Playing Mrs. Kinsey and Gardner

I'm still reeling after the past weekend of ghost walks and the Genoa cemetery tour. A fellow haunter, Dianna Borges, just stopped by and we spent most of 20 minutes reminiscing about how much fun we had and how we wish we could continue playing our characters.

I just got an e-mail from my husband Jack, that read something like this:

"It seems very strange to not have John and Mary and Stephen and Sarah Jane to worry about anymore. It's like they came visiting us for the weekend and then went home."

We really got to know these people from history who we portrayed. The first night we played John and Mary Gardner, for whom Gardnerville was named. The second and third days, we played Stephen and Sarah Jane Kinsey, Mormons who started Mormon Station, later to become Genoa.

Douglas County Historical Society member Laurie Hickey led all the groups and filled in all the blanks for us. Hickey estimated that there were 300 people at Friday night's Gardnerville Ghost Walk, 300 Saturday night at the Genoa Cemetery Tour and about 75 attendees of the Genoa Ghost Walk on Sunday. There were three tours given Friday, seven or eight on Saturday and two on Sunday. Seems to me there were lots more on Saturday, with a steady stream of people emerging from the darkness and circling the rectangular grave plot where the Kinseys are buried. One group said there were about 100 of them, but it was hard to see with flashlights shining on us as spotlights. Just the outline of the tops of heads was all - we felt like on-stage performers.

The funniest thing: Getting to know the people we were portraying, and actually "talking" to the Kinseys on Saturday, asking their forgiveness if they didn't like our performances. (We were stationed right at their graves.)

The scariest thing: Walking back to our car from the back of the cemetery when everyone had either left or were leaving. It's amazing how long a walk across a dark cemetery can seem when all you have is an oil lamp.

The worst thing: The tour on the Gardnerville Ghost Walk missed us the first time around on Friday night because of a miscommunication on where we were supposed to stand.

The best thing: Finding out how well my husband and I work together doing improvisation, and hearing the laughter and applause. Oh, also seeing a shooting star.

The most fun thing: Talking to a man from San Francisco on Sunday who had attended all three events. His enthusiasm was so sincere and he told us we were better at each performance.

I miss the cue cards we carried around for three days, the meals on the run (or missed meals), putting on the extra makeup, deciding how many layers to put on under our outfits. I miss the Gardners and especially the Kinseys.

I don't know, but I think maybe we missed our calling. Maybe this writer will turn entertainer one of these days.

n P.S: If anyone got a good photo of the Genoa Cemetery Tour, come in and show it to me, People editor Jo Rafferty, or send it to jrafferty@recordcourier.com or call me at 782-5121, ext. 210.