Autumnal Equinox

Well Fall has fell. At least that is what Jeff on Channel 5 said. You would not know it by the weather though! We are having unusually hot and dry weather. The trees are starting to lose their leaves, and the evenings are getting cooler, but today was a gorgeous summer day. I was almost late for my Yoga class this morning. I no longer have an alarm clock. Threw it out when I retired! what wakes me up is the birds at the feeder, and the sun hitting my face, or Loki licking my cheek for breakfast. TOday, they pussy willow tree was still in full leaf, and the birds were not making noise, Loki had decided to sleep on the sofa, and the sun had not hit my face yet. Fall. THe sun moves from way over here, to way over there and back again. My house faces the West, and my bedroom faces East, so my bedroom gets the morning light.

I always note the time and the date that I first notice Orion pop up over the alders each Fall. This year it was way into September, around 4:00AM. The alders are getting taller, so Orion has farther to go to be seen. He is my favorite constellation. I know that once orion is fully risen that the cold and the winter will not be far behind.

This year Fall snuck up on me. I have been so busy with the show that I just did not have time to do all the late summer things I usually do. No apples, No Pears, no peaches no tomatoes canned. just lots of zuchinni bread. THe autumn light is there though. The sun just went down behind the house across the street, and as it went, the sky turned bright gold! I have a feeling that we are going to be paying for all this great weather all winter long! any body wanna take a guess on the first frost?

Well we are half way through the run of this show and so far we have only hit about 45% of our house. NOT GOOD!! We are getting great publicity, we are getting great comments by those that have seen it, but we just are not getting the people in that usually do not come. I guess it is lack of a NAME BRAND, Iw ould have thought with ZOMBIES in the title we would bring in the young crowd, but so far NOT! Maybe we ought to have a YOUNG PERSON night! Charge 1/2 price for anyone under 19. Might work, Might not, but the seats are empty anyway. BIG SIGH!

I had a picnic last night after the show...TIm and his "family" came down for the show, and to celebrate his birthday. We went down to CIty Beach and roasted hotdogs and cut Chocolate decadance cake! OH YUMMY!!!! I came home knowing that I had NOTHING TO DO for three days! YES!!! I could sleep all day if I wanted!! WHOOT!

I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 630! CRAP! SO I got up ate my yogurt, made a pot of coffee and watched the TOday SHow. Now I am washing clothes, cleaning the kitchen cleaning my bedroom and then vaccuuming the livingroom! SO much for NOTHING TO DO huh?

THere is always tomorrow!!!

Zombies From THe Beyond

By LIZ BURLINGAME
Whidbey News Times Reporter
Today, 3:15 PM • UPDATED
The town invasion has begun at the Whidbey Playhouse, which carries a collection of buxom aliens, I-like-Ike Americans and a spy from across the Iron Curtain.
They’re part of the production “Zombies from the Beyond,” the low-budget musical, comedy that opens this Friday.
‘Zombies’ satirizes the sci-fi films of the fifties and pop culture in general, in a time when America’s greatest enemies were imaginary aliens.
Playwright James Valcq created the music and dialogue and used his hometown of Milwaukee for the play’s backdrop.
“(Valcq) thought people could relate to a small town being attacked by aliens,” director Mary Lou Chandler said.
‘Zombies’ is set in the Eisenhower era and the Cold War and space race were the big headlines of the day. The staff at the Milwaukee Space Center is anxious about the arrival of rocket scientist Trenton Corbett. Nathan McCartney plays the stiff, no-nonsence military man named Major Malone, who heads the fictitious center. His overly serious assistant, Rick Jones, is actually a red agent (played by Meiko Parton) and his daughter Mary soon becomes Corbett’s love interest. However, their budding romance is jeopardized when a flying saucer lands in Milwaukee. The craft is piloted by Zombina (Amanda McCartney), a buxom alien bent on gaining he-specimens to repopulate her planet.
Her secret weapon is her high-powered singing, which “zombifies” the unknowing males.
Chandler’s cast is relatively young compared to recent playhouse productions, with most actors in their mid-to-late 20s. The actors’ silly, cartoonish demeanor tenderly mocks the bad acting of space paranoia flicks.
The film nostalgia includes sharp 50s clothing, indoor smoking (it’s fake) and scientific jargon: The reflexive lens must be responding recalcitrantly to post-lunar pressurization, says Corbett (Wes Ralston).
“I just remember those old, horrible sci-fi shows on television back when it was free. I love sci-fi. I’ve been a Trekkie from the get-go,” said Mary K. Hallen, who plays a man-hungry secretary.
The cast used a lot of movie comparisons to describe the play, and ‘Zombies’ truly has the look of a grade-B film. There are scenes where the actors mug at the audience, as if they were staring into a camera lens. It has the feel of “Plan 9 From Outer Space,” “Mars Attacks” and “Flash Gordon,” to name a few.
The trick was to make it look imperfect, Chandler said.
“Everything is tacky and corny. The cues are off in some spots but it’s intentional.”
The play’s score is an homage to ‘50s pop, such as Perry Como and Doris Day. Each of the actor’s vocals are ear-pleasing and McCartney gives a standout performance as the operatic Zombina. It’s paired with over-the-top jazz, swing and Russian dance moves. A lanky Parton manages a one-handed side flip in the dance number “Big Wig” and a Michael Jordon-sized leap across the stage. Young also brings a charming tap number in “Atomic Feet,” as his character flirts with Charlene.
Finally, the set design team did an incredible job of staying true to the cheesy sci-fi style. The Space Center looks like an airport control tower, with geometrical flashing control boards and a giant projector screen. Later, there’s a styrofoam skyline of Milwaukee and a space ship moves across the stage on a visible wire.
This play doesn’t need to be analyzed too deeply; it’s simply fun, clever and hilarious.
“In short, it’s a beautiful disaster. You gotta see it to believe it,” Parton said.
Tickets for “Zombies from the Beyond” are now available. The show runs Sept. 11 to Oct. 3, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. All seats are $16. Contact the Whidbey Playhouse at 679-2237 for more information. The Whidbey Playhouse is located at 730 SE Midway Blvd. in Oak Harbor.

A Corner turned...

Last week was hot and dry, this week was cooler and moist, and today it is COLD and WET! I think we have taken a turn around that weather corner, and have gone from summer into Fall. The leaves on my Maple tree have started to turn yellow on the west facing side. Soon they will all be on the ground, and have to be raked into piles and loaded into the back of Bob's pick-up, to be carted off to his mulch pile.

I woke up late this morning and it felt so good to be snuggled down under the blankets witha cold wind blowing in the window. Sometime during the night of restless sleep, I must have turned on the blanket, because I was toastey and sure did not want to move. Loki however had other ideas, and kept licking my face and purring into my mouth. MOM wake up!!! WE ARE HUNGRY. I expect that if I had not gotten up that they would have had ME for breakfast! Sadie maybe not, but I have no doubts that my cats would have eaten me starting with my nose!

I got up, fixed a pot of coffee, fixed another batch of zucchini bread, popped that into the oven, and went back to my bed to watch AFFAIR TO REMEMBER for the 35th time! I know that movie by heart.

THe show was WONDERFUL on Family and Press night, so they all got the holiday weekend off. All of the tech is done, the set is finished, the costumes are done and I only have three more portraits to take and then I AM DONE!!!! I almost cried because it was so good! I have put so many many many hours into this show, spending upwards of 8-10 hours a day trying to get all the tech just right, finding people to work backstage, setting the lights, sound, and tweeking everything. It is up to the cast now. My job is done. I have also turned a corner. I actually relaxed for the first time in MONTHS.

THe pool opens again on Tuesday, and Yoga starts up again on Tuesday morning, so I can get back to being healthy instead of stressed out.

My toe is sitting at a cock-eyed angle to the rest of my foot, and it hurts like hell, but it is not black anymore. Just bright CHerry red!

It is pouring rain and dark out and I heard a far off rumble in the distance, so I guess we may get some thunder and lightning. Very unusual for us. LOVE IT!!!

AHHHHHH!!!!!

tonight's Dress Rehearsal!

As you can see by these photos, it is an hilariously funny, kitschy, tacky,campy show. It was written that way, and it is so corny that you laugh all the time!
I wish you all could come see it. I will get it on you-tube sometime in October!