Vampire Finds Home on AP&T Channel 31
By Sandy Clark, Staff Writer
Thursday nights on Alameda Power and Telecom's Channel 31 are the domain of Vicki
Vampyr. This vampiric vixen is played by Kathy Moehring. The
brainchild of Ed Schneider, the program recalls an earlier era of
television.
"We're a new station and we need content," Schneider said. "I
was looking for ideas. When I was a kid. I loved 'Shock Theater.'
When I came to California, I was a fan of 'Creature Features.' I
thought this was something we could do. I knew there were films in
the public domain that we could use to make a 'Creature Features'
type of show."
With the access and
ability to produce a show of his own, Schneider put together a team
of other AP&T employees.
"Kathy and I are New York theater people," Schneider said. "I
had a feeling I wasn't going to be able to hire talent from the
outside. So I talked Kathy into becoming Vicki Vampyr."
"We are very supportive," Moehring said. "Whenever Ed comes
up with one of his crazy ideas, we just say OK. I think we all
jumped right on board. It's fun to play dress-up. The hardest part
is the teeth. Talking through them is the most challenging aspect of
the show for me."
Schneider didn't have a hard time convincing cameraman and
editor Mat Wolfe.
"My smile went ear to ear," Wolfe said. "We started throwing
all of these ideas together. Once the ball was rolling, it just kind
of never stopped."
All of them had fond memories of similar shows and hosts.
"Zacherley was the big thing for me growing up in New York,"
Schneider said. "Vicki and I both remember him. I still have fond
memories of him on "Shock Theater" and on FM radio. He would have
these cheap dummies and things he would make. My sisters and I would
replicate these, then scream and throw them down the stairs to
terrify my mother. She would fall for it all the time."
"I really enjoyed Mystery Science Theater 3000," Wolfe said.
"I also watched Joe Bob Briggs on TNT."
"I watched Zacherley, but I really remember Vampira,"
Moehring said. "She was on the West Coast, but you knew about her."
Wolfe has captured the look and feel of a vintage black and
white host.
"We have a combination of effects at work, including the
audio, the texture and the lighting," Wolfe said.
This Halloween the show marks its first birthday with a
Halloween
double feature. Tune in Oct. 29 through 31 for Cat-Women
of the Moon and Bride of the Monster.
For more information on Monster Island
Theater,
check out www.alamedatv.org/programs/monster.html.
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