INTERVIEW: Discover Irving’s ‘Sleepy Hollow’ with a walk around Philipsburg Manor
Photo: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Discovery Walk, located at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, New York, features a retelling of Washington Irving’s famous tale. Photo by John Soltes.
SLEEPY HOLLOW, N.Y. — Several times per weekend during this spooky month, Todd Brown has the chance to walk in the footsteps of the characters created by Washington Irving, the famous American scribe behind the powerful short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Brown is a tour guide on the brand-new Legend of Sleepy Hollow Discovery Walk, offered by Historic Hudson Valley at the atmospheric Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
For Brown, this seasonal experience has been a joy. During the day on the weekends, he has been leading groups around the estate and bringing to life this ghostly story, in a version that is perfectly suitable for families and children.
“It’s sort of marvelous mayhem,” Brown said in a recent Zoom interview. “It’s one of those things. It’s just getting up off the ground. It’s been really interesting to see everyone’s reactions. I’m from Sleepy Hollow, and I’ve lived here forever. And it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger every year the amount of people that come, and so as something new, you have freedom to help decide what it is and how it’s going to play out. It’s been really fun to interact with the different crowds and the different people.”
When Brown begins his one-hour walk at the visitor center, he often looks into the faces of the ticket buyers and realizes a few of them are on their toes, not knowing exactly what they signed up for. That anticipation and energy are perfect for his dramatic pursuits.
“They’re just like, ‘I’m in Sleepy Hollow. I’m going to go do everything that I possibly can,’” he said. “So I think it’s a really great group of people and a really fun thing to be involved in. It mutates and changes every time we do it. Everyday we do it, we get a little better. Every group is slightly different. It’s a combination of exhausting and exhilarating at the same time because it’s just two people out there trying to figure out a way to make it worth $40 to come walk around the property with us.”
The two people that Brown references are the tour guide and the assistant. He plays both of these roles, and throughout the one-hour walk, they embody many of the characters from Irving’s tale, including Brom Bones, Ichabod Crane and Katrina Van Tassel. There’s dancing, storytelling and music to be enjoyed, but one must finish the story before heading across the bridge, always weary of the headless one. To read more about the Discovery Walk, check out Hollywood Soapbox’s recent interview with a fellow tour guide, Adrian Sexton.
“I think it’s interesting because I hadn’t read it for a long time, but The Legend of Sleepy Hollow itself is so often redone and mutated,” Brown said. “I think everyone has a version of what that is in their mind, so going back to the actual text, it’s been great. And it’s also one of those things, sometimes it really works for people. They’re like, ‘Oh my God, it’s so playful, and it’s so mischievous. And it’s commenting on society, and it’s very satirical. It’s not necessarily that scary though.’ It’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and here we are talking about headless people and ghosts. Some people, that sort of Gothic feel, I want a Tim Burton crazy scary experience where my brain is going to pop out of my head, it’s not that. And I think it’s wonderful because of that. There’s been a couple people that you can see in their face: ‘I am not sure what this is. I don’t know what I signed up for.’ I think in general the whole thing is infused with a sense of fun, and that I think is appealing to people, no matter how Goth they are, how cool they are.”
The children who have taken the tour have delighted Brown and his colleagues. There has been a mix of different age groups, going down to 5- and 6-year-olds. Historic Hudson Valley recommends those who take the tour are least 10 years old, but Brown has been able to adapt for the youngsters.
“The funnest thing for me has been a little kid,” Brown said with a laugh. “[I said], ‘What do you think Katrina Van Tassel said to Ichabod at the dance?’ He’s like, ‘You’re a pretty good dancer, but you ate a lot though.’ I said, ‘Do you think it went well?’ ‘No, I don’t think it went well at all.’ He was really into it.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Discovery Walk continues through Sunday, Nov. 3, courtesy of Historic Hudson Valley. Click here for more information and tickets.
