI] replica is very similar.

She was asked about playing Catherine in The Great Gatsby.  She said that Mia Farrow, Karen Black, and Scott Wilson still are close friends.  It was her first movie and was filmed in England.

The same month that she attended Dan Curtis' funeral and memorial, actors from DS gathered in the studio to record for Big Finish Productions.  "It was the end, it was the beginning."

A fan said he would ask a question she'd never been asked before, and inquired about the car in which Maggie made her last appearance on the show.  She said it was part of the magic of TV, and was only half a car.  Everything was dark around it because it was supposed to be the dead of night.  Fans were used to make her hair blow.  It was done in a little corner of the studio, and the car consisted of only two front seats and a windscreen.

She greeted a fan in the audience that she had conversed with earlier.  She said the reason we were there after 40 years was that "you supported us."  Fans kept the ratings up, and the show was seen later in reruns and on VHS, then DVD.  "It gives me energy" she said about talking about the show.  She thanked another fan for the lovely note she received, and said so many in the audience had dropped by her table, and mentioned another fan who sent something.  "You're Ray," she said to one man in the audience¢â‚¬¦ "We do start to remember names."

Explaining the reason her character was sent off to a mental institution, she said she worked 6 months without a contract.  She wanted to go to Paris and was told she was nuts.  Her career, after all, was just getting started.  She was warned she would never work again, that she shouldn't leave New York, but she insisted.  Dan Curtis told her, "I'm telling you, Katie, you're crazy."  So he sent her to an insane asylum.  It was "his little inside joke."

When asked if Barnabas and Josette might have been reunited had she remained, she said Maggie was such a victim; so many things happened to her.  Perhaps by the end of the whole series she would have been seen as terribly resourceful, standing on her own two feet--being brave.

Next, we saw screen tests for the '91 series.  Michael and Hunter Tylo tested for the parts of Roger/Barnabas and Vicki.  Michael Nader also tested (who knew?!), but we saw why Joanna Going and Ben Cross got the parts.  In one scene, an A&W root beer can stood in for the music box.  In addition, we saw Barbara Blackburn test opposite Joanna Going, then Joseph Gordon-Levitt (though when I saw "J.G. Lovett" written to introduce his test, I didn't know who it was going to be, duh.).

The cast presentation of the first and last DS eps was great fun.  In most cases, the roles were recast.  For ep 1:

Lara Parker:  Vicki
John Karlen:  Burke
Marie Wallace:  Liz
KLS:  Maggie
David Selby:  Roger
Nancy Barrett:  Sandy
Donna Wandrey:  Mrs. Hopewell, Mrs. Mitchell
Chris Pennock:  Wilbur Strake
Jerry Lacy:  Mr. Wells
Richie Halpern:  Conductor

For ep #1245:

Lara Parker:  Catherine
Jerry Lacy:  Bramwell
John Karlen:  Kendrick
Marie Wallace:  Flora
Nancy Barrett:  Melanie
David Selby:  Brutus, Ben
Chris Pennock:  Morgan
Donna Wandrey:  Julia
Jim Pierson:  2nd Coachman

PLEASE let me know if I got any of those wrong!

Marie Wallace was a standout as Liz, and I was thrilled to see Donna Wandrey in one of Grayson's roles.  John Karlen underplayed his first role, but I thought it suited the cocky Burke.  Chris Pennock, on the other hand, was over the top throughout (which goes to show you how well thought-out the casting was).  The audience seemed to very much enjoy Kendrick and Melanie's smooch.  (Maggie's "J-E-R-K" was another audience favorite.)  Though it was a reading, there was obviously a little action on the stage, particularly during Morgan's final scene, but the actors could still be heard even when they left their microphones.  Finally, as I mentioned before, the last line of dialogue was this time spoken by Bramwell.

And again I ran off (this time to a restaurant in Greenwich Village), so I can't write about the banquet.  But I'll look forward to written reports about it.

On Monday, John_in_SC and I took a very early train to Rhode Island and made our way to a certain house by the sea.  The good news is that restoration has just begun on the solarium, the room at the lower far right of the back of the house.  You can just see a ladder propped against the side of it.  It was raining steadily when this photo was taken:

The bad news is that the house is still in desperate need of other repairs:  <sigh>



We spent most of the day in Newport, and a surprise DS connection came up-- the mansion we chose to tour before catching our train back to NYC (not realizing we had already photographed the back of it after reaching one end of the Cliff Walk) is named Rosecliff, which was once a cottage on that property with the same name before the Oelrich family tore it down to build the present summer home.  It was in the hands of 3 families, all of whom had members who suffered terrible fates (as did the architect, who was murdered), and when the last owner was killed while en route after having just purchased the house, the mansion was donated to the Preservation Society.  The house was extensively used in the filming of "The Great Gatsby" (as Gatsby's home excluding the pool scene) which KLS discusses above.

Thanks for reading!

[MsCriseyde]

For ep #1245:

Lara Parker:  Catherine
Jerry Lacy:  Bramwell
John Karlen:  Kendrick
Marie Wallace:  Flora
Nancy Barrett:  Melanie
David Selby:  Brutus, Ben
Chris Pennock:  Morgan
Donna Wandrey:  Julia
Jim Pierson:  2nd Coachman

PLEASE let me know if I got any of those wrong!

Selby did do the closing voiceover which was originally read by Thayer David, but he did not play Thayer David's role in the episode itself. I believe Richard did. 

[Midnite]

Thanks, MsC! 

[ProfStokes]

The day opened with one of my favorite events, Fan Videos.  These generally include clips from the show set to relevant songs or taped skits of fans acting as the characters.  First up was one of Guy Haines's music videos showing Barnabas and Julia's evolving relationship set to the Pet Shop Boys' "Always on My Mind".  Next, Richard Halpern played his "Baby Dark Shadows" in which he, his niece and nephews (who were 6 and under at the time) re-enact various storylines of DS in comedic ways.  For instance, the 1897 video showed an over-the-top Rev. Trask (Halpern) harassing Jamison (nephew Damian) about having wire hangers in his closet while 1795 involved Natalie (Halpern again) and Josette (niece Angelique) using a Ouija board to foretell the future.  Their exchange went something like this:

Natalie: "Should Josette stay away from Barnabas?" (Yes)
Josette: "You're moving it Aunt Natalie!" 
Natalie: "No, I'm not!" 
Josette: "Then let me ask:  Should Aunt Natalie stay out of my business?" (Yes) 
Natalie: "You're moving it, Josette!"

The piece de resistance was JVjr's Cheep Productions: Save Our Cemetery, a full-length (30 mins), professionally-made DS episode starring his impersonator brother Darryl in a dual role as Barnabas and Julia (and he's a dead ringer for each!).  The episode featured recreations of the Old House and Eagle Hill Cemetery sets, costumes, and actual DS music.  The story is that Eagle Hill Cemetery is about to be demolished (to make way for Petofi's Peep Show Palace), so to protect his incestors' (and ancestors') final resting place, Barnabas and Julia fight back against merciless Construction Worker Jonas.  They get help from the ghosts of Dave Woodard (Mark Moyer), Sam Evans (Guy Haines), and Sarah Collins (a grown-up Sharon Smyth-Lenz).  Each of these screened videos is classic, highly entertaining and humorous.  I appreciated having the opportunity to see them again, but I couldn't help regretting that we weren't treated to any new offerings this year (DLA75 in particular had told me earlier about two new videos that he'd submitted, but which weren't played).  At previous Fests, fan videos were screened at least twice over the weekend, and I wish more time had been set aside to showcase more of them on this occasion.  Fan creativity is really something splendid to behold, and since the fans are at least as important to DS as the stars, I think they deserve the spotlight more than once in a while too.

Marie Wallace was the first star to do a Q&A that day.  She began by reading selections from her memoirs, On Stage and in the Shadows, published last year.  The book chronicles Marie's work on and off Broadway and on TV (especially as a cast member on DS).  She shared vignettes about entering a canoe race publicity event as part of the "Gypsy" chorus against chorus girls from "Flower Drum Song" (and deliberately tipping their own canoe in order to attract attention when it looked like the "Flower" girls were going to win), working with Bert Lahr in "The Beauty Part", performing a comical burlesque to entertain Gwen Verdon on her birthday (Verdon fell off her chair laughing), and auditioning for the part of Eve on DS.  Marie's stories are lively and entertaining; I have her book and enjoyed it very much.  After the reading, there was time for a few questions.  "The Festivals must be a lot of fun for all of you actors because you get to see each other again. Who do you keep in touch with from the show during the year?" "I actually don't keep in touch with the other actors," Marie admitted. "Some do keep in touch with each other, but I don't. Most of the actors live on the West Coast. Diana Millay and Nancy Barrett are in New York, but we don't really socialize outside of the Fests." Later on, she corrected herself. "I did used to keep in touch with Louis Edmonds. He invited me out to his estate, the Rookery. I hadn't thought about him when the question first came up because he's passed away now. I also keep in touch with Jonathan Frid. He wrote the foreward for my book, but again, he's somebody who doesn't come to Festivals anymore." David Block asked a question that I was tempted to ask myself. "When you played Mad Jenny, did you do research for the part in order to portray someone with a mental illness?" (I've always thought that Jenny was a perfect example of someone with schizophrenia). "Yes, I try to research every role that I do, and I especially enjoyed Jenny. I told my agent, 'Find me another mad woman to play, and I'll return to acting.'" Someone else asked Marie if she was surprised that she was brought back to the show for multiple roles. "No, I wasn't surprised. I understood that was how the show worked. You died, and you were brought back as someone else."  Would she have returned to the show after playing Megan Todd if she were invited? "I think they did try to get me back, but I was under contract on "Somerset" by then." Another lady asked Marie to repeat a story that she had evidently told before about how someone stopped her in the street once and told her she was the most beautiful woman in the world. "I actually don't remember that story. I wish I did; it sounds nice."

Betsy Durkin (the 2nd Victoria Winters) made her Festival debut after Marie's Q&A.  We started out by watching a couple of clips from her time on the show, including the scene where she confronts Nicholas Blair about being a warlock and tells him not to marry Maggie, and the scene where Jeff Clark fades away into the past while Vicki desperately tries to call Prof. Stokes for help.  When the video ended, Betsy stepped up to the podium, clearly emotional.  "Oh, my god, I haven't seen those scenes in so long.  I think I'm going to cry.  Thank you so much for inviting me here to the Festival!  It's so nice to meet all of you!"  Betsy told us how she'd learned about DS's continuing fandom.  She had been at a book fair to promote her new book Dressing the Man You Love.  "Craig Hamrick was there too, and he had his book Barnabas & Company on display.  I walked over and picked up the book to see if I was mentioned.  I wanted to talk to him, but he wasn't at the table then, so I got my business card and wrote on the back of it, ¢â‚¬ËœI was here' and tucked it into the book.  He contacted me later and encouraged me to come to the Festival."  (Thank you, Craig!)  Craig's revised edition of Barnabas & Company will include an interview with Durkin.  Right away, someone asked Betsy why she was on for such a short period of time.  "Craig told me that he thought the audience had grown so attached to Alexandra Moltke that it was hard for them to accept another actress in the role.  I agree, and I think it would have worked better if, instead of recasting the part, I had come to Collinwood as Vicki's sister or some other new character that the audience could adjust to more easily. Anyway, they wrote out the character by sending her back in time.  I went to Europe after that to do a play, but I got a call from the producers to play Victoria again.  I asked if they were planning to write the character back into the show, and they said no, it was just for a couple of episodes.  It wasn't worth it for me to go back to the States just for that, so they found somebody else to film those episodes."  (That would be Carolyn Groves).  She also shared that she had run into Alexandra Moltke by chance years later.  "I told her that we had played the same role on DS, that I had taken over for her when she left.  She was very surprised and we spent some time comparing our experiences on the show."  Later in the Q&A, Betsy was asked to elaborate on her DS memories. "Lela Swift, the director was very strict.  I guess she had to be; she was one of the first--the first?  the only?  female television directors.  She must have had to prove herself.  It was difficult to tape the show without stopping.  You know, we filmed in order, from start to finish, and if you messed up you couldn't go back to fix it.  I remember one day that I was upset because I didn't think that I had done the scene as well as I could have.  I was crying in my dressing room and Grayson Hall came by and heard me.  She came over and asked, ¢â‚¬ËœWhat's the matter, honey?'  I told her that I thought I could have done better in the scene and she said, ¢â‚¬ËœOn this show, you're lucky if you get even one good scene in.'"  "Were you ever invited back to play other characters on DS?" someone asked.  "No," Betsy answered.  "I wish they had asked me back.  I think I was the only person that Jonathan Frid ever asked to marry him, but I turned him down.  I went into the past with Roger Davis instead and I think I made a terrible mistake."  Everyone in the audience hooted and applauded.  "Did you work on any other soap operas after DS?" someone else asked.  "No, but I did a lot of commercials at the same time that DS was on--you might have seen me advertising Ivory soap or Irish Spring--" Here, Betsy broke into an Irish brogue to recite the soap slogan.  "That was you!" the fan exclaimed.  "I'm so glad I know that now.  I loved that commercial!"  Another fan commented on her work with Humbert Allen Astredo.  "I heard that he was an acting teacher.  Is that true?"  "I don't know about that," Betsy admitted, "but he was a very good actor, so I'm sure he was a very good teacher."  Betsy was asked if she had any memories of the kids who hung around outside the studio doors.  "There were two kids who ran my fan club.  They would be outside the studio in the morning--they wouldn't go to school--and at night when we left.  I used to worry about them being out in the cold and the dark.  Around Christmas time, I gave them both boxes of candy and I snuck them into the studio.  They weren't able to watch the show being taped, but they could see the sets.  That was my Christmas gift to them.  I often wonder about them--where they are now, how they are, what they grew up to be."  She also told a very touching story (I can't remember the context in which it came up, but I think someone had asked Betsy if she was ever recognized as Victoria) about a situation in the town where her mother lived.  "There was a little boy, about eight-years-old, who had been in a car accident, and he was left paralyzed.  Someone from the hospital knew my mother and knew that I was on DS.  She told her, ¢â‚¬ËœThis boy is a huge fan of DS--he watches it everyday.  Do you think your daughter would send him an autographed picture?'  Well, I heard the story and I felt that I had to do more than that, so I went to all the other cast members--David Selby, Louis Edmonds, Nancy Barrett, Jonathan Frid--and got autographs and photos from them all to send to this boy.  He was the star of his ward for a long time after that."  Betsy also talked about her book, explaining that it took her three years to research the information about various fabrics, styles, etc. and write it.  Finally, the last person to speak at the microphone told Betsy, "I don't know what those producers were thinking when they let you go.  They obviously didn't see what we saw in those clips.  You're just as beautiful and talented as Alexandra Moltke or anyone else."  "Thank you," Betsy said demurely.  Betsy truly is a delightful lady, and I hope she attends more festivals in the future.  As she left the stage, she received a standing ovation. 

The first of the charity auctions came next.  I chose to go get lunch instead of attending this, so I'm not sure exactly what was sold or for how much, but I did pass the table on my way out and I recall seeing these items: copies of the now-out-of-print DS novels, Angelique's Descent and Dreams of the Dark, several Marilyn Ross paperbacks, programs from previous Festivals, Quentin and Barnabas figurines from Majestic Toys, bricks from the foundation of the Spratt House (used as the Old House exterior), a set of vampire fangs used by Stefan Gierasch (Prof. Woodard) on the 1991 DS series, several items belonging to Dan Curtis including an award from the Ann Radcliffe society, a leather jacket, his own copies of the books Burnt Offerings and Tales of the Mysterious and Macabre by Algernon Blackwood (I actually had a collection of Blackwood stories up in my hotel room--I'd been reading it on the plane--and thought about bidding on this one, but didn't think it would fit in my suitcase), used as references for his movies, and the lovely painting of Victoria arriving at Collinwood that served as the cover of the first Marilyn Ross DS novel, donated by the real Marilyn.  Proceeds went to UCLA Alzheimer's research, a poignant cause since Curtis's wife Norma suffered from Alzheimer's Disease.

Following the auction was a presentation from Big Finish Productions, which has just given us two new DS audio dramas, "The House of Despair" and "The Book of Temptation" (visit www.darkshadowsreborn.com for more information). The Q&A opened with the screening of a breathtaking trailer for the dramas that I believe is included DVD collection 26 . Clips of David Selby musing about Quentin's return to a changed Collinwood, Lara Parker cackling, and John Karlen warning of danger play over images of an ominous house. The panel included Stuart Manning (who wrote "House), Scott Handcock (who wrote "Book"), and Jason Haigh-Ellery (who produces the dramas). They introduced themselves and thanked the fans for being so supportive of their work (apparently, sales had been going very well so far that weekend.) Many fans in return thanked Big Finish for bringing back DS and praised the company for its work on the "Dr. Who" audio plays. "I hope you won't be discouraged if sales start out slow at first," one fan voiced. "Please stick with it and keep making the dramas!" "Don't worry," Jason reassured, "we understand that it will take time to get the word out and make American audiences aware of what we do." The panel was asked if the audio dramas fit the continuity of "Return to Collinwood". "The dramas have been authorized by Dan Curtis Productions," Stuart explained, "but they don't necessarily take place right after the show ends or right before "Return to Collinwood" begins. We've set the stories 'now'. We don't want to say, 'Well, this takes place in 1970, this is 1980.' We want to keep it current. I think it's good to have as many different visions of the show as possible--whether it's the movies, the TV show, "Return to Collinwood", or our dramas." Another fan asked if the three men were all fans of the show when they came to the project. "Actually, Stuart is the only real fan among us," Scott revealed. "He showed us some episodes to give us a feel for the show. We hadn't seen it before; our access to it is different in the UK than in America." Someone else asked if there were plans to include characters other than Quentin, Maggie, Angelique, and Willie. Jason hinted that a future drama would include a surprise cameo from another original actor. "Yeah, I think Jim Pierson let that one out of the bag earlier," the fan commented, but no clues were given about the mystery guest's identity. It was also pointed out that original, recurring characters would be included in the dramas too. Lastly, one woman wanted to know how old Scott was (I think she was hoping to set him up with her granddaughter). "Young enough not to mind, but old enough to know better," Scott joked.

    Big Finish was followed by the DS production and publicity panel, featuring publicist Jim Butler, publicity and promotions man Les Schecter, cameraman Stuart Goodman, and Henry Pilmack, who had worked on sound on the show and was helping out with the audio for the Festival. (Associate Producer George DiCenzo was originally scheduled to be on the panel too, but it had been announced the previous day that he was unable to attend).  The four told stories about the work they had done on or for the show.  Jim Butler told how it was his job to get information about the actors for various magazines.  "At first, there wasn't a lot of interest in DS because it was just another soap opera, but when all the kids started getting hooked, there was a huge demand for information and stories.  Did any of you read Tiger Beat?  I wrote a monthly column about DS for that magazine."  Schecter told amusing anecdotes about the various publicity stunts he staged for the show.  "Jonathan Frid was flying in to Washington D.C. to do publicity for the show and I had this brilliant idea that we would hide Barnabas's fangs somewhere in the airport and have the kids in to hunt for them.  Whoever found the fangs would get to have lunch with Jonathan Frid.  I talked it over with him and he was game for it.  It was crazy having all these kids running around the airport, but it was a huge success.  After that, anytime Jonathan had to travel for an event, we would have a search for Barnabas's fangs.  We'd put them in a pretty obvious place and they were always found right away.  But after a while, Jonathan got tired of it.  He didn't want to do interviews as Barnabas anymore; he wanted to do interviews as Jonathan."  Pilmack told about his first day on the show.  "First, they had me run the sound check to get the hang of the equipment, and then they said, ¢â‚¬ËœWell, you know more about the equipment now, so you might as well do sound for the rehearsal.' So I did, and then they said, ¢â‚¬ËœWell, you already did the rehearsal; you might as well do the actual show.'"  Goodman discussed how difficult it was to work with the huge studio cameras in such a small set. "Most of the time I was sitting in Louis Edmonds's lap while I tried to film," he joked. He also made a reference to the unwanted 'dark shadows' of the boom microphones that can be seen in the show. The studio just wasn't big enough for appropriate lighting.  Goodman also told us how Bob Costello had asked him one day in 1967 to stay late after taping and operate the camera for some screen tests for a new character.  "There was one guy there, Jonathan Frid, who was really odd looking.  After the screen test, Bob asked me, ¢â‚¬ËœWhat did you think?'  I told him, ¢â‚¬ËœThat Frid guy was creepy.  He looked like a vampire or something.  What part did you have planned for him?'"  So it appears we can thank Goodman in part for Frid's hiring.

David Selby was scheduled to read from his new book next, but by then I was feeling the need to stretch my legs and get away from the air conditioning, so I instead wandered through the dealer area, (where I discovered that MPI was already sold out of several items) visiting with Julia99, Dawn, and mscbryk. I was having so much fun, that I missed David's entire presentation, as well as the beginning of Donna McKechnie's. When I returned to my seat, she was just telling about her audition for the part of Amanda Harris.

"I had just come from Promises, Promises, where I'd fallen in love with Ken Howard (Thomas Jefferson in 1776). But it didn't work out, and I was heartbroken. When I came to audition for Dark Shadows, I read a scene as a woman who is really a painting come to life. She has to convince her boyfriend, Quentin, that she's not actually a person and beg him not to leave her. (I was very surprised to learn that the writers had planned Amanda's story so far in advance; there were no hints about her true nature when the character first appeared). I was able to channel all of my sorrow and tears into the role of Amanda, so it worked for me." McKechnie also discussed Amanda's death sequence, which came about because she had signed on to do the show Company. "It was very dramatic.  I had to cross a bridge and was killed in a rockslide.  Let me tell you what happened when they filmed that scene. For a long time, nobody believed me when I told this story; then I finally found a cameraman who said, 'Oh, yes, I remember how they left you.' In rehearsal, I was given a plastic bag to put over my head to shield me from the peat and styrofoam rocks that they were going to drop on me. They only dropped a little bit of material on me then. But when we filmed the real thing, I didn't have any plastic. I was in full period costume with a huge 25 pound wig, trying to cross that rickety bridge. (Actually, the death scene was filmed in contemporary dress and McKechnie sported a short hairstyle, much like Julia's.) When the time came to kill me, they dumped a wave of rocks and peat on me, mounds and mounds.  I was lying in a pile of debris with peat in my mouth, nose, hair, eyes. Then the lights went down on me, and everybody ran to the next set to keep shooting, leaving me lying there. It's funny now, but at the time, I thought it was very mean." We then watched the clip that Donna had mentioned where the rockslide knocks Amanda/Olivia off the bridge. Another fan asked Donna to share her memories of working on "Hullabaloo" (apparently, a clip of her dancing on that show had been played earlier). "I remember what great acts we had on the show: the Rolling Stones, Freddy and the Dreamers, the Animals. When the Animals performed, we stuck our heads through the wall like we were mounted animal heads and we were supposed to stay very still, but I kept bopping my head to the music slightly and I got yelled at for doing that." While on "Hullabaloo," she had worked with Michael Bennett, who created A Chorus Line, the show for which McKechnie is best known. "Everyone could tell that he was going to be somebody famous and we all followed him around." She also remembered the friendly rivalry between the "Hullabaloo" cast and "American Bandstand," which aired on the West Coast.

As Donna finished her Q&A, the other actors lined up to take their places for the cast reunion.  Jim Pierson introduced each one by one. As he and Richard Halpern tried to seat everybody, Jim pulled out his cell phone.  "Is this an appropriate time for a phone call?" Richard chided.  Jim said, "Hello?" and the voice on the other end came booming over the loudspeakers.  "Hello.  This is Jonathan!"  It was him all right--the voice sounded only slightly aged but the rich sound was the same as ever.  "Who is this again?"  Jim asked.  "It's Jonathan Frid--or Barney.  Barney Bas."  It was so exciting to hear him again, live, over the phone.  Many had speculated that he might appear at the Fest as one of the often-touted ¢â‚¬Ëœsurprise guests,' and even though we all knew it was unrealistic, I think a lot of people were still holding out hope at the last minute.  But next to a face-to-face appearance, the phone call was the best thing.  Even though Jonathan couldn't be with us in person, it was touching to know that he still cared enough to check in with us.  The crowd went wild.  People erupted in cheers, standing up and yelling "We love you!"  "Oh, my!  It sounds like there are a thousand people there!" Frid marveled.  Jim quickly named to Jonathan all of the other actors who were present.  You could see that they were also delighted to hear from him again.  "Tell us what you've been doing lately," Pierson encouraged.

Jonathan told us how much fun he was having with his website and all the new technology.  "I'm looking over my script for the reading (this confused me; I knew Frid had made a video greeting for the Fest, but the way he was talking made it sound like it was going to be a live video greeting; perhaps he was preparing to film a different take for his website?)  You'll all get to see it later." He also mentioned how grateful he was to be able to converse with us.  "I've been having trouble with Bell Canada over an unpaid bill.  I knew they had been trying to get in touch with me, but I didn't realize it was because of a bill.  I was afraid they were going to cut off my service.  That would have been terrible if it had happened today and I had missed you, but at least I'm still able to receive calls."  He also marveled at the passage of time and that we were celebrating the 40th Anniversary.  "Unfortunately so many have left us now, but I'm sure they're happy where they are now. It's like Gone with the Wind.  That movie became so popular and then almost immediately, the cast started to die off until for awhile Olivia deHaviland was the only one left."  "She's still around," Jim assured.  "She is?  Well, good." Jonathan also told us that he was doing well, "at 82, 83, however old I'm supposed to be now."  Apparently, Jonathan was also willing to take questions from the audience (though I did not catch that remark), which would have been delightful, but time was limited.  As Jim bid good-bye to Jonathan, the ballroom once again chorused, "We love you!"  Frid's phone call was one of the highlights, not just of this Fest but of any.  Many thanks to Nancy Kersey and Jim Pierson for encouraging his participation!  (We should also thank EmeraldRose for helping to make this phone call possible.  On Thursday night, Pierson wandered into the bar and asked if anyone had a charger that might fit his cell phone.  His battery had died, and he'd left his own charger behind.  "People are going to be trying to call me tomorrow.  It's going to drive them crazy if they can't get me," he explained.  EmeraldRose happened to have the same model phone as Pierson, and was kind enough to fetch the charger from her room for him.  Thus, Jim's phone was good to go for Friday and Saturday.)

Finally, Jim turned his attention to the actors on-stage, asking them to update us on their recent activities.  Most of the actors spoke about their books.  Diana Millay reminded us about her The Power of Halloween ("It's all about my ancestors, who were witches in Salem") and told us she would have a new book out next year called Create Success and Recreate Your Life.  She also mentioned that several people had asked her about the Diana Millay Travel Club, but that she would have to give more details about it the following day.  Marie Wallace talked about her book of memoirs and her new career as a photographer.  Betsy Durkin spoke about Dressing the Man You Love and how she was inspired to write it after finding that there was no real layperson's guide for women to buy clothes for the men in their lives.  Donna McKechnie once more mentioned her autobiography, Time Steps, and a couple of upcoming local book signings (one of which was to be at the Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble; I can't remember the other location).  Kathryn commented on the recent phone call.  "It was so good to hear Jonathan's voice again!  I started to get teary-eyed when I heard him.  And isn't it wonderful--all of us have written books this year.  Well, all of us except Johnny.  Maybe someday he will too."  She of course talked about her own book, Murder in Prime Time, a fictional mystery about an actress who has long played a detective on TV and uses her TV experience to solve a real murder.  Lara also remarked on Jonathan's phone call.  "As soon as I heard Jonathan's voice, it took me back to the studio, listening to Jonathan forgetting his lines¢â‚¬¦"  She told us about The Salem Branch and how it serves as both a sequel and a prequel to DS; not only does it pick up in 1971 when the show ends, it goes back to Salem in the 1600s when Miranda duVal was persecuted for witchcraft.  "It took me six years to write it--Kathryn turns out a new book every year."  "I think we need to get Jonathan a webcam," David Selby said, "so we can get a picture of him while he's talking and see him at home in his bathrobe and slippers."  Selby's new book is called A Better Place.  This year, he also has a new granddaughter, Brianna.  Chris Pennock took the mike and breathed into it Leviathan style, which drew applause.  His new comic this year is not part of the Fear and Loathing series but something called "Buddhism for Wolves".  "If you buy it, I'll give you a personal mantra," he advertised.  He also told us that his daughter Tara, "the real talent in the family," had recently auditioned for "American Idol" and would be singing the next day during his scheduled reading.  John Karlen was next.  "What have I been doing lately?  For 51 weeks out of the year, I do nothing but wait and wait for this moment now."  (Boy, does that sound familiar!)  Since he was the first person with nothing to peddle, he instead reminisced about his life and career. But when he paused for breath, Jim went on to the next person in the line, Lisa Richards, who was present only for this segment.  John seemed to resent this: "Did I just get cut off?"  However, Lisa tried to soothe him.  "You're the greatest, John.  I remember when you and I appeared together on-stage in Marat/de Sade.  He was Marat and I was Charlotte Cordier (Cordier, a servant, assassinated Marat, one of the masterminds of the Reign of Terror, while he was bathing).  He jumped out of the bathtub waving a knife and ran around the stage.  I think somebody got an arm broken."  Echoing Chris Pennock's pride in his daughter's achievements, Richards told us that her son's band, I'm a Robot, had just released a new CD.  These brief interviews essentially formed the cast reunion.  I was disappointed that the audience wasn't able to ask questions of the panel as we've always had the chance to do in previous years.  Although most of the cast did individual Q&A's during the weekend, (e.g. Marie Wallace, Kathryn Leigh Scott) others did not (e.g. Lisa Richards, Chris Pennock).

Nancy Barrett's cabaret came after the reunion.  This time, we were allowed to remain in the ballroom while the sound system, microphones, dance floor, etc. were set up.  Nancy's cabaret show, variations of which she has performed in the past, focused on her search for her true identity and her experiences as an actress.  After a couple of false starts, she launched into several staple songs, including a Carolyn Stoddard-centric version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," "So Beyond," "Razzle Dazzle," "I am Who I am," "I'm Tired," and two of my favorites "The Bus from Amarillo" and "Look What Happened to Mabel."  The songs from her performance are now available on CD, which I was unable to pick up at the Fest and which I hope will be available on her website.

When the show concluded, the autograph lines formed. Those of us who were in the Costume Gala (e.g. my roommate, victoriawinters and myself) adjourned to our rooms to warm up. We were supposed to meet to turn in our entrance forms and receive our numbers about an hour before the event was to begin, but by this time, events were running at least two hours behind. While we waited to be put in order and clarified who needed microphones, tables, chairs, etc. for their acts, we had to miss the screening of the 2004 DS pilot (which many people ducked out to catch) and Jonathan Frid's video greeting. We were quite dismayed when we learned that the latter had already played, but were assured that it would be repeated the following morning and at the banquet. Finally, all 30 of us trooped downstairs (cramming into the elevators a few at a time). We walked into the ballroom just as the Collinsport Players' skit was beginning.

The premise of "Golden Shadows" was that the Golden Girls--Dorothy (John Schaefer), Sophia (Peter Mac), Blanche (Diane Eckert), and Rose (Dennis Petragnani)--are vacationing in New England and become stranded in Collinsport when their car breaks down. Roger Collins (Jay Keaveny) directs the ladies to the Old House where Barnabas (Richard Halpern) becomes infatuated with Rose, who reminds him of his beloved, dim-witted Josette and Vicki. Meanwhile, Willie (Walter Down) is quite taken with Blanche. Barnabas attempts to put Rose under his spell, but when the other ladies discover his secret, they intervene. The skit was uproarious with numerous jokes pertaining to both DS and GG, and the actors played their roles to the hilt. The skit concluded shortly before 10:00, and the Gala began.

Many people had entered the gala this year.  Unfortunately, because there was such a large turnout and because we were running so far behind, many people were forced to abridge their acts (for instance, I had planned to sing 2 song parodies this year in honor of the 40th Anniversary; I had to choose only one, so the other will have to wait until the 45th Anniversary).  Nevertheless, the participants turned in stellar performances.  Costumes ranged from Josette after her fall, Judith Collins Trask, and a skit with a quartet of women in lovely 1795 period outfits (Josette, Angelique, Naomi, and Abigail Collins) and performers included Michael Culhane's classic Nicholas Blair/music cues routine, VAM as a "Bad to the Bone" Count Petofi, David Block as Gabriel and Daniel Collins in a pivotal confrontation sequence, an elegant singing vampire, Charles Ellis as Charnak the Magnificent (a DS version of Johnny Carson's Karnak act) assisted by the lovely MaineGirl, Jenny Collins and Magda singing Patsy Cline's "Crazy," a couple waltzing to "I Wanna Dance with You," Lalinda's nostalgic poetic tribute to DS, Alice Faye Landis dancing Polynesian style, a "Creeque Alley" parody about the summer of 1970 hauntings, several original songs, and more. victoriawinters stole the show with a parody of "Memory" about running home from school to catch DS.  Peter Mac as Miranda duVal promoted The Salem Branch and sang the Bette Middler version of "I Put a Spell on You" from the movie Hocus Pocus.  The grand finale was an epic poem by Angelique_Wins (performed by her and adamsgirl) called "A Pirate's Maine Treasure" that explains how Naomi and Joshua got together and reveals the details behind one of the show's intriguing, neglected subplots (that Naomi was given valuable jewels by a pirate admirer).  During the skit and the gala, both Lara Parker and Chris Pennock watched from the audience.

During the gala, I was also fortunate to meet the charming and very talented PennyDreadful (thanks to CyrusL for making the introductions)!  As you may know, Penny hosts "Shilling Shockers," a local program in New England that plays classic horror films like The Terror interspersed with skits starring the witch Penny, her husband Garou the werewolf, and a monster hunter called Dr. Manfred VonBulow.  Occasional DS-references have been slipped into the show.  Penny had brought with her DVD copies of one such episode as well as a CD compilation of DS-related music, both of which she was generous and kind enough to give me--for free!  Just for being a fellow DS fan!  Wow!  Thanks, Penny!  They're terrific, and the "Drunk Shadows" episode is particularly hilarious!  It's a motherlode of inside jokes for DS fans to enjoy.  For more information on Shilling Shockers, visit http://www.shillingshockers.com.

Once the gala ended, everyone scattered--some going to eat a late dinner, others going to the lounge/bar to relax.  I stayed up visiting with friends until about 3 in the morning, trying to make the most of the weekend.  We had only one day left¢â‚¬¦

ProfStokes

[Nancy]

Wow, what amazing detailed summaries of the festival events!  Thanks!

Nancy

[Jackie]

Midnite, thank you so much for giving us a detail account of Jonathan's call in, I am so glad SOMEONE finally posted one, I am sure indeed the crowd went wild with the call in.  I just wish Lara had not had to refer to Jonathan forgetting his lines again, she should just have been glad he called in, oh, well.....

At least he didn't forget to call!!!

[Jackie]

It must have been terribly traumatic for her if it's still that upsetting 40 years after the fact but then not everyone has the gift of overcoming emotional turmoil so quickly.  

It was funny though during the reading she did in the skit that she tripped over lines even with the script in front of her.  The outtakes offered on the Bloopers and Treasures CDs show Lara messing up lines numerous times for a short commercial.  Wonder who she blamed for that? 
nancy

Pehaps she keeps harping on it because it was so stressful for her when it would happen.  I remember at the 2002 Halloweenathon (an event independent of the Festival) that Lara admitted she didn't like working with Jonathan because he often forgot lines and it would make her look bad.

Most of the actors messed up on their lines and the more lines they had, the chances got higher!  So with 594 episodes under his belt, JF would have the most chances to make mistakes.  LP was in 269 episodes, so in comparison, did he have as many mistakes/bloopers as she or anyone else?  Actually the bloopers are very endearing additions to the DS experience!  [I will always love Frid's performances and dedication to the show!!!  ALWAYS]

[Jackie]

I would not be surprised if Jerry Lacy wound up getting cast as Barnabas for future audio dramas.

nancy

Great idea... wonderful voice!!  I loved him last year when he did Tony Peterson and Rev. Trask on stage in their reenactment of their audio show.