That’s right, boys and girls—it’s fill-in-the-blank day. Some are good, some are bad and some are just plain blah—but truth be told, the blahs are few and far between. This last week has been chock-full of ups and downs, but that’s the game of life, right kids? 

In anticipation of seeing “Time’s Up!” at The Parlor in Narrowsburg, NY last Thursday, Gidget got herself all gussied up at the groomer, thinking that I was “undoubtedly planning a surprise party” (her words, not mine) for her birthday. The show, described as “locally grown comedy,” was written and performed “by and with” Melissa Bell, Jess Beveridge, Thomas (but everyone calls him Tommy) Cambridge, Matt Carpenter,  Laurie A. Guzda (the director), Lexee McEntee, Susan Mendoza, Christopher Parsons and, last but not least, Hudson Williams-Eynon.

I’d heard the show described as “sketch comedy,” which had me nervous, because A: I’m insanely judgmental and B: I interpreted that as improv, which I’m insanely judgmental about. 

As it turned out, if there was any improvisation taking place on stage on opening night, it was seamless enough for me not to notice, possibly because of the non-stop raucous laughter that began with sketch number one and continued throughout the evening.

The skits centered around small-town life and the wacky residents of same. As the cast lampooned local town hall meetings, local radio stations, local businesses, local organizations and local yokels, a local balladeer (Bell) led us down the garden path with multiple verses of a home-grown song about what we were about to see, or might have just witnessed. She kept the cast on track and let them know when their “Time’s Up!”

Part “Greater Tuna,” part “Saturday Night Live” and part “Second City,” some of the all-original sketches might have been more fully realized than others, but the sum of the parts (IMHO) was just plain fun, and everyone, including myself, laughed and laughed. Spoiler alert: there’s a psychic cow in the mix. Sound good? You betcha! 

Good news: there are additional performances in May (is it May already?) on the 2nd and 3rd, and you can snag a seat by reserving one at www.myrivertickets.com. But don’t let the grass grow under your feet—seating is limited and you’ll have a rollicking good time. You should probably leave the cow at home though; there’s only room for one, and you don’t want to step in ___.

So, last Thursday was good, but by Friday I was at urgent care dealing with the aftermath of digging a tick out of my leg, and the tick wasn’t taking “no” for an answer. Naturally, my tick removal kit was nowhere to be found (because I needed it), so I had to improvise. That led to swearing and tearing, followed by an immediate infection and antibiotics. So Friday was a little bit ___.

By Saturday, I was in full-blown-aggravation mode over the ___ tick, so was happy for a diversion. I made my way to Seminary Hill in Callicoon, NY, where The Delaware Company’s Debra and John Conway were welcoming guests to “The British Are Coming!.” It was a fantastic fundraising event that served to kick off “the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War.” 

Having been promised an “extravaganza,” I was (as usual) hesitant, but so not disappointed by the lively social hour, the really fantastic food, Kim M. Simons’ incredible cake and Oliver King’s dramatic reading of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride,” popularly known as “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.” 

But wait, there’s more.

While King’s recitation was on point, and Seminary Hill’s dinner was delish, sandwiched between the main course and dessert was a rare treat, in the form of Judith Kalaora’s “Rendezvous with Rachel Revere.” 

As founder and artistic director of a company called “History at Play,” Bostonian and “living historian” Kalaora has created a new form of theatre—one described as “immersive living history, chronicling the lives of influential and often forgotten women.” 

“It is May 2, 1775,” the description of the one-woman show begins, “and Rachel Revere has only heard from her beloved husband Paul once since his legendary midnight ride on the 18th of April.” 

What followed was a mesmerizing performance by Kalaora, in which her character describes, in vivid detail, what transpired as Rachel “desperately tries to create a plan to safely take her children [to safety] and unite her family amidst the wake of the American Revolution.” 

Kalaora’s performance can only be described as a tour de force, which literally (I looked it up) means “accomplished with great skill.” Not only was her Rachel Revere fascinating, she was also very human, incredibly strong, confident, smart and able, but she was also funny, charming and surprisingly disarming. 

As the audience cheered, my dog once again mistakenly thought the hoopla was about her birthday, but the thunderous applause was solely for Kaloara’s “History at Play.” 

Sorry Gidge, but you’re creating a different kind of show. Sometimes you’re a good girl, and sometimes you’re just a ___. 

As my infection subsides and the dog finally tears into her birthday presents, I reflect on my week—filled with some good old-fashioned fun, a great fundraiser, good shows, scrumptious food and a nasty tick—but what’s past is past (unless you’re fortunate enough to see “History at Play”). So for now, I’ll sign off with a simple “Have a ___ day.”

The Delaware Company’s mission is “to promote and support the history and historic landmarks of the Upper Delaware River Valley.” For additional info, see www.thedelawarecompany.org.

For more on history’s “often forgotten women,” visit www.HistoryAtPlay.com and follow @timesupcomedy on the ‘gram. 

And please,  do me a favor and follow @ThatDogNamedGidget on social media. Otherwise, I’ll “never hear the end of it.” Her words, not mine.