Match Game: A Mixed Success

The two shows of Match Game SF that we actually had time to stage went very well, and the audience really seemed to enjoy it. Alas, with some cumulative minor delays, the compression caused by trying to stage four technically complicated events back-to-back-to-back-to-back in that space, and the hotel getting insistent that they wanted that room turned, meant that instead of the original three show minimum, once the Masquerade results were ready after game 2, we had to wind things up early. This is unfortunate because the amount of work that goes into staging the show is such that it's almost not worth doing unless you can do at least four and preferably five shows -- what the original considered a week's work.

I'm not faulting BayCon about this, and those of you whose web searches are programmed to spot keyword "BayCon" please take note of that. I'm grateful for the opportunity to perform the show on the "main stage," but possibly it's not really worth doing with so few performances. The tech crew came together to make the equipment work. Lisa rewired the ECM-51 so it had a proper 1/4" connector and thus would work with the equipment available (and it will work better with our shows in the future). yourbob did a fantastic job as associate producer, busting his tail getting everything to come together. One of these days we'll have a chance to do this "main stage" as the entire night's work with a proper technical rehearsal so that everyone knows how all of the equipment is going to work.

Actually, and idea that was floated at the parties later was that we do six shows: three shows of "regular" (PG-13) Match Game in the early evening, then a break, then three shows of Match Game After Dark (R). That might work.

Anyway, Lisa took a whole bunch of photos, many of which look good, but there are so many that they're going to have to wait until next week for me to go through them and post them.

Minor Panic

This morning, I had a checkout statement under my door. Huh? I wasn't leaving until Monday. And wouldn't you know that this was one of those rare times that I did not have a printed copy of my reservation against which I could check? Fortunately, when I called the front desk, they had no problem extended our stay for one more night at the convention rate.

Today should be a lot less stressful. All I have to do is sit at the Anticipation/Montreal in 2009 fan table. Oh, and repack all of the boxes of Match Game gear, but that's relatively easy.

Another Minor Panic

Following the CostumeCon committee meeting late this afternoon, I went back to my room, only to find that my keycard was no longer working. Lisa hadn't locked me out; it's just that because the system originally thought I was checking out today, it had turned off the card. I went to the front desk and got two new cards, and wonder of wonders, found Lisa without any trouble, so that was settled.

Like the new icon? It's from this photo of a sign found in the halls of BayCon:

( Never Set Yourself On Fire )

I couldn't include the small print because it wasn't very readable at icon size.