Cult Following: Devoted `Dark Shadows' fans gather for festival

     
     Like one of its vampire characters, the daytime soap opera "Dark Shadows" just lives on and on, in spite of itself.
      And not just in reruns and on video.
      Some 27 years after "Dark Shadows" finished its original run on ABC-TV, the supernatural gothic romance still has hard-core fans who keep memories of Barnabas Collins, Angelique and Quentin Collins alive by attending festivals in the show's honor.
      This year's Dark Shadows Festival, to be held today through Sunday at the MGM Grand Conference Center, will feature many of the actors involved in the show, plus autograph sessions, question-and-answer sessions, rare video screenings, performances by the stars, memorabilia, charity auctions, a costume party and a banquet dinner with the stars.
      Lara Parker, who played the evil witch Angelique during the show's run from 1966-71, says the show "picked up its own special following. It was just unique enough to gather a group of fans who embraced it."
      Parker frequently attends the "Dark Shadows" get-togethers and currently is writing the first book in a new series based on characters in the show called "Angelique's Descent." It is due out in October from HarperCollins.
      The show achieved its popularity because of its blending of well-known elements from such novels as "Frankenstein," "Dracula," "Turn of the Screw" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," Parker says.
      Created by Dan Curtis, who also created "Night Stalker," "Dark Shadows" began as a standard Gothic romance, but ratings were so low that, in desperation, Curtis added Barnabas Collins, a 175-year-old vampire, played by Jonathan Frid.
      That twist turned the show into a hit.
      But there was also another element that contributed to its longevity, Parker claims -- its camp value.
      "It was taken seriously by the actors and writers and directors," Parker says, but the lack of sophisticated special effects and the shooting methods made some of the seriousness laughable.
      "We shot it straight onto tape, there were no retakes of scenes, so the mistakes got on the air," Parker says. "If people forgot their lines it all went on the air."
      She remembers episodes where a crew member could be seen in the background of a shot or a fly would land on an actor's nose. Some actors who couldn't remember their lines used the TelePrompTer, which displayed the script and was located next to a camera, and often were obviously reading their lines.
      "Those elements are very endearing in this day and age when we're so dazzled by special effects" and slick productions, she says.
      But she doesn't believe the show would be made today. "The world in the 1960s was different. It was freer, people were more ready to embrace things that were unique and different."
      Parker does take away fond memories of the show, including "the costumes and the makeup, lying in caskets, and wandering through cobwebbed hallways and creating a lot of spells."
      In addition to Parker, among those scheduled to attend the festival are David Selby (Quentin Collins), Nancy Barrett (Carolyn Stoddard), John Karlen (Willie Loomis), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans), Louis Edmonds (Roger Collins), Marie Wallace (Eve), Roger Davis (Peter Bradford), Diana Millay (Laura Collins), Chris Pennock (Jeb Hawkes), Denise Nickerson (Amy Jennings), Dennis Patrick (Jason McGuire), James Storm (Gerard Stiles), Donna Wandrey (Roxanne Drew) and Paul Michael (King Johnny).
      Activities today include an autograph session at 9 p.m. and a screening of the 1970 movie "House of Dark Shadows" at 10:30 p.m.
      Saturday, the day's events will include Parker's reading of a chapter from her novel "Angelique's Descent" at 1:30 p.m., an autograph session with the stars at 5 p.m., a costume party at 8:30 p.m. and a screening of the 1971 movie "Night of Dark Shadows" at 10:30 p.m.
      Sunday, Nancy Barrett will perform a salute to Hollywood musicals at 4 p.m., autographs will be signed at 5 p.m. and a banquet with the stars will be held at 8 p.m. for fans who made prior reservations.
      A one-day admission, payable at the door, is $15 per person, with children 6-12 admitted at half-price. A special two-for-one rate is available at $15 per day for two people.
     Preview
     
      What: Dark Shadows Festival
      When: 6 p.m.-midnight today; 10 a.m.-midnight Saturday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
      Where: MGM Grand Conference Center, 4701 Koval Lane
      Tickets: $15-$30