The
Great Dickens Christmas Fair Missive
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Dickens Christmas Fair 2009 October Missive #3
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Notes from your Missive Maven:
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Sorry
for the one day delay, I had computer difficulties yesterday and then
had to run off to wrangle a big promotional gig, which went very well
indeed!
The Great Workshop Missive will be out later today.
Please remember to contact the folks referenced in each notice, rather
than hitting "reply". Thanks.
Past missives can be viewed at http://www.cattaylor.com/missives.html
Cat Taylor
Entertainment Director and Missive Maven
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Special Note: New Logos on Missive
Site!
The new DCF logos are on the missive site, please save, size and post
wherever you post Dickens Fair news and announcements.
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| In
This Missive |
| Notes on the Flu from Our EMTs |
| The Adventurer's Club is Looking
for Staff |
| PEERS Le Bal des Vampires on
November 7th in Alameda |
| Auditioning for The Dickens Book
Character Groups |
| More Videos to Watch for Costume
Ideas |
| Outside Costume Sales |
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Notes on the Flu from Our EMTs
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Hello Fellow Fair Folk,
Just a quick note from your friendly Medical Staff about the
H1N1/Novel Flu. We have listed below a
few simple instructions to help you keep the flu at bay.
1. Frequent hand
washing! Use soap and briskly rub your
hands together under water for at least 45 seconds. If you are
not sure how long 45 seconds is,
sing your ABC's to yourself. The force
of rubbing and water will get about 90% of anything off your hands.
2. Please don't share
food and/or drink with anyone. The Flu
just loves an easy ride into your body via anything that might be put
into your
mouth, which you may have shared with a person who has the flu.
3. Cover your
cough. The Flu virus can fly up to eight
feet in a single uncovered cough. Old
school thought was to cover your mouth with your hands when you
cough. New studies suggest coughing into the bend of
your elbow to contain germs.
4. Get the flu shot
if you have any of the following serious health conditions: any
type of lung aliment, Diabetes type 1 or
type 2, any heart conditions, etc, and finally if your Primary care
doctor has
told you that you need the flu shot, get the shot!
5. The flu shot is
also recommended if you are around any of the high risk groups, such as
pregnant women, young children, and the elderly.
Some of the reasons why I am putting this information out
for all of you is if we get each other or the paying customers sick, it
will be
a truly rotten thing for the show. If
you exhibit the symptoms of the flu, please stay home! If you
still choose to come and are running a
fever, the medical staff will boot you out!
Thanks for your time.
Webb & Priscilla Long a.k.a The EMT and Wife
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The
Adventurer's Club is Looking for Staff
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Are you new to the Great Dickens Christmas Fair? Haven't found your
niche yet
or need a change of pace? Try the Adventurer's Club! We need new
members of our
esteemed Club Staff. Both Maids and Footmen are needed. (Mostly
footmen).
Also, we are ever seeking Adventurers, Luminaries of many disciplines
and
noteworthy personalities of the glittering Victorian age. Explorers,
Writers,
Social Reformers! John Hanning Speke, Flinders Petrie, Dr. Livingston
are, thus
far, missing! You are needed! Come forth!"
For more information, contact HG Wells at the Adventurers' Club.
Regards,
HG Wells (Steve George)
sgeorge1701@gmail.com
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PEERS
Le Bal des Vampires on November 7th in Alameda
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On Saturday, November 7, PEERS presents the 16th annual Le Bal des
Vampires at
the Alameda Elks Lodge at 2255 Santa Clara Avenue in Alameda.
After a dance lesson at 7pm, Bangers &
Mash plays an evening of elegant vintage ballroom dance music in the
grand
ballroom while DJ dance music of a more modern kind will be played
below stairs
in the Dracula¹s Daughter Discotheque.
Period costume or modern evening dress
is admired but not required. Event includes a no host bar, a light
buffet, and
a performance by the celebrated Theater of the Vampires. For ticket
information
call (510) 522-1731 or see http://www.peers.org
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Auditioning for The Dickens Book
Character Groups
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The book character groups are ensemble
casts that pride themselves on
showcasing the vast panoply of Dickens' brilliantly wrought characters.
We put
the Dickens in Dickens Fair! Dickens' characters are big, bold
and quirky
with a lot of theatrical and interactive opportunities, plus tons of
scenery to
chew. Audience interaction is our raison d'etre and our lives are one
big
theatrical and improvisational banquet throughout the day.
We are looking for energy, commitment, fearlessness and
willingness to be
part of an ensemble. We are interested in casting a wide variety of
characters,
ranging across all ages, classes and emotional quirks. We encourage
interested
parties to read one of the books, or at least view one of the superb
adaptations currently available to get a clearer picture of these
characters. A list of characters we are specifically looking for
will be
follows.
If there is a
character in our list of available characters, a role in a Dickens
book or
adaptation that you want to play (or simply find appealing) prepare a
brief
piece to read - and act - for the audition team. It
will give
us a clearer idea of your capabilities and the type of character you
want to
play.
Participation
in the Dickens Fair book character cast requires the ability to make
the time
and energy commitment, and the willingness to work in an ensemble
cast.
If you are cast, it is expected that your commitment to the cast will
be your
primary performing responsibility. You will be expected to
provide your
own, Dickens approvable, costume.
We will be
auditioning one day only during workshops - Saturday, November
7.
If you are interested in one of these characters, please come prepared
to audition. Folks who are not prepared will not be
auditioned. (See time and location in the forthcoming workshop missive.)
Auditioning for a
Dickens character is like any other theatrical audition - preparation
is
crucial. When considering auditioning for any of these roles,
please take
the time to do some research on the character to determine both that it
is a
role that you would be able to play and something you would enjoy
doing. Being prepared also makes it easier for you to show
yourself
at your best and will make the casting process move more smoothly for
all
parties.
Nicholas
Nickleby:
Newman Noggs - a kindhearted older man who is down on his luck but was
once a
gentleman. Utterly devoted to the Nickelbys
Ralph Nickleby - a hard cruel man of business, enemy to his own kin
David
Copperfield:
Uriah Heep - oily, unctuous villain
Steerforth - David's dashing, aristocratic and somewhat feckless friend
Dan Peggoty - rough, gruff, salt-of-the-earth friend to David
Great
Expectations:
Herbert Pocket - Pip's cheery friend and roommate.
Abel Magwich - Ex-felon. Pip's secret benefactor.
Molly - The extremely reserved, mysterious and slightly unnerving
servant to
Mr. Jaggers (she has a secret)
Little
Dorritt:
Arthur Clennam - Long-suffering, poetically morose gentleman (Mrs.
Finching's
former fiance).
Daniel Doyce - Indefatigable inventor and entrepreneur, the "Spirit of
the
Age" made manifest
Mr & Mrs Meagles - a kind and comfortably settled older couple with
a taste
for traveling (can be cast separately rather than a set)
Pet Meagles - their adored and slightly spoiled daughter (young woman)
Bleak House
Mr Tulkinghorn - a slow, careful, secretive lawyer
John Jarndyce - beneficent protector of Esther, Ada and Richard, prone
to fits
of generosity and moody introspection
Charley - Esther's plucky young cockney maid
Mrs Pardiggle - comically self-righteous "philanthropist"
Joe - poor, young and sad, a crossing sweeper
Martin
Chuzzlewitt (only
casting English, NOT American):
Mercy "Merry" Pecksniff - The younger Miss Pecksniff, lively to the
point of pertness, the "pretty one" Charity "Cherry"
Pecksniff - The elder Miss Pecksniff, very proper on the
surface,
the "smart one"
Martin Chuzzlewit (the elder) - Rich and cantankerous old gentleman.
Mary - The elder Mr. Chuzzlewitt's companion and nurse, poor but
proud,
restrained and sensible
Martin Chuzzlewit (the younger) - A vain, strong-willed,
egotistical and
ambitious young man, the elder Martin's contentious nephew
Mark Tapley - Relentlessly upbeat companion to young Martin
Tom Pinch - Martin's preternaturally cheery and optimistic (to the
point of
delusion!) friend, and dogsbody to the Pecksniffs
Mrs. Todger - Very proper, very nervous, very Dickensian landlady.
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More
Videos to Watch for Costume Ideas
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(from Liz Martin)
Fingersmith (BBC production, 2005) -- great representation of lower
class
Cockneys as well as upper class, set in the early 1860s
- Little Women (Winona Ryder, 1994) -- great middle class 1860s
costumes, ignore
the later 1870s bustle costumes towards the end of the film
- North & South (based on Elizabeth Gaskell novel, BBC production,
2004) --
lovely upper middle class 1860s costumes (and a hot male lead!)
- Oliver Twist (Roman Polanski dir., 2005) -- interesting lower class,
fabulous
middle class costumes especially on the extras in the street scenes
- The Secret Life of Mrs. Beeton (BBC production, 2006) - about
Catherine
Beeton, the Englishwoman who wrote a hugely popular cooking/household
management book in the 1850s. Nice middle class costumes.
- Turn of the Screw (based on the Henry James novel, 1999) -- nice
1840s middle
class
Little Dorritt offers great contrasts in dress for upper and lower
classes. TV
series last year and film 10 years ago
Victoria and Albert, as seen on A&E
Nicholas Nickelby
Cranford
"The Great Train Robbery", with Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and
Leslie
Ann-Down
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Outside Costume Sales
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Speaking of costumes, Liz Martin passes along these two costume sales:
The
Costume Shop at Santa Clara
University will be doing a Halloween Sale in the lobby of the
Mayer Theatre at
SCU from 11am-5pm on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th of October. We are
cleaning
out some of our costumes, we use the money that we make from the sale
to go
back into Costume Rentals for new boxes etc., so please spread the
word. Come
to the corner of Franklin and Lafayette in Santa Clara and the Mayer
Theatre is
the big grey building with the brown sloping roof.
Thanks,
Joanne Martin
Costume Shop Supervisor
Santa Clara University
and
For anyone who is interested, The
SF Opera Costume Department is having one of its rare sales
(last was 2003).
The sale will be at our prop and scenery warehouse at 800 Indiana
St., San Francisco, CA.
Saturday Oct. 24, 10:00-5:00
Sunday Oct. 25, 10:00-4:00
We generally have all price ranges($1 to $1000) most below
$25. Everything is usually priced way below what it is worth, but if we
are not
going to use it again and it is taking up valuable storage space, it
has got to
go!
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| Contact Information
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For specific questions
regarding performing at the Fair or to submit a show proposal please
email Cat
Taylor
If your group would like to perform at the Fair for just one day
(school
caroling groups, etc., please email Robert
Young
For specific questions regarding vending at the Fair please email Vendors
For specific questions the beverage department please email Beverage
To learn what you can do to help save the Cow Palace, please visit
http://www.savethecowpalace.com
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