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Dickens Christmas Fair 2005 October Missive
#4 - Workshops!
(sent October 28, 2005)
Schedule for Workshop Weekends #
1&2
Workshop Descriptions
The big workshop missive is here a whole week before the workshops!
True, there will be more information next week, but this should get you
started. The workshop and rehearsal schedule for the first two weekends
and workshop descriptions are attached as .pdf ("portable document
format") files, which can be opened with the free and downloadable
Adobe Acrobat Reader. We have a new Folklore workshop, a fabulous new
Cockney teacher and two Character Labs this year! We were very inspired
by the recent Cal Shakes production of "Nicholas Nickleby" and the
actor's ability to tell you exactly who they were the moment they
walked on the stage... even when they were switching back and forth
between parts. That's what we want to do!
The third weekend of workshops will be held at the Cow Palace, with
classes on Saturday only; Sunday will be a dress rehearsal. The
schedule for that weekend will be forthcoming.
Note: The rooms at the school will be numbered as on the schedule,
allowing us to pick the most appropriate classrooms for classes with
specific needs. Please help the teachers adjust the furniture and put
it back in it's appropriate place. We are very fortunate to have such a
lovely facility to use.
Dickens Christmas Fair Workshop
Weekends #1&2
November 5th and 6th, 12th,13th
Saturday & Sunday 10:00-5:30
Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School
1427 Palmetta Ave.
Pacifica, CA 94044
Click
here for map
Workshop Weekend#3/Dress Rehearsal
at the Cow Palace, San Francisco
Geneva Avenue and Santos Street, San Francisco, CA
Sat. November 19th 10:00-5:00 - Workshops & Rehearsals, schedule TBA
Sun. November 20th 10:00-7:00 - Dress Rehearsal, schedule TBA, no
workshops
In This Missive
Area 51
Participant Ticket Special!
The Morning Meeting
Food at Workshops: Patrick & the Can-Can!
Special Note on the Dark Garden Workshop
The Requirements
I'm New - What Do I Do?
Theme Character Auditions
Stage Managers Needed
Crummles!
Toys for Tots at the Dickens Fair
Scrooge Needs a Holiday Home
Area 51
Tom Westlake will once again be manning Area 51, our affectionate
name for our registration office located in the multi-purpose room.
This is where you will pick up your paperwork, pay your fees, buy Cow
Palace parking passes ($35.00 for the run) and participant tickets (see
below). Cash or check only at workshops, we won't have a credit card
machine. Don't forget the jelly beans....
Participant Ticket Special!
Raise money for your group or favorite charity (including starving
artistes)!
We are lowering the price of participant tickets from $15 to $10.
You can sell them for any price up to $20 and keep the
difference. We suggest $15 which is the group sales price and
still $2 less than the online price throughout the Fair.
Here's how: Email mark@redbarnproductions.org Request
X number of tickets. He will then email back a consignment form,
you fill it our - including a valid credit card number - fax it
back, and we will send you the tickets. This can also be
done in person at workshops! The credit card will not be touched
until after the Fair. You can return any unsold tickets at any
time and pay cash for the tickets sold or ask us to charge them to your
card.
That's it! As an extra thank you, (and incentive), you will
receive 1 complimentary ticket for every 10 tickets sold. You
will receive the comps after you pay for the tickets sold. Yes,
you can do this more than once during the run. We will be giving
you actual comps so don't use the consignment tickets as you will be
charged for every consignment ticket not returned.
Help us fill the show to capacity while raising money for a good cause
of your choice. Thanks!
The Morning Meeting
The beginning of workshops, first day morning meeting is always a
lot of fun and a little crazy. It will be in the multi-purpose room at
10:00AM Saturday November 5th and will take the place of the first
workshop period. There will also be a big meeting at 10:00AM on dress
rehearsal day at the Cow Palace. Your attendance is seriously requested
at both of these meetings.
Food at Workshops: Patrick &
the Can-Can!
Weekend #1
The lovely Patrick Morris will be back!
Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, OJ and muffins for breakfast
Vegetarian chili with cornbread, salads, pizza, candy, gum, soda and
water will be available throughout the day.
There's a chance we'll be having latés and capuchinos as well.
There will be no price increases from last year so everything should be
$5 or under.
Weekend #2
Can-Can Bijou!
Welcome one and all to the Bijou Café served by our lovely
French ladies a selection of sandwiches, homemade goodies as well as
hot and cold beverages!
As a fundraiser to pay for our new Can Can boots we will be serving
Breakfast and Lunch second weekend of workshops.
There will be lots of tasty homemade treats for sale as well all day
long so come by our table and buy, buy, buy, so we can Kick, Kick,
Kick!!
(more specifics later)
Special Note on the Dark Garden
Workshop
This workshop is only offered once, during the second workshop
period, right after the morning meeting. You must take the class if you
wish to pose in the Dark Garden window. If you are new to Dickens
London, Dark Garden is our beloved corsetry shop, where lovely ladies
(and sometimes gentlemen) model corsets in an educational, entertaining
and very tasteful way.
The Requirements
#1 A completed registration form which includes:
Your director's or booth owner's signature
Costume Approval from Kathy Kingman, Alexandria Volk or their
designated representative
Sign off's from three workshop teachers:
New folks are required to take Orientation plus either Victorian or
Cockney language and Physical Characterization (also one of the
Character Labs if possible)
Dickens Fair Veterans please take either Victorian or Cockney language,
either Physical Characterization or Character Lab, (preferably both, as
they work as a set this year) and another workshop of your choice.
Note: Some classes can only accept a limited number of people at one
time in order to functionally teach their class. Please arrive at that
class early if that is the only time you can take it. If any of the
teachers turn you away because their class is full, please do not
argue, but come back at another time.
You may additionally take as many workshops as you wish.
#2 The $10.00 registration fee.
Yes, we accept checks, but cannot accept credit cards at Area 51 as we
won't have a credit card terminal there.
I know it may seem like old hat to some of you, but to have a real
ensemble cast, we all need to work together and remember that we really
are creating our version of Victorian England and should be
representing our characters *ALL THE TIME* when in front of the
audience. Workshops are the best way to make that happen and we are
offering some new ones to keep it interesting.
I'm New - What Do I Do?
Come to the morning meeting this Saturday, where all of the
workshop teachers and directors will be introduced. Some of the
directors will still be looking for people, they will announce whether
they are. Read the missives and look for groups that interest you. You
must be part of a group to work at the Fair, whether it's caroling,
dancing at Fezziwig's or being a Dickens character. Don't be shy, ask
questions of the directors and see if it's what you want to do and
might be good at.
Some of the booths will also be looking for workers, if you need to
make a little money to offset your costume obsession, that might be a
good thing to look into. Many of them will let you work part-time. The
vendors will be at Stake-Out on Saturday November 12th at 10:00AM at
the Cow Palace, and may post notices at the workshops or in a future
missive.
You might also look at the postings below for ideas.
Theme Character Auditions
At the Dickens Fair, the theme characters are mostly the characters
from Dickens books. We have cast a number of the parts but there are
still some juicy ones up for grabs. I will be posting a list next week,
including information on how to sign up for an audition time. The
auditions will be 2:30PM Saturday, November 5th at the room posted in
the schedule. There may also be follow-up auditions.
Stage Managers Needed
(from Mark... could you tell?)
Ever watched a show, and said to yourself, “I wonder how they can
control this magnificent chaos?” Well, now is your chance.
We are looking for a few good people to fill the position of Stage
Manager. Power, wealth, and prestige will be yours. Well,
maybe not the power. Well, not the wealth, either. But
definitely the prestige…. Ah, no, never mind. But
definite excitement, fun, and…well, maybe not.
Anyway, experience is not required, but some theatrical experience is
very helpful. You handle the flow and timing of the individual
shows, keeping your actors appraised of where the show is. You
make sure everyone is comfortable, quiet, neat and tidy. It’s
like a mother (or father) hen, watching over his chicks. You are
the communications, the lifeblood of the faire. You must be hard
as steel, with nerves of concrete, you must be as gentle as a lamb, but
fierce as a lion. It’s a dirty, rough, stressful, rapid fire,
monotonous, crazy job, and it’s up to you to do it. Are you
ready? Then email mark at mark@redbarnproductions.org, and say,
“I’ll do it, not matter what the cost to my personal sanity
is!!!”. Or you can just come up to me at workshops. More
details to follow…
Crummles!
(from Julie)
So you call yourself an actor!
Yes, the Crummles - those monuments to mediocrity, those monarchs of
mayhem are at it again. We are looking for:
-A leading man type - for our V&A shows
-A comic dancer who can lift the infant who is only 10 but requires
muscle to lift - for our V&A shows
-AND people to play with me on the streets and perform one show a day
on the silk road stage
Contact Julie St. Germaine either by e-mail at
juliestgermaine@mindspring.com or by phone (before 9:00 p.m., please)
at 510-222-7288
We also need transportation for our exciting props - platform, trunk,
etc. Let us bribe you! (Note we are also sharing the
platform with naughty french postcards and other V&A, so improving
visibility is a plus for all of us!) Call or e-mail! Julie
The Holidays Are a Time for Hope,
Caring and Charity: Toys for Tots
at the Dickens Fair
(from Kevin)
The year of 2005 has seen formidable hardships for our country. The
recent tragedies on the Gulf Coast and in Florida have served to remind
us how much we, as Americans, count on each other when things are tough
for our neighbors. We have therefore welcomed 1st Sergeant James Smith
and the 23rd Marines to bring Toys for Tots to The Great Dickens
Christmas Fair. With our venue and their established charity we hope to
bring hundreds of toys to disaster victims as well as those in need in
our own much smaller community.
You will be seeing the Toys for Tots logo on advertising for the
Dickens fair and hearing mentions of Toys for Tots on the radio. A Toys
for Tots Marine will be stationed every day of the Fair beginning
Friday November 25th and continuing Saturdays and Sundays to December
18th. Members of the public who bring a new, unwrapped toy to
donate will receive a $3 off coupon for adult admission. As
participants, let's all try to bring at least one toy sometime during
the run. More information will be posted at
www.dickensfair.com
. Please help to spread the word, and make the first year of our
collaboration with Toys for Tots a resounding success!
Scrooge Needs a Holiday Home
Martin Harris will be crossing the big water again this year, to be
our own, our very, very own Scrooge. Martin is looking for places
to stay in or around the city during his stay for Dickens, starting
around dress rehearsal weekend and ending with our closing weekend. He
also wants me to pass along his words of thanks, for all your kind
words when he was injured in April and his father passed in June. You
can contact Martin at MartinHarrisUSUK@hotmail.com
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