The Coney Island Mermaid Parade

Written and Photographed by Wendy R. Williams
Lived by Diedre Kilgore, Josh McLane and Rachael Roberts

 

Diedre Kilgore	Josh McLane	Rachael Roberts

 

Josh McLane and Rachael Roberts are currently starring in Hopscotch: The New York Sex Comedy. In the show, they have to perform a hot onstage love scene so they needed to spend some quality one-on-one time together to develop some chemistry. On Saturday June the 26th, they took a subway ride out to Coney Island for the annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade (Coney Island’s answer to Mardi Gras).

Josh McLane and Rachael Roberts lost

Josh and Rachael got off the subway and were a little lost. But look up, there is Nathan's! And if you see Nathan's, you’re looking at Coney Island.

Nathan's

Our happy campers grabbed some hot dogs and were walking down the board walk when they saw someone dancing off in the distance. And who should it be but Diedre Kilgore, a fellow Hopscotch cast member, performing a hula dance for the golfers at the Coney Island miniature golf course.

Diedre Kilgore

Quickly hauling Diedre away from the gawkers at the miniature golf course, they left to see the sights, saddled with the added responsibility of baby sitting Diedre.

Coney Island was a riot of color. It seemed that every performance artist in the city had turned out to enjoy the parade. Diedre quickly ran into Reverend Jen who had brought her child, Reverend Jen Junior (you can call her JJ) to see the parade.

Reverend Jen and her child, Reverend Jen Junior, with Diedre Kilgore

Reverend Jen quickly sized up the situation and realized that Diedre would not be a good influence on little Jen, so she got little Jen out of harm’s way. Our happy campers then saw more mermaids. These mermaids, however, were smart enough to maintain a safe distance from Diedre.

Then they saw a fire truck full of happy revelers...

The Bedfordshire Fire Service
Don’t you wish you could hear their siren?

and even more mermaids!

Three-and–a-half more happy Mermaids

By now Josh and Rachael were having a rollicking good time despite the added responsibility of chaperoning Diedre.

Josh and Rachael having a rollicking good time

The parade started and there he was, Grand Marshall Moby, happily riding down the street in all his King Neptune glory.

Moby in all his glory

And our own New York Cool Girl at large, Dani Marco, the reigning Miss Rheingold, waving from a convertible. Diedre loves Dani, but the convertible was a little much as in, “Where’s my convertible, huh, huh?”

Dani Marco with her crown, banner and a CONVERTIBLE

And a float full of dead revelers!

A really weirded out rock band, Dead Jam

Diedre was entirely too interested in the Dead Jam folks and was trying to climb on the float, when Josh and Rachael quickly pulled her away from the parade and treated her to a wholesome Merry-Go-Round ride.

Josh McLane	Diedre Kilgore	Rachael Roberts

But then Diedre saw a vintage Cadillac and it was all over, she was gone. Nothing comes between Diedre and a pink Cadillac.

"See, I could be Miss Rheingold too!'

Alone at last, our happy campers go to the amusement park where they see the Midway!

The Midway

Josh McLane	Rachael Roberts

And a really scary haunted house.

Rachael Roberts and Josh McLane at the Haunted House

While touring the haunted house, they became frightened and decided to return to Manhattan. So Josh McLane and Rachael Roberts returned home after a hard day of partying at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

Josh McLane and Rachael Roberts chilling on the subway

But did they develop chemistry as a couple?

Will they be able to perform a hot love scene without giggling?

For the answers to these questions check out:

Hopscotch: The New York Sex Comedy
Running Wednesdays @ 8PM
July 7th – July 28th, 2004
The Kraine Theater
85 East Fourth in the East Village
www.texastoastproductions.com