FEZZIWIG'S BALL - Coming Sunday, December 21st Beginning at 11am

“ . . . the floor was swept and watered, the lamps were trimmed, fuel was heaped upon the fire; and the warehouse was as snug, and warm, and dry, and bright a ball-room as you would desire to see upon a winter's night.”

StoryFest Events presents its sunset celebration of Charles Dickens' holiday classic.  Nine talented voices over four hours will take you on the journey of insight and redemption of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. Once we've come to "The End of It", put on your dancing shoes and dance like it's 1843!  Dubhna Rhiadra will spin some appropriate festive tunes to celebrate the season and the redemption of a soul.

Join us at Fezziwig's Warehouse, appearing magically in the Event Space B on Imagination Island. Victorian attire is suggested, but certainly not required.  All times Pacific, and A CHRISTMAS CAROL will be presented live in voice.

11am: Stave One, "Marley's Ghost"             with Caledonia Skytower & Shandon Loring

Noon: Stave Two, "The First of Three Spirits" with  Bhelanna Blaze & John Morland

1pm: Stave Three, "The Second of Three Spirits" with Kayden Oconnell & Aoife Lorefield

2pm: Staves Four & Five, "The Last of the Spirits" & "The End of It" with Corwyn Allen, Freda Frostbite, & Dubhna Rhiadra

DON'T MISS IT! - December 21st On Imagination Island

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Imagination%20Island/189/154/22

Tips will benefit The Community Virtual Library

THURSDAY, December 27th: Closing Day

Well, it has been an amazing two weeks!  Our celebration of Dickens has been a delight, well received, and now more than just Cale looks forward to the possibility of the return of The Project next year, and the possibility that we will all get to "walk in the footsteps of Scrooge."

There are some additional gallery panels on the ground floor of the Book Shop in honor of "Alternate Versions" Day today.  Everything from the Klingon "A Christmas Carol" to Rankin-Bass' "The Stingiest Man Alive."

There are no scheduled events for Closing Day at the moment, but that could change in a twinkling, so stay tuned.  And don't forget to show your appreciation for The Project, if you wish, which is a benefit for The Community Virtual Library.  The donation bin is near the gate ... he's wearing a toupe!

What happens once the Project closes?  

• It all gets packed away and tied up with strong cording of hope.
• If you want to keep up on Project news, follow this blog or join the Stories Unlimited! subscriber group - the joiner kiosk is near the gate across from "toupe guy."
• If you have feedback or ideas about features of the next Dickens Project, illustrators to recommend for the gardens, recommendations for the expansion of the Scrooge Gallery, or any other ideas that might inspire -- put them in a notecard and send them to Caledonia Skytower  with the Subject line "About TDP 2012"
• The next StoryFests Event will be the third annual StoryFest Celebration in March - date still pending.

SUNDAY & MONDAY, Dec 23rd & 24th: "A Christmas Carol" in Two Parts

Everyone has their holiday traditions.  Mine used to be about baking cookies and how much of the contents of my decoration boxes I could get out and up in the house.  Several years ago I was asked by then King Marik Zarco of the Bloodlines SL Clan of Blood Evolution to read A Christmas Carol out loud in their Kingdom.  That became an annual tradition which, in many ways, fed the kernel of an idea that eventually lead to The Dickens Project.

Caledonia (me) will be reading the entire text, "soup to nuts" December 23rd and 24th at 3pm SLT live in voice.  The sessions will be 90 to 120 minutes in length and divide the novella into two parts.

Come and hear the words one more time (or for the first time if you haven't already) live in voice, and explore The Dickens Project - celebrating the words and works of Charles Dickens.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/179/204/23

Benefits the Community Virtual Library.

THIS WEEK at The Dickens Project!

It's the week we go Stave by Stave and savor the rich language and many delights to be found in Dickens' first Christmas Classic, A Christmas Carol. Each of the individual Stave readings should be between 30 & 40 minutes in length.

Monday, December 17th - Stave One ~ Marley's Ghost
                                    @ Noon: with Ixmal Supermarine
                                    @ 4:00pm: with Corwyn Allen

Tuesday, December 18th -  Stave Two ~ The First of Three Spirits
                                    @ Noon: with Dubhna Rhiadra
                                    @ 5:00pm: with Brokali

Wednesday, December 19th - Stave Three ~ The Second of Three Spirits
                                    @ Noon: with  Ixmal Supermarine
                                    @ 5:00pm: with Kayden Oconnell

Thursday, December 20th - Stave Four ~ The Last of The Spirits
                                    @ Noon: with Dubhna Rhiadra
                                    @ 3:30pm: Avatar Repertory Theatre presentation (rescheduled)

Friday, December 21st - Stave Five ~ The End of It
                                    @ Noon: with Elrik Merlin
                                    @ 4:00pm: with Caledonia Skytower (Staves Four & Five together)
                                    (TBA a possible later presentation ~ stay tuned~!)

Photo of the A.R.T. performance shared by Elin

When Dickens’ publishers required him to pay back advances due to the poor sales of Martin Chuzzlewit, he knew he needed some other means of income. At that point in his career, 1843, Dickens was doing well, but had not reached a level of financial security that would allow him to go for a stretch of time without income. So Dickens “decided to throw off" a complete Christmas book in the intervals of writing the monthly serial parts of Chuzzlewit. In an era when an author’s manuscript was published and available to the public in much shorter times than the 21st Century, A Christmas Carol went on sale in December and was a tremendous success.

Merrytricks Resident also took some great shots around the Project on Saturday, which she has posted in the Web tab of her Profile, and she openly invites folks to look, like, and comment.

Have you taken some great snaps at The Dickens Project?  Feel free to share!  Send them, or links to them, to Caledonia Skytower.

HAPPY OPENING DAY!

The Dickens Project is Open ... the gates are wide and we are ready for guests:
~ TODAY (Friday): The Inaugural Reading will be at 2pm - Caledonia Skytower will be reading one of Dickens' many Short Stories Live in Voice in the Square.
~ TOMORROW (Saturday): The Avatar Repertory Theater will present Ada Radius' adaptation of A Christmas Carol at 5pm.

All times SLT, All performances Live in Voice. Stop in and check it out, and then come back, as you never know what we might add or adjust!

The Dickens Project is free, donations accepted to benefit the Community Virtual Library.  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/179/204/23

How Cool is THAT?!  Thank you Phoenix/Firestorm!

THE DICKENS PROJECT HAS LANDED!

Defying all odds, the build is not securely down on terra level on Info Island, though it is not yet "Open."  Thursday will be about some final texture finessing, fixtures and dressing, and some final scripting.  Might be sneaking in to put a few final touches in over the weekend, but there'll be no "plywood" showing when the gates swing wide on Friday!

MAKING PLANS?  Scroll down two posts to see the Working Schedule.  It will be updated and re-posted for the weekend Thursday late, late, late!!!

The Dickens Project lands on Info Island

ALMOST TIME TO OPEN!

When I was in college I had a design professor from London one year.  A little elven man who ran about most of the Fall chuckling, "It's almost Panto Time!"

I feel like that now ... "It's almost Dickens Time!"  Have been listening to Klannex Northmead's daily 1pm readings from Little Dorrit at Written Word (most days but Sunday's & UK Bank Holidays  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cookie/15/244/22) through out December at 1pm SLT) while working on promo texts, uploading images, looking for props on Marketplace, and eating lunch.

The Dickens Project Build is almost ready to move down to the terra level ... and Friday's Opening is almost upon us ... more in progress shots below.  It's nearly time to put the roofs on and start moving!

LEFT: Ixmal Supermarine checks out the build in costume, all ready for next week's readings.
BELOW: The Notable Scrooge Gallery panels being hung above the Poulterer's Shop.

Three Alcoves celebrate Illustrations past and present of "A Christmas Carol"

The first of the roofs goes up ... only three more to go!

"TDP" Site Secured - Schedule Preliminaries

We Have a Home!  The Community Virtual Library has generously given us a huge plot on Info Island:  a rough footprint of about 50m x90m and over three times the prims we were seeking for the beta version of this project!  Thank you Abbey Zenith and the CVL!

Buzz has begun as various performers begin considering how they might participate.  We have begun a very preliminary schedule with the first few bookings into it, as well as some "wish for" possibilities.  Interested in presenting?  Interested in one of the "Wish Fors"? Inspired with an idea of your own?   Contact Caledonia Skytower by notecard in world.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE:
(Note: anything in italics is NOT set in stone)

Friday, December 14th - Opening Day
Saturday, December 15th - TBD: A.R.T. Partnership Presentation** 
Sunday, December 16th - TBD: A.R.T. Partnership Presentation**

Monday, December 17th - Celebrate Stave One... A Visit from Marley's Ghost*
Tuesday, December 18th - Celebrate Stave Two... Christmas Past*
Wednesday, December 19th - Celebrate Stave Three... Christmas Present*
Thursday, December 20th - Celebrate Stave Four... Christmas Yet to Come*
Friday, December 21st - Celebrate Stave Five ... Scrooge Awake!*
Saturday, December 22nd - 
Sunday, December 23rd - @4pm: Caledonia Skytower (90 minutes- 1st half of novella)

Monday, December 24th - @4pm: Caledonia Skytower (90 minutes- 2nd half of novella)
Tuesday, December 25th - CHRISTMAS DAY
Wednesday, December 26th -
Thursday, December 27th - Closing Day - "Alternate Versions Presentations"

* ~ "Wish Fors" - A great day for presentations, solo or in groups, of that particular stave of the novella schedulable anytime from 9am -9pm SLT

** ~ Once, not both days . . .(no way we would be THAT lucky!) pending confirmation and pending agreement with the Avatar Repertory Theater Company.

ANNOUNCING: The Dickens Project!

We are in the waning months of the Dickens Bicentenary Year of celebration, and what better way to wrap up that year than with a tribute to his masterwork A Christmas Carol.  StoryFest Events will be launching The Dickens Project as just such a tribute. 

Sponsored by Stories Unlimited! and the Community Virtual Library, The Dickens Project will be an interactive environment for the presentation of A Christmas Carol which will be open to presentations of that work in whole, part, or adapted (as long as it is true to the original story) beginning December 14th through December 26th.  On December 27th, the last day of the Project, the venue will be open to "alternate version" presentations and tributes to the classic.

Any and all voice performers in Second Life are welcomed.  Presentations may be solo, duets, or larger groups of voices.  They must be live and in voice.  StoryFest Events will take care of booking time slots and promoting (though presenters are encouraged to promote through any avenues that have as well) and having our finger on ban/eject when needed. The Dickens Project will be located in Info Island in the Community Virtual Library Estate, and tips to benefit the CVL will be encouraged.  More about tipping later.

Here is the approximate Project Timeline ....

• Dec 5 - Deadline for Presenter Requests
• Dec 1 to 13 - install components of the environment
• Dec 10 to 13 - Make available for presenter preview
• Dec 14 - Opening Day
• Dec 27 - Alternate Versions Day, and then it all goes Ba-Bye!

Interested?  Apply to Caledonia Skytower by notecard in world for a presenter slot by December 5th.  Be sure to include the times and dates you would prefer to perform.

We hope that this year's project will be well recceived well enough for it to be a beta test of a more expanded project in December 2013 ... Lord and the Lindens willing.