A friend recently mentioned Forum cousin VAM to me, and it made me wonder anew why she wasn't in last year's Costume Gala as she has been for years; she has said she began planning her costume almost as soon as the previous event was over.  Curiosity led me to find the following on legacy.com; if Vera's passing was reported in a more timely manner in fandom, my sincere apologies for missing it.  RIP, Vera.  DS fandom (not to mention Lara Parker) has lost one of its most consummate fans.


Elvira Anna Marano
Elvira Anna Marano of West Chester Elvira Anna Marano, 61, of West Chester and formerly of Drexel Hill, passed away on October 27, 2010 at her home. Born August 20, 1949 in Philadelphia, Elvira was the daughter of Rita Ann Marano and Henry J. Cianfrani, both deceased. She was a 1967 graduate of Merion Mercy Academy and a 1971 graduate of Drexel University, with a degree in interior decorating. She went on to earn her masters from Drexel in library science. Elvira is survived by her sisters, Mary Ellen Miller (Ralph Russell) and Maria C. Schaffer (Scott). She is also survived by five nieces, one nephew, one grand-niece and one grand-nephew. Relatives and friends are invited to her funeral Mass 10 a.m. Saturday, October 30, at Ss. Peter & Paul Church, 1325 Boot Rd., West Chester, PA 19380. Int. Holy Cross Cem., Yeadon. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Sisters of the Visitation, 5820 City Line Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131. Arrangements by The Donohue Funeral Home, 1627 West Chester Pike, West Chester, PA 19382, 610-431-9000. Online condolences at www.donohuefuneralhome.com.

Published in The Daily Local on October 29, 2010

If you watched tonight's NCIS ("One Last Score"), you saw the interior and grounds of Greystone Mansion during the last 15 minutes of the show.  Gibbs on the staircase!  JoBeth Williams--playing an amalgam of Leona Helmsley and Bernie Madoff-- by the fire in the living room, aka the Old House drawing room!

Nice closeups of the restored Minstrel Gallery (living room balcony), too.

I've never seen the house so totally empty; the explanation in the story was that the agency had taken possession of all its contents when the owner was convicted.

SHADOWGRAM

The Official Dark Shadows News Updates Yahoo Group
Marcy Robin's Cyberspace "Dark Shadows" News Updates

An Official Internet Publication of SHADOWGRAM -
The Official "Dark Shadows" Published Newsletters

Posted through http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/ShadowGram/

---

Number 232. December 30, 2010

---

Hello, Dark Shadows Fan,

ShadowGram (SG), The Official Newsletter & News Source for Dark Shadows (DS),
announces the following breaking news in this Online News Update "bulletin."

**** SHADOWGRAM PREMIERE-ANNOUNCES DATES FOR

THE 2011 DARK SHADOWS FESTIVAL PRESENTS:
A SALUTE TO DARK SHADOWS' 45TH ANNIVERSARY

**** DAVID SELBY & SUSAN SULLIVAN IN 2 NEW RADIO PLAY PERFORMANCES

**** SHADOWGRAM PREMIERE-ANNOUNCES:
PLANNED: NEW COMIC BOOKS BASED ON ORIGINAL DS

---- SG PREMIERE ANNOUNCEMENT: 2011 DS FESTIVAL EVENT DATES

Just now confirmed:

The 2011 DS Festival will be held in the New York City area from Fri., Aug. 19 to Sun., Aug. 21, 2011.

These dates are definite and are being announced now so that fans who wish to attend may make travel and vacation plans.

This event salutes DS by marking the 45th anniversary of the daytime series' premiere on June 27, 1966.

Upcoming SG Online Updates via the ShadowGram YahooGroup soon will premiere-announce MORE information regarding the specific location, followed by a tentative guest list, early programming plans, convention membership and banquet rates, and other details.

Among the confirmed guests will be JONATHAN FRID and DAVID SELBY.

The weekend will feature many exciting activities, including a special awards ceremony and gala banquet dinner with the DS stars.

Details for this 45th Anniversary Festival also will be featured in the new SG #119 print issue, due out early in the new year

**** IMPORTANT:

**** SG asks fans to please wait for more upcoming email SG Official Online Update announcement(s) about the Fest. Please do not ask SG, the Fest, or any hotels for details now. More official information will be posted soon in the SG Online Updates. Thank you. ****

---- DAVID SELBY & SUSAN SULLIVAN STAR IN 2 SEPARATE CLASSIC PLAYS

David (Quentin Collins) and Susan (Ghost) both often participate in staged readings for L.A. Theatre Works. These shows feature many familiar actors seated onstage, holding scripts bound in notebooks. When their character has dialogue, the actor steps to a microphone and uses vocal inflections, facial expressions, and body language to interpret the lines and tone. Throughout the performance, live sound effects and music cues are heard. All this is recorded, along with the live audience reactions. The recorded production later is aired on Public Radio stations, streamed online, and available on CD. LATW's publicity: "All of our plays are performed without sets or costumes for later broadcast on public radio and internet streaming."

---- David stars in an upcoming LATW's performance:of the iconic Bram Stoker's iconic novel DRACULA. The shows, presented in the radio theatre format described above, are May 18-20 at 8:00; May 21 at 2:30, and May 22 at 4:00.

The venue is the intimate Maglin Auditorium of the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in Brentwood (Los Angeles). Box office: 310-827-0889. Order tickets online: https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/749055

Publicity: "Featuring David Selby. Before Twilight and True Blood, only one vampire commanded `the children of the night.' Join us if you dare for a terrifying quest to find Dracula's lair."

---- Susan portrays "Lady Sneerwell" in LATW's performance of the satirical THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL, a " raucous send-up of hypocritical manners." Shows are Jan. 12-14 (8:00) and Jan. 15 at 2:30 and Jan. 16 at 4:00.

The venue also is the intimate Maglin Auditorium of the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in Brentwood (Los Angeles). Box office: 310-827-0889. Order tickets online: https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/749025

---- SG PREMIERE ANNOUNCEMENT

Just now confirmed:

Coming in 2011 will be the debut of an all-new comic book series based on the original DS, featuring never-before-told stories. SG will announce further information soon.

In the meantime, Hermes Press continues its deluxe reprints of the 1960s-1970s DS Gold Key comic books. These are collected together in hardbound volumes, which offer painstakingly-restored issues, along with new supplemental material and rare photographs. To order, go to http://www.hermespress.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/

Marcy Robin
P.O. Box 1766
Temple City, CA 91780-7766

ShadowGram@aol.com
ShadowGram1@yahoo.com
www.ShadowGram.com

Classic Hollywood: Marsha Mason comes full circle

"[about moving to NY to focus on theater] 'Maybe I am coming full circle,' she says, laughing. The St. Louis native moved there directly after graduating ... She played a prostitute turned vampire on the ABC daytime vampire soap 'Dark Shadows' and was appearing on the soap 'Love of Life' when she auditioned for writer-director Paul Mazursky and got the pivotal part of George Segal's character's love interest in the filmmaker's 1973 romantic comedy 'Blume in Love.'"