DSFestPics2003to2008

Mrs. Scrooge: Part Three -- The Audience Speaks Back


Home
Dark Shadows Festival Labor Day Weekend 2003
"Return to Collinwood" Radio Play, DS Fest 2003
Fest 2004 -- Lyndhurst
Fest 2004 -- Miscellaneous Actors Talks
Fest 2004 -- John Karlen's Sunday Afternoon Talk
Fest 2004 -- David Selby's Talk (avaliable light shots)
Fest 2004 -- David Selby's Talk (digital shots)
Fest 2004 -- Audio play "The House" (#1 -- avaliable light shots)
Fest 2004 -- Audio play "The House"(#2 digital shots)
DS Hollywood Weekend 2005 Pictures from Autograph Sessions
DS Hollywood Weekend 2005 Cast Reunion
DS Hollywood Weekend 2005 -- "Vengeance at Collinwood"
2006 Fest Pictures -- The Collinwood Drawing Room Set
2006 Fest Photos -- Marie Wallace
2006 Fest Photos -- Jerry Lacy
2006 Fest Photos -- Betsy Durkin
2006 Fest Photos -- Lara Parker at autograph session
Lara Parker and John Karlen
2006 Fest Photos -- Donna McKechnie
KLS & Conard Fowlkes
2006 Fest Photos -- David Selby
2006 Fest Photos: Cast Reunion
Lara Parker as Mrs. Scrooge (December 2007) -- Photographs
Mrs. Scrooge: Part One -- Manhattan Melodrama
Mrs. Scrooge: Part Two -- The Play's the Thing
Mrs. Scrooge: Part Three -- The Audience Speaks Back
Burbank Fest August 2008 -- Jonathan Frid
Burbank Fest August 2008 -- Robert Cobert
Burbank Fest August 2008 -- Sy Tomashoff and Big Finish
Burbank Fest, August 2008 --Performance of unaired episode from the Adam storyline
Burbank Fest August 2008 - Misc Cast Reunion & David Selby

Mrs. Scrooge starrring Lara Parker
review & trip report by JMW

Part III – The Audience Speaks Back


After the play it was announced that Peter Mac and Ms. Parker would be staying to do a Q & A, during which pictures would be allowed. Once again the rear screen was used, this time to run the Dark Shadows scene where Angelique places her curse on Barnabas Collins.

I’m not sure that Ms. Parker was completely comfortable with watching her performance, as she stressed after the clip was over how long AGO this was. However, she seemed VERY comfortable during the rest of the Q & A itself, relaxed and friendly. Perhaps the small venue had something to do with it; perhaps also the LACK of the “lunatic fringe” who can make both actors and fans very uncomfortable with their blatant rudeness.

This led into discussions of the performance and the play. As it turns out the cast deserves far more credit than I suggest above. This was NOT a reading, but a play, performed without benefit of scripts or teleprompters, and it turns out that the players fit this in between day jobs, and LP had left her classes (she currently teaches at the college level in LA, and refers to herself as retired from acting with the exception of special events such as this show) gotten straight on a plane and gone straight to work only a few days before the performances. The workload involved in pulling this together must have given her déjà vu to the shooting schedule of DS: get script, memorize, rehearse and DO IT – with no retakes. Clearly she hasn’t lost her ability to pull this off – and the rest of the cast, NOT accustomed to that breakneck performance pace, deserves great credit for pulling it off as well.

A suggestion that this be done again NEXT Christmas met with enthusiastic approval, and the possibility of other venues was discussed. Not one to let an opportunity pass, I suggested that it would be a good play to perform at a Dark Shadows Festival. Peter’s response to that was to suggest that those who would like to see that should write to the Festival address/ email address.

LP answered a number of questions from the audience, and was clearly having a good time bantering with Peter and talking to the fans. She told everyone that she had JUST become a grandmother (and seemed to think it was ABOUT TIME), and how thrilled she is about the new grandbaby. She said she couldn’t wait to go home, get him into a little red suit, and take pictures in front of the Christmas tree.

After a few more questions the session ended, and I spoke a bit with some of the other performers before leaving the theater. One hopes that Ms. Parker and the cast were heading off somewhere to eat and relax, before having to do it again four hours later.


Help is On the Way Today: As mentioned above, these performances were a fundraiser for this organization, with the services of all the actors donated. But, although the performances are over, the need still remains. Speaking as someone who works for a 150 year old child welfare organization, I assure you that there’re always far more kids with a desperate and legitimate need than there is money to help them. Government grants, even when available, can’t be stretched far enough. So, I’m sure this organization would love to hear from you, and get donations to help more kids at this holiday season. To find out more about this worthy charity, please check out their webpage:

Help is on the Way



trip report and review @2007 by JMW and may not be copied without permission and citation.