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Dickens Christmas Fair 2007 October Missive #5 - Workshops
(sent October 29th, 2007)

Workshops start this coming Saturday morning, November 3rd 10:00AM at Sunset Ridge Elementary School, in Pacifica. (see below for more info) Please remember we are at a new school this year, don't go to the one we were at last year, or you'll be very lonely!

The workshop and rehearsal schedule for the first two weekends and workshop descriptions can be downloaded from http://www.cattaylor.com/missives.html as .pdf ("portable document format") files, which can be opened with the free and downloadable Adobe Acrobat Reader. Remember to chose "landscape" if you print the schedule. The printed copies handed out at workshops will be black and white as color printing is much more expensive when doing hundreds of copies. The schedule for the third weekend at the Cow Palace will be forthcoming.

Important Note: Since life often happens without consulting us, there will be changes between now and the weekend. I will update the files on the website as the changes are given to me, so please re-download the files later in the week to make sure you have the most recent information. Please also check in at Area 51 (see below) for posted changes.


New Workshops This Year!
Improv l & ll (Anastasia Elizondo)
Projection (Bob Crabb)
From Text to Gig (Mark Shanks)
Character Makeup (Peter Overstreet/Anastasia Elizondo)


In This Missive:
Workshop Locations
Area 51
The Morning Meeting!
Parking Passes & Participant Tickets
Book Character Audition Appointments
Breakfast & Lunch at Workshops
Special Note on the Dark Garden Workshops
Performer Requirements
I'm New - What Do I Do?


Workshop Locations
As I mentioned in a previous missive, we have a new home for the first two weekends of workshops! Our new location is Sunset Ridge Elementary School, also in Pacifica. In some ways it's actually better than our previous location, as we have lots of workshop and rehearsal areas and none of them are actually in regular classrooms. We'll be using various multi-purpose type rooms and a few hallways that are blocked by doors, so the sound issues shouldn't be too bad, except perhaps on the first day, which is always insane since we have so many folks there. There are also lots of nice outdoor areas if the weather is nice.

Note: The rooms at the school are 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.
Please park only where you are instructed to by security personnel.
Please pick up after yourself and the people around you.

We have been given a second chance by the Pacifica School District, let's make the most of it!


Workshop Weekend #1
November 3rd and 4th
Saturday & Sunday 10:00-5:00
Sunset Ridge Elementary School
340 Inverness Dr.
Pacifica, CA 94044

Workshop Weekend#2
November 10th and 11th
Saturday & Sunday 10:00-5:00
Sunset Ridge Elementary School
340 Inverness Dr.
Pacifica, CA 94044


Note:  The school is right at the top of the hill before you gone down the big hill into Pacifica, don't go down the hill or you've missed it, just like I did the first time.

Click here for map
Click here for layout of school

On the weekend of the 17th and 18th we move to the Cow Palace from workshops and rehearsals on Saturday and dress rehearsal on Sunday. There will also be a mandatory morning meeting on dress rehearsal Sunday at 10:00AM.


Area 51
We will once again be manning Area 51, our affectionate name for our on-site registration office. This is where you will pick up your paperwork, pay your fees, buy Cow Palace parking passes and participant tickets (see below). Cash or check only at workshops, we won't have a credit card machine.


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 3rd 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.


Parking Passes & Participant Tickets
The Cow Palace is raising their parking to $10 per car, and with the extra day, we will be charging $45 for the 11 days.  We have a limited amount of passes, get them while they are hot!  All ticket prices have gone up, as well (the first time in 7 years), so participant tickets will be $15 each.


Book Character Audition Appointments
If you are interested in auditioning for a book character audition, please sign up on the list at Area 51. The auditions will be scheduled at 15 minute intervals, please be patient as we sometimes get a bit behind when auditioning promising actors. Please prepare a bit of the dialogue for the character you are interested in, and be prepared to improvise as that character. If you're not quite sure what character you'd like, prepare any bit of Dickens dialogue from a similar character and we'll help you with appropriate ideas.


Breakfast & Lunch at Workshops
After a several year hiatus, Patrick Morris will once again be serving food for the workshop weekends. Expect many tasty treats for both breakfast and lunch.


Special Note on the Dark Garden Workshops
By popular request, this workshop will be offered twice this year. The first time will be during the second workshop period, right after the morning meeting on the first day of workshops. 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. This year they will once again be offering a separate corset lacing workshop, in the third workshop period.  These classes will be offered a second time, in the same periods on the second Sunday (4th day) of workshops.


Performer Requirements
#1 A completed registration form which includes:
#2 Your director's or booth owner's signature
#3 Costume Approval from the official costume department
#4 Sign off's from three workshop teachers
#5 The $10.00 registration fee. (We accept checks, but cannot accept credit cards at Area 51 as we won't have a credit card terminal there. )

New Folks
New folks are required to take Orientation plus either Victorian or Cockney language and Physical Characterization (and a Character Lab or Improv workshop if possible)) Please note that Physical Characterization is a prerequisite for the Character Labs (Character Lab  and Character 3D). Please do not try and take the labs if you haven't yet take the Physical Characterization workshop.

Dickens Fair Veterans
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. Please note that Physical Characterization is a prerequisite for the Character Labs (Character Lab  and Improv I & II ). Please do not try and take the labs if you haven't taken the Physical Characterization workshop.

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.

We encourage you to take as many workshops as possible, they are meant to be both fun and educational and will help you make your way more credibly and enjoyably through the streets of our London.

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 on November 3rd, 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. We are also adding a group called "Christmas Keepers" this year that might be just the ticket. Please check the missives for more information.


Costume Rummage Sale
(from Liz Martin)
Once again the Costume Rummage Sale returns to the Dickens workshops!  We invite you to clean your closets of all your Dickens appropriate fabric, excess clothing, patterns, trims and accessories - just imagine what you can buy with the money you make to fill the void!

We also welcome back our vendors from previous years.

The lovely Katie Grinn and Cher Fisher will be the mavens of merchandise this year. If you are interested please contact one of them at  oumanya@gmail.com (Katie)  or  ccherbearr@gmail.com (Cher) for the particulars. They will be there to oversee the frenzy and assist me.  There will be a small fee of $25 for vending this year. This is for all 4 days.  That's only $6.25 a day - what a bargain!!!

Sales will commence on Sat the 3rd after the general meeting - at 11 am and continue as late as 4 pm.
Nov 4th, 10th and 11th you may start at 10 am and again, continue as late as 4 pm.

Please bring your own table and something to sit upon and possibly a pop-up to take cover under in case it rains. As I have not been to the site, I am not exactly sure what to tell you to expect. Flexibility will most likely be the word of the day!  We also ask you to remember that you are responsible for your own change, security and merchandise.

To sign up for the missives, please email missives@redbarnproductions.org, and request to be added to the missive list.


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