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Christmas Fair 2005 December Missive #3
(sent December 15th, 2005)
What can I say, this has been an amazing year. As Rydell said in his
weekly email notes to "The Other Books", We have created a new Golden
Age!" I would like to commend all of you on your remarkable work,
on the stages, in the environmental areas and in the streets.
Notes on Last Day Pranks
I'll keep it short and sweet, remember your audience. If you can't do a
prank that
#1 Is in period and doesn't break the illusion of Victorian England
#2 Is in proper costume and appropriate for your character
#3 Is not disruptive to the participants around you
#4 Adds to customer enjoyment, does not detract from it
Don't do it.
Again, I quote from the book of The Other Books: "The audience deserves
the best possible show we can give them. If you aren't sure
whether a prank will be well-received, or wonder whether it is period
appropriate, please don't do it."
That said, I know this will be a wonderful closing weekend, so take
care of yourselves, take your vitamin C (it is possible to get that
stupid cold twice - believe me) and have a great theatrical time!
Cat
In This Missive:
Tear-Down Notes
Alex from Costume Says
A Special Thanks From the Marines!
Get Well Card For Annette
Found Items at Green Man
Final Dark Garden Corset Raffles
Lost, Stolen or Strayed Hoop Skirt
Thoughts From Martin Harris
Victorian 12th Night Ball - January 7th
Tear-Down Notes
from Kevin and Mark:
Greenroom: If you have a rest area set up in the greenroom, it is
essential that it be removed completely by the time your group leaves
on Sunday night.. If you need to have additional time you MUST
clear this with Mark Solum during the day on Saturday.
Environmental Areas: As Christmas and New Years fall on the only two
weekends we have the venue post-Dickens, you will need to arrange to
get your area struck and packed on a weekday. The venue will NOT
be open on either holiday weekend EXCEPT Saturday 12/24 (Christmas Eve)
from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM! Please see David McCullough to discuss
evening access during the week. You can email him at
<dmc008@msn.com> or call the site phone next week at 415-452-8620
during normal hours. There is not answering machine on this line, so
please be patient.
Normal hours will be 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Mon.-Fri. Deadline for all
environmental areas is 4:00 PM Saturday 12/24.
Alex from Costume says:
"Greetings from North Dakota, where there is perfect fluffy
snow and temperatures well below zero.
This is the last weekend of Dickens Fair for us, but the first
for many other people. So far we've had the best-looking fair ever --
let's keep it up! Remember to stay off of your cell phone, to take out
or Dermablend over your facial jewelry, etc..
I'll be back on Saturday. Your well-wishes have meant a great
deal to me through this difficult time. I look forward to seeing you
all when I return."
A Special Thanks From the Marines!
Lori Wilson forwards the following:
The Marines from the Toys for Tots wanted me to send a giant thanks to
everyone at fair! The participants and vendors have made them
feel so welcomed every day, that the guys are vying who gets to come
out next! There is a new Marine everyday so they can all share in
the experience. The Master Sergeant came out last Sunday and was
surprised he wasn't told much about this event. Guess the guys
wanted to keep it their little secret!! He could see now why he
got so many Marines asking for this assignment. Most of the guys
showing up have only been back from Iraq for a month or two, so to feel
this kind of hospitality really makes them feel
appreciated.
The family at Haggard Meat Pies has made sure the guys are well
fed during the day and once the Marines are off-duty, the Fezziwig's
daughters get a Marine or two out there to dance! And I even saw
some yellow roses given to our soldiers!
Besides having such a blast, they have collected tons of toys and
even more in cash donations, making their time here well
spent.
Get Well Card For Annette
As many of you know, we have been working without A-nnette this
Dickens. (Annette Webster, that is!)
Annette damaged her knee just before workshops, and was unable to be
our Fair Stage Manager this year.
To send her our love, I will have a "Get Well" Card for her this
weekend. It will be set up with a pen just outside the V&A
backstage. Come by, sign it and send her a message! I will
pass it on to her next week, before Christmas. Questions?
See Teri Pope, V&A Stage Manager.
Found Items at Green Man
Kathleen forwards the following:
"Two peculiar objects were found left inside a cabinet in the Green
Man's Parlour third weekend. The owner may desire to have them back. If
you think you are the owner, please see Kathleen Bartholomew and
describe the objects to her in order to secure their return. If not
claimed by closing on Sunday, they will be sent to the Entertainment
Office."
Final Dark Garden Corset Raffles
from Nathalie:
The final raffles for the Dark Garden corsets will take place during
Sunday's Finale at Mad Sals.
The tickets are $5 a piece, are available after 10:00AM at the Dark
Garden booth and can get you a chance to win a custom corset from
Dark Garden. You need not be present to win.
Lost, Stolen or Strayed Hoop Skirt
From Shelley:
Would the person who took my hoop-skirt from the back-stage of the
Adventurers' Club sometime between noon and five pm on Dress Rehearsal
PLEASE return it?
It is light blue cotton/poly, with a burgundy drawstring, and may still
have an iron-on name-tag with my name on it. It has about five
steels, in casings of miscellaneously colored bias tape.
Thank you.
Shelley Monson
Adventurers' Club
Thoughts From Martin Harris
As there seems to be a bit of a buzz going around participants
interested in attending Martin Harris's reading of A Christmas Carol
this Friday night Dec16th at the Berkeley City Club at 7.30pm in the
Julia Morgan building one block south of the campus at 2315 Durant,
please get there early to allow for parking which is probably best in
the adjacent streets. There is a car park there which is free
only for those taking up the opportunity to make a complete evening of
it and have dinner first in the celebrated restaurant upstairs.
It's $5 for those just there for the reading. There are some paid lots
nearby.
If you are interested please reserve a table as early as possible by
calling 510 280 1540 and by mentioning "Christmas Carol" you'll get a
10% discount. The reading costs $10 for adults and $5 for kids under
12. It will be a very special occasion in the Drawing Room on the
ground floor especially if you come in costume.
Also Martin is looking for a new home for his cat that lives here in
the city and he can be reached at martinharrisusuk@hotmail.com
Martin would like to thank all of you who have been so supportive and
encouraging to him on his trip this year. He said this is the
strongest Dickens family anywhere and that's why he feels this has been
the best Dickens yet! It's good to be home again. Well done!
Victorian 12th Night Ball - January
7th
Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig request the pleasure of your company at their
annual Victorian 12th Night Ball (co-sponsored by PEERS) on Saturday,
January 7, at the San Mateo Masonic Temple at 100 N. Ellsworth Avenue
in San Mateo. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. After a dance lesson at 7:00 pm,
Bangers & Mash plays a full evening of elegant and dashing
Victorian dance music. Intermission entertainment includes Whist, Wink,
a grand Dickensian sing-a-long, and a performance by Mr. Charles
Dickens himself! Victorian afternoon or evening dress is admired, not
required. Tickets are $15.00 in advance (by December 31), $20.00 at the
door. For ticket information, please email James and Cathleen Myers at
peers@peers.org, call (510) 522-1731, or see the ball website at
http://www.peers.org/12th06.html
For information on PEERS' monthly balls for the 2006-2007 season,
please see our website at
www.peers.org
Thank you!
And is this a great Dickens Fair or what?
Best regards,
Cathleen Myers
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