August 11
This is the belated report of Theatre L’Homme Dieu’s annual fundraiser, par-tay, and general celebration of barn quilts and ring baloney. The Super and I had to leave for summer camp that very weekend, which delayed reporting at the time and will delay the reporting on said camp. In keeping with the traditions of Alexandria summers, we had wonderful weather for the evening and a good time was had by all . . .
“Theatre L’Homme Dieu (TLHD) has a rich history of presenting theatre to the Alexandria Lakes Area. Founded in 1961, TLHD is the oldest operating summer stock theatre in MN. Formerly partnered with SCSU, we have been operating independently as a presenting theatre since 2009. That means that we don’t produce community shows, rather we present professional theatre on our stage.
TLHD audiences are comprised of permanent residents, seasonal residents, tourists, and guests of the Alexandria area. TLHD’s campus is a former resort that was converted into a theatre campus with housing for 38, a lodge with an industrial kitchen, and a 272-seat proscenium theatre. The campus sits on 22 acres of wooded land, with access to Lake L’Homme Dieu.” [thld.org/what-we-do]
July 27
The old with the old, the young with the young, the hostess by the tea table, on which there were exactly the same cakes in a silver basket as the Panins had at their soiree – everything was exactly the same as with everyone else. ~ Leo Tolstoy
I have tried to know absolutely nothing about a great many things, and I have succeeded fairly well. ~ Robert Benchley
[Early arrivers checked in at the patio, a hint of excitement was in the air . . . ]
How devastated I am to say that I will not be present at your petite soiree on June 10th. Unfortunately, the exceptionally weak drinks you ordinarily serve at these occasions are not sufficient to dull my senses to your boyfriend’s futile efforts to grope me in the hallway. ~ A.C. Kemp
I never said most of the things I said. ~ Yogi Berra
[The Supervisor checks in while I pretend to be cub reporting . . . ]
[As I recall the dress code for the event was “resort elegant,” here elegantly displayed by Dave, the theatre’s CFO, and Karin Berg . . . ]
Drinking makes such fools of people, and people are such fools to begin with that it’s compounding a felony. ~ Robert Benchley
[Dave pours a bit of bubbly for Jim, theatre board president, and Jan Pence, while Paul Trumm acts as a witness . . . ]
[Cassie was the professional photographer while I dabbled around the edges. She is known to regular diners and music aficionados at the Garden Bar . . . ]
All people from small islands dance funny. ~ A. A. Gill
[Known patrons of the arts arrive . . . ]
God damn it, you’ve got to be kind. ~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
[Also known as Tom and Jeanne Mulder . . . ]
If God wanted us to bend over he’d put diamonds on the floor. ~ Joan Rivers
[Let the mingling begin . . . ]
Humor has to surprise us; otherwise, it isn’t funny. It’s a death knell for a writer to be labeled a humorist because then it’s not a surprise anymore. ~ Garrison Keillor
[The vast expense of greenery looking to the campus entrance from the theatre building – landscaping is a continuing work in progress . . . ]
A room is like a stage. If you see it without lighting, it can be the coldest place in the world. ~ Paul Lynde
[THE THEATRE L’HOMME DIEU . . . ]
I was the class podiatrist. I never made it to class clown. I wasn’t funny enough. I would examine feet and prescribe and ointment. It was a sad childhood. ~ Gilbert Gottfried
[The old lodge . . . ]
It just seems to me that there’s no particular reason comedy albums should be dead. There’s a lot to laugh at. We have very funny people, still. ~ Eric Idle
[Even more patrons of the arts: Marianne and Tim Moe . . . ]
I have no agenda except to be funny. Neither I or the writers profess to offer any worldly wisdom. ~ Julia Louis-Dreyfus
[Thank you Sidney Imsande and Jenna Nowak, we could not have pulled this off without you. Therefore, this Bud’s for you!]
[The entertainment begins. The performers from The Class of ’85, the theatre’s play at the time, put on a terrific display of dance for us . . . ]
It is more rewarding to watch money change the world than to watch it accumulate. ~ Gloria Steinem
[And away we go . . . ]
From the first time I saw Sid Caesar be funny I knew that’s what I had to do. ~ Billy Crystal
There is something about sex that always brings out the funny in me. I think it’s because we make such fools of ourselves over it. ~ Rita Moreno
It’s simple, if it jiggles, it’s fat. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger
I grew up in a time when women didn’t really do comedy. You had to be homely, overweight, an old maid, all that. You had to play a stereotype, because very attractive women were not supposed to be funny – because it’s powerful; it’s a threat. ~ Lily Tomlin
The ‘Billionaire’ song is what my kids tease me with. They sing it to me. It’s funny. ~ Bill Gates
The Show . . .
And this is my table! ~ The Supervisor
Certainly there are things in life that money can’t buy, but it’s very funny – Did you ever try buying them without money? ~ Ogden Nash
I don’t know who the hell Paul Lynde is, or why he’s funny, and I prefer it to be a mystery to me. ~ Paul Lynde
[And this was our table. It appears the executive director (see the following photos) was pouring our wine . . . ]
To me, the funniest American of the Twentieth Century is Richard Nixon because he had the most to hide, and he was so bad at hiding it. To me, that’s what’s really funny – people who think they’re doing a great job of hiding stuff, and it just keeps leaking out. ~ Harry Shearer
No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world. ~ Robin Williams
[Taking the stage, i.e., time to raise money, is Nicole Mulder, the theatre’s executive director, and Katie Eiser, theatre board vice president with the lead role for this event . . . ]
Richard Pryor introduced me to the world of the inner city, and the urban world, and did it hysterically. My favorite comedian, even though we work 180 degrees differently, but funny is funny is funny. ~ Bob Newhart
Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving. ~ Hank Rosso
Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. ~ Booker T. Washington
[Thank you Nicole and Katie . . . ]
I think forever is an incorrect concept,” I answered. He smirked. “You’re an incorrect concept.”
“I know. That’s why I’m being taken out of the rotation”. ~ John Green
Once you get past funny, my other qualities are so below average. It’s not like I’m handy. ~ Seth Meyers
Up Next: Part 2 . . .
alexandriacardinals2.wordpress.com 
I remember one of the summers I lived out there, the actors lived upstairs in the lodge. They decided to make beer in the basement, and they did. At the end of the summer, they were dipping pitchers into the crock they had used, and they were putting them in the frig. A few of them started drinking it before it was cold. Downstairs, as they were getting to the bottom of the crock, they discovered dead mice at the bottom. Those that had started drinking it early were dismayed, to say the least! So, the rest all went down the drain. Fortunately, someone had thought to go to the liquor store!
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