2016 BIRTHDAY WEEKEND
ASH played a prominent role throughout the weekend, beginning with the traditional ASH Wednesday gathering hosted by Susan Rice at The Press Box and attended by approximately 80 enthusiastic Sherlockians who overflowed the dining room and cheerfully carried on their convivial comradeship downstairs.
As always, the GILLETTE LUNCHEON was expertly hosted by Susan Rice in conjunction with Mickey Fromkin (right). ASH Al Gregory presented The Beacon Society with a check for $1,000. Al makes his contribution a matching grant for donations to the Jan Stauber Fund to encourage other donations and to promote the dual cause of literacy and Holmesiana. At the Gillette luncheon, Al Gregory also announced that Steve Mason won the 2016 WHIMSEY award for his Sherlockian riff on Woody Allen, the radio play “When Death Comes A’ Callin’,” which appeared in Vol. 31 No. 1 of the Muse. Steve received a handsome certificate and a check for $221.17. Russell Merritt made a special presentation to Susan and Mickey of original lobby cards found with the newly discovered print of the Gillette silent Sherlock Holmes film. On behalf of “The Grillparzer Club of the Hoboken Free State,” ASHes Linda and Terry Hunt presented certificates to ASH Doré Nash and Jim Cox in honor of the 15th anniversary of the Morley walk. ASHes Andrew Joffe and Sarah Montague, along with Curtis Armstrong and Paul Singleton, performed a skit of the Watsons visiting a TV relationship-advice guru.
This year’s BSI DINNER was a multi-part celebration of the women of the BSI on the 25th anniversary of that momentous weekend when women were first admitted as full members of the BSI. The Canonical toasts were all by women, including the following ASH: Julia Rosenblatt to Mrs. Hudson, given in the persona of her BSI investiture, Mrs. Turner; Marilynne McKay to Mycroft (in verse); and Catherine Cooke to Sherlock Holmes in the form of his New Year’s resolutions. A number of ASH received special recognition during the 2016 Birthday Weekend. Chris Redmond won the BSJ’s Morley-Montgomery Award and the following ASH received “Eddies” for editing BSI books: Catherine Cooke, Candace Lewis, Robert Katz, and Andrew Solberg. “Tip of the Deerstalker” awards for service to the BSI went to ASHes Peter Crupe, Al Gregory, and Bill VandeWater. Jenn Eaker received the BSI investiture of Mary Sutherland, while Will Walsh will now be known as Godfrey Norton. Congratulations to all!
Bob Coghill’s toast to an Old Irregular honored the late Maureen Green, ASH. Mike Whelan announced that ASH Bob Katz will assume the role of “Billy the Page” for the BSI; Bob Katz and Andy Solberg also spoke about the history of and plans for the BSI Trust. ASHes Peter Blau and Evelyn Herzog together traced the relationship between the BSI and women, from the earliest guests and The Women through ASH’s 1968 picket to the 1991 investiture of women by ASH Tom Stix; Susan Rice insightfully refuted the charge that Holmes was a misogynist; and Francine Kitts honored the thirteen BSI who died in the preceding year. Songs were special as well: ASH Betsy Rosenblatt did a torch rendition of “At Last” for women in the BSI (lyrics by Henry Boote) and ASH Susan Dahlinger wowed the assemblage (including author Nicholas Meyer) with a bravura performance of Sondheim’s saucy “I Never Do Anything Twice” as featured in the film A Seven-Per-Cent Solution. The highlight was a men-only rendition of a Henry Boote version of “Aunt Clara” celebrating women in the Irregulars. This song and “At Last” appear on the inside covers of Muse 32.2.
A number of ASH received special recognition: Chris Redmond won the BSJ’s Morley-Montgomery Award and the following ASH received “Eddies” for editing BSI books: Catherine Cooke, Candace Lewis, Robert Katz, and Andrew Solberg. “Tip of the Deerstalker” awards for service to the BSI went to ASHes Peter Crupe, Al Gregory, and Bill VandeWater. Jenn Eaker received the BSI investiture of Mary Sutherland, while Will Walsh will now be known as Godfrey Norton. Congratulations to all!
Friday night’s THE WOMAN DINNER featured several ASH. Candace Lewis presented “More on Fingerprints: the Mona Lisa and Macaroni”; Bev Wolov read her poem “The Woman” and performed in a short play; and toasts were given by Janice Fisher (The Woman), Elaine Coppola (Former Boyfriends), and Barbara Herbert (Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson with Starrett’s “221b” as read by Basil Rathbone).
SHERLOCK HOLMES & P.G. WODEHOUSE: Saturday morning, The Clients of Adrian Mulliner led by ASHes Carol Cavalluzzi and Elaine Coppola met for a Junior Bloodstain. A dozen aficionados of Sherlock Holmes and the stories of P.G. Wodehouse had a lively discussion of P.G. Wodehouse’s “The Smile That Wins”, a story introducing detective Adrian Mulliner who “… was dark and thin and wore an air of inscrutable melancholy.” They also did a dramatic reading of Wodehouse’s “From a Detective’s Notebook,” the story of Adrian Mulliner’s “…unmasking of the man Sherlock Holmes,” followed by an animated analysis of Adrian’s deduction. ASHes Joe Coppola, Maggie Schnader (who has Wodehousian and Sherlockian postings on the website CriminalElement.com), and Karen Wilson also participated in the program.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of women in the BSI, Scott Monty and Burt Wolder interviewed Susan Rice and Evelyn Herzog for the “I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere” podcast #89.
THE BSI COCKTAIL RECEPTION on Saturday featured ASH Mary Ann Bradley (the hardest-working behind-the-scenes member of the BSI Weekend team), who introduced the members of “The Women” who were present. Al Rosenblatt and his daughter, ASH Betsy Rosenblatt, declaimed their poetic summary of the year’s events of interest to Sherlockians and Peter Blau did his usual adept stint as auctioneer. ASH John Baesch was the very lucky winner of the BSI Raffle—a his-and-hers Victorian jewelry set commemorating SCAN devised by Maggie Schpak featuring a silver and amethyst brooch and earrings as well as a genuine gold sovereign on a watch-chain. John’s wife, ASH Evelyn Herzog, is expected to help John make use of the prize.
Sunday concluded with the ASH BRUNCH at The Black Sheep, ably organized by Lyndsay Faye for a large crowd of Sherlockians who couldn’t seem to bear seeing the Weekend come to a close.
PYJAMAS ON PARADE
by Anastasia Klimchynskaya
The fourth annual “Daintiest Thing Under a Bonnet” Charity Ball, now a Birthday Weekend tradition, was held on Thursday, 14 January 2016. Hosted by the Baker Street Babes, the ball raises funds for veterans; this year the charity of choice was The Disabled American Veterans Trust. The Ball returned to the storied and illustrious Players club for the third time—a fitting locale for a Sherlockian event, graced by a sketch of Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes on the main floor and a Frederic Dorr Steele illustration downstairs.
Though each incarnation of the Ball so far has been remarkable, this year’s event outdid them all. It might have been this year’s theme: the Daintiest Thing in a Dressing Gown Pyjama Party. On a (remarkably warm, for New York) January evening, ladies daringly clad in corsets and Victorian undergarments, gentlemen in dinner jackets, and Sherlockians of both genders in dressing gowns descended upon Gramercy Park. Though each ball has had a theme, this year’s was by far the most costumed of them all, as almost every attendee donned comfy pajamas and slippers, Victorian dress, or, in the case of ASH Bob Stek (below), a bright pink bunny jumpsuit.
Judging this year’s costume contest would have been particularly difficult, with so many perfect replicas of the Frederic Dorr Steele painting in the very building walking, talking, and breathing. Not surprisingly, the pink bunny was one of the winners. Other winners were Chrys and Jerry Kegley in the couples category and Kelsey Hercs for female costume.
As usual, a quiz, a silent auction, and much socializing took place. The culminating event was a live auction, hosted by William Gillette himself. This, too, was memorable and Sherlockian: whatever price each lot started at, almost immediately $221.17 was offered, before proceeding to higher numbers as Sherlockians fell over themselves to donate as much money as they could to an organization that helps veterans. Over $10,000 was raised.
A Sherlockian event indeed, in its joy and celebration, its creativity, as well as its generosity.
