by David Flint
A near record crowd turned out at the Stephentown Heritage Center Monday evening to talk and hear about experiences during the filming of “Taking Woodstock” last summer and fall. All agreed, it was a wonderful and intriguing experience for the town and surrounding area, “an historic summer” as one person put it.
Al Wolcott, Pastor of the Stephentown Community Evangelical Church, leading off the discussion, told how the location crew was convinced that his church building was perfect for the scenes of community meetings. “Wonderful!” they said, “It’s like you’re stuck in the 60s!” The church evidently was very similar to one in Bethel, NY, near where the rock festival was held 40 years ago. When the movie people occupied the church, Assistant Director Michael Hausman would yell out, “Hey, Rev’s in the house!” whenever Wolcott would appear, presumably hoping to shift the language to a higher level. Director Ang Lee was solicitous too. When Wolcott flinched upon hearing a line in the movie where an actor referred loudly to “Your dirty whore mother,” Lee actually had the line changed to read, “Your crazy mother.” All in all, it was a very positive experience, Wolcott said.
Tammy Madden related how one side of the parking lot at Madden’s Service Station was commandeered by the movie crew on a number of occasions. But the compensation for that was generous, as was a donation made for the Rescue Squad that was out on standby for some shoots.
Peggy Hawkins of New Lebanon said she was an extra in the movie and was involved in the nude beach scene that was filmed at Cherry Plain State Park. She, however, was on the other side of the lake from whatever nudity there was. Hawkins said she didn’t tell her family about this until it was all over. She was also involved in a scene at the bank as a townsperson who was supposed to be looking very disgruntled about the invasion of hippies. She thought she was looking disgruntled, but Ang Lee was not satisfied and told her to look more angry. Hawkins, who is Director of the Lebanon Valley Business Association, said she was very much impressed by how organized the movie crews were in everything they did including the costuming and provision of food. “An unbelievable collection of professionalism,” she said.
Bob and Joyce Baum of Brainard were both extras. Showing up at audition, they were the oldest ones there. The crew told them they were looking for hippy types that day, but the Baums were selected anyway. Joyce said the clothes she was given as a costume, “I already had in my closet!” Bob said they were supposed to smirk in a scene by the Polonsky Cabins and were constantly directed to “Smirk more! Frown more!”
Stan Cohen who runs a farm in Schodack told about the mud scene that took place in one of his hay fields in Nassau. It was amazing how they created the mud and then cleaned it all up later so you’d think nothing had happened there. Cohen also rented much of his farm equipment out to the movie crews. He, too, was impressed with how very professional they were, yet friendly and polite. Cohen said his brother had deep misgivings early on about the invasion of the movie makers, but after it was all done he wanted them to come back and make a Western here.
Janet Rogers told of driving her husband’s old ’41 Plymouth in traffic scenes in Hillsdale and New Lebanon. At one point she was told to back up. It’s hard backing up the old Plymouth with its small back window, and Rogers had an accident, damaging slightly someone’s vintage prize possession behind her. After that, she said, they put her in the rear of the traffic pack. She was also an extra in a scene at the church in Stephentown. “It was lots of fun, but the shoes hurt,” she said.
Alice Swerzy said she got a call from James Schamus, the screenplay writer, asking for someone to make cholent, the traditional stew for the Jewish Sabbath midday meal. Swerzy said she had written a cookbook and could do it. This led to a fantastic experience involving long conversations with the props guy about kosher foods and leading to Swerzy not only making the stew – which Ang Lee said should not be too professional looking but should rather look more like concrete – but providing other things such as chopped liver and bean pudding for Lee and some of the actors and crew. Imelda Staunton raved about the Jewish food, and Henry Goodman said his mother made chopped liver just like that.
Neil Gardner said he began working with the movie people early on arranging for road detours. Later he was called upon to build a road in a matter of hours and then the same day had to employ his tractor to haul tractor trailers out of the mud. One scene was shot in his barn, and his property in Stephentown was rented for the food tent. Gardner remarked how well the crews cleaned up after they left.
Susie Cooper boasted that she was at the original Woodstock festival. So when she went to audition as an extra she thought she would be reprising the role she played in 1969. But no, she was told, “You’re on the other side now!” They wanted her to be a grumpy townsperson and the first thing they did was cut her long hair. Then they dressed her in a red shirt, brown shorts and blue shoes, topped by an ugly yellow hat. She joined a group of extras who were supposed to be scowling at the young people arriving at the festival, but when they started yelling “Hippies go home!” they were sternly shushed by the crew and told to just look angry. The sound would be provided later.
Cooper got a kick out of actor Liv Schreiber dressed as a drag queen. His young son had arrived with his mother, Naomi Watts, to view a shoot at the El Monaco Motel and during breaks the kid wanted to play with his dad but Schreiber had to tell him, “Not now, I’m wearing a dress!”
A number of people had photos to share and conversations about the magical movie making experience went on well into the evening.