Ilion High School - Class of 1974

Source pdf file is here Herkimer NY Evening Telegram 1973 02598.pdf on fultonhistory.com

Ilion Little Theater Opens New Season

ILION - Some 50 years and at least three times as many plays ago, a stable became a stage and the Ilion Little Theatre presented its first three-act play.

Now, a new season is starting. A play is being selected and the theatre will become another set for the first of three plays being planned.

According to members and records of the theatre, it really got its start in 1922 in the attic of Mrs Lucille Worden's home at 57 West St. The theatre remained there for approximately two years, before it was moved to a one-room building at the point where Second Street and Barringer Road meet. Some two years later, the theatre group paid approximately $1,500 for the old Remington Stable.

In 1928, the first three-act play was performed on the stable stage. Props and costumes were stored in the hayloft. The carriages remained in the cellar.

According to members, the Little Theatre group is fortunate in owning their own building. Many theatre groups across the state perform in school or civic auditoriums.

As with most Little Theatre groups, all the work is accomplished by the members. Coming from the entire Mohawk Valley area, members make up a cross section of people. Some are teachers, lawyers, dentists, factory workers, retired persons and businessmen.

Active membership, according to the Little Theatre constitution is limited to 100 persons. To join, an application must be signed by two club members and accepted by the board. Usually interested persons have a special interest in acting, directing or in working backstage.

"The main purpose of the Little Theatre," said Elwyn Swarthout, 7 Hillside Place, and also an honorary member, having been a member at least 25 years, "is just to get together and have fun."

Swarthout and his wife Genevieve, both retired speech and drama teachers, have been since 1928. Swarthout participated in that first three act play.

"We always seemed to have a person available for every job," he said, adding, "At one time we had nine qualified directors." He noted that more directors would be welcome. The will to direct is all that is needed he said.

At one time a play called for a grand piano, which the Little Theatre did not have. Meeting the need, member Bronson Quakenbush, of Herkimer, designed and built a baby grand piano.

Mrs. Swarthout explained she was off stage playing a real piano, while her husband was on stage "playing" the baby grand. When the play ended, a woman from the audience remarked, "I just love to hear a man play the piano."

Another time, just a day before an opening night, one of the players left town. Another member was asked to take his place and introduced as a "guest star". The performance went without any problem.

Numerous hours of rehearsing and preparation go into each play. Rehearsals are usually held three times a week for six weeks. At that time the play is presented before subscribing members. A subscribing member pays a fee for a season ticket, entitling him to attend all of the season plays. The plays are not presented before the general public (seating capacity is limited to 150). At the present time, subscribing membership is about 300.

Active members still meet once a month for a dinner theatre meeting. Then a one act play is presented, usually by a different group of members at each meeting.

Like the Swarthouts, several honorary members are still actively involved in today's Little Theatre.

Today, as 50 years ago, members look at the theatre group with pride and seriousness. seriousness.

Is it worth all that? The Swarthouts say yes. Members wonder how they did it when they held a job and had families to raise, but when its all over the Swarthouts said, you look back and find, "its been amusing and amazing."