SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 - PART 2 CONTINUED...

AFTER THE AUCTION

When the auction concluded, the ‘cocktail hour’ began.  Because of all the technical difficulties and delays, the Hilton was providing all of the party guests with free drinks.  By this time, a number of people had changed into their costumes for the evening.  I was a standard Collinsport time-traveling afghan blanket (yet many people asked if I was a hippie.)  I saw and snapped pictures of a number of very impressive outfits while everybody was standing around.  One of the most striking costumes was surely VAM’s  As Angelique the crone, (after her portrait was made-over by Sam Evans) she posed with ‘Tony Peterson’ and a cigarette lighter so that several fans could take pictures. We fans mingled for quite a while.  During this time, the highly-touted haunted parallel time room (which by now had been postponed by about three hours) was allegedly being set up at last.  When we heard the news that it was finally ready, we hastily lined up and rushed downstairs to the Sunnyside ballroom.  Unfortunately, the call must have been premature because once we were queued up against the wall we got to wait for what must have been at least another half-hour.  The extra time afforded more photo opportunities.  It also gave one of the volunteers (whose name I didn’t catch) the opportunity to move up and down the line and try to rally us.  From time to time, she yelled out questions requesting our opinion about Barnabas and Julia as a couple or the possibility of Johnny Depp playing Barnabas in a future movie.  Once she even exhorted us to howl like wolves!  I realize that she was trying to distract us from the boredom of waiting, but I can’t help wondering what the guests in that section of the hotel were thinking of us.

THE DOORS OPEN

At long last, the doors to the secret parallel time room opened—but only to groups of 40 at a time.  I happened to be lucky number 13 in the line, so I made it through.  After navigating a short flight of stairs in the dark, we grouped to one side around a coffin lying in the middle of the floor.  Ed Lambese, dressed as Quentin, paced back and forth in front of the coffin while the recorded voice-over in the background warned of how Barnabas Collins’s hopes for a cure from his curse were soon to be thwarted.  Soon, one of the party staff members emerged from the coffin in Barnabas’s 1795 attire and quickly conferred with Quentin about whether or not he would ever be free.  Suddenly, Lara Parker appeared from the shadows to re-invoke Angelique’s curse.  The scene culminated in Barnabas attacking the vengeful witch.

EAGLE HILL CEMETERY

The next scene consisted of Eagle Hill Cemetery, and its tombstones for the victims of 1795: JEREMIAH COLLINS, ABAGAIL (sic) COLLINS, SARAH COLLINS, MILLICENT COLLINS, and JOSETTE COLLINS. Nearby, the bodyless head of Judah Zachary reposed in a glass case.  Passing this, we were herded into a rectangular pentagram and told to remain there for safety.  We remained for many minutes (more technical difficulties) before Quentin (Ed) and Beth (Terry) appeared from the next room.  It was the night of the full moon, and Quentin was beginning to feel the pangs of the transformation. While Beth rushed about in a panic, begging the audience for help, Quentin fell to the floor as though dead.  A rubber mask tossed through the door of the next room turned Quentin into the werewolf, and he leapt to his feet to attack Beth. She was forced to shoot him in self-defense (that gun again!)

DIANA MILLAY, PHOENIX

After that scene from 1897, Diana Millay stepped into the room clothed in a long black vampire’s cape. She summoned flame from an urn and then told us the story of the Phoenix. The strobe lights that flashed in the room sent eerie shadows over her face. At the end of the story, Diana dropped the cape and took flight as the Phoenix in shorts. (I believe this scene was improvised; the day before, she had complained about Roger Davis’s absence because she was supposed to do a scene with him over the weekend. Perhaps the original skit was supposed to involve Dirk and Laura.) By this time, more people were beginning to filter into the room, and since not all of them had seen the last performance, we were encouraged to remain behind and watch it a second time for their benefit.  However, since most of us were starving, we went on to the banquet room instead.

BANQUET

The banquet/costume party was really the highest point of the day. There were many wonderful costumes in the evening’s contest: a bloody-mouthed vampire, a spider from the west wing (a lady in a cape with a sparkling cobweb design,) Josette’s ghost, Mrs. Johnson, Victoria Winters, Carrie Stokes, Carolyn (as seen in House of Dark Shadows,) Tony Peterson, aged Cassandra, Hallie Stokes, and a trio in stunning 19th Century-style clothing. The female winner of the event was, by unanimous approval, Mrs. Johnson. The men’s contest ended in a tie between PatrickM of the sci-fi board (1840) and JVjr (1897.)  A number of people were out on the dance floor.  Even Terry and Lara participated. At one point, everybody formed a large circle (actresses included) and danced in a ring.  Later, a man who was dancing with Lara Parker lifted her off the floor and spun her around.  I couldn’t resist joining in the fun either and danced to nearly every song (probably making a fool out of myself in the process, but it was a lot of fun, and I had some very nice dance partners.)  The party went on past midnight.  However, I didn’t stay for the entire thing, but went to the bar (which was open to all ages) with a few friends until a little while after one.  Even though it was late, I still felt refreshed and excited about the events for the next day.