By Johanna Mead
With thanks to Phil & Kathe Gust, Kevin Roche, Andy Trembley and Jennifer Wylie for their help in drafting a coherent set of guidelines!

Hello! I'm Johanna and I'm your masquerade director for Gallifrey One: Blackjack 21. It's going to be fantastic! If you have any questions and would like to contact me directly, drop a line to johanna.mead(at)gmail.com (or via the convention email page) and I'll get back to you, ASAP.

About the Masquerade

The 2010 Masquerade of Mandragora costume presentation is the showpiece of the Gallifrey 2010 convention, and will take place in our main programming ballroom on Saturday evening at or around 8:00pm. All convention attendees are welcome to be a part of the audience. Lines begin to form at approximately 6:30-7:00pm, with admission to the auditorium just before show time. We are currently working on a plan to enlarge the main ballroom to accommodate more seating, so we won't have any need for standing room only as in previous years!

As in many events, our Masquerade is split into three parts: the presentation itself, a "half-time" event while the judges deliberate, and then the presentation of awards. We are delighted that this year's "half-time" event will be the return to evening programming (where it belongs!) of one of Gallifrey One's most popular events, "Just a Minute", hosted by guest Paul Cornell and featuring several of our convention guests in a lively competition match that's always a big hit with the audience.

As an attendee, you need to read no further; Masquerade seating is part of your membership! However, if you'd like to take a chance and participate on stage with a costume, either as a competitor or simply to show off your work, then please read on...

Pre-Masquerade Meeting

There will be a mandatory meeting for all masquerade participants, at some point on Saturday morning at the convention. (Exact time TBD closer to the con). At this meeting, entry forms will be collected, along with your music/soundtrack. If you are part of a group entry, your entire group does not have to be present, but someone will need to show up to hand in the entry form on the group's behalf. This meeting is also when the check-in time for the green room will be announced, and the masquerade crew will be on hand to answer your questions. Trust the director, we will all be much happier for giving up 45 minutes in the morning to avoid all kinds of chaos, that night.

Download Your Entry Form

Entry forms for our 2010 masquerade are now available... CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD (please note: it is in PDF format!) Masquerade entry forms will also be available at Member Services during the convention. Only one form per entry need be filled out - not one for each person in your group.

Masquerade Entry Requirements

• Every entrant must be a registered attendee of Gallifrey One. If the maker and presenter of the costume are different people, both must be attending members.
• Purchased and rented costumes may not be submitted for judging of any type.
  • Costumes using some purchased parts may ask for judging, as long as those purchased elements are thoroughly disclosed to all judges (so that they may be discounted)
  • The two rules, above, mean that a Hong Kong bespoke Tenth Doctor suit (for instance) is not eligible for workmanship or presentation judging.
• You may appear on stage once, in one costume.
• You do not have to create a "skit" to go on stage. If you want to simply walk-and-turn, that's totally okay.
• You (or a representative of your group) must attend the aforementioned pre-masquerade meeting.
• Solo entrants are asked to keep their presentation to under 60 seconds' duration. If you exceed this time, you will be ineligible for an award.
• Group entries are asked to keep their presentation to under 2 minutes' duration. If you exceed this time, you will be ineligible for an award.
• Very large groups (seven or more participants) may request a little more time if they speak to the masquerade director at the pre-show meeting - or even earlier, if possible.
• The masquerade will be limited to a certain number of entries (final number TBD). Every effort will be made to accommodate everyone who wishes to participate, but the presentations cannot overrun the (current) limit of 90 minutes. At the moment, the estimated limit on entries is 30. Show up promptly at the pre-show meeting to be sure of your spot!
• Entrants under the age of 18 must have a parent/guardian sign their entry form.

The Stuff That You Think Would Be Obvious...
But We Have To Say It Anyway!

• This is a family show, try to keep your costuming - and your skit - to nothing raunchier than PG-13.
• No nudity. As the costuming-scene saying goes: No costume is NO costume!
• No materials or effects that will leave a mess on stage or in the green room are allowed. No materials or effects that may ruin another entrant's costume are allowed. (aka the "no peanut butter!" rule. Yes, really.)
• No live animals on stage, unless it's a service animal.
• No pyrotechnics or any other open flames are allowed.

Technical Concerns

• There will be NO live mikes on the stage. All sound/music must be pre-recorded and brought by the entrants to the pre-masquerade meeting.
• Music/soundtracks must be burned on to a CD-ROM in MP3 or WAV format. Better yet, please bring both formats on one disk, just in case.
• Do not bring us a commercial CD with a note along the lines of "Track 3, 45 seconds in, please" because the crew will laugh in a dryly ironic manner and tell you that you're out of luck.
• Label the disk with your real name, your entry name and a contact phone number (failing that, your room number if you're staying at the hotel)
• At the pre-masquerade meeting, the director will collect music/soundtracks from you. We suggest you bring two copies (because disasters can happen and a freak space-time rift could appear on the tech desk). Give one to us, hang on to the other.
• The lighting setup is very basic. Tech cannot accommodate any special lighting needs. What you've seen during the day is pretty much what you'll get.
• If you don't have your own music, we will have something to play for you, so that you're not walking across the stage in silence.
• The MC will be willing and able to read out a short piece of commentary before and/or during your number, if you wish. There is a section for your script on the entry form. We recommend you bring a second printed copy of your script (in large, easy to read type) to the green room.
• During green-room, the MC will check in and meet with all entrants to confirm how to pronounce your name, how you want to be introduced, etc.
• If you have large props, or a costume that limits your mobility, bring your own assistants to help you/it/them on and off the stage. As of this writing, the show does NOT have any stage-ninjas to provide assistance.
• Because it bears repeating: live sound will NOT be allowed on stage.

Skill Divisions and Judging

• Everyone is encouraged to participate in both workmanship and presentation judging. After all, if you don't enter, you won't win!
• There are two types of judging: presentation and workmanship.
  • Presentation - evaluating how your costume is presented on the stage (not the quality of your performance).
  • Workmanship - is the 'up close' judging of a costumer's technique. This occurs in the green room, before the show.
• Participating in the "competitive" aspect of the masquerade is voluntary. You do not have to submit to either form of judging you don't want to (in which case, select the "exhibition only" category on the entry form. But, as we say, if you don't enter, you can't win!
• You will be asked to pick a class for your entry: novice, open, exhibition-only or young fan.
  • Novice - you have not won any prize at any previous masquerade (as the name suggests, this is the ideal category for first-timers and folks who haven't done many masquerades).
  • Open - anyone may enter this category (if you're a first-timer and feeling confident, you do not have to enter as a novice. The novice class exists to give neophytes some breathing room and a fair chance to get their feet wet) Note: professional costumers may not enter in the novice category, even if this is their first masquerade. You're considered a professional costumer if more than half of your income in the past year has been derived from costuming.
  • Young fan - for competitors under the age of 16 who have participated in the design and construction of their costume. Children wearing costumes made by adults must go into the novice or open category. Feel free to ask the director for clarification if you're unsure.
  • Exhibition - you do not wish to submit to either form of judging, or your costume is ineligible. You will not be eligible for any prizes offered - but who cares, you'll look great!
• If you're not sure about which class is best for you, feel free to contact the director before the con or ask about it at the pre-masque meeting. The crew is here to help you!

A Few Suggestions

• If you're showing a re-creation costume, bring some documentation for the judges - source pictures of the costume you're recreating and a couple of paragraphs about how you managed it.
• It doesn't have to be a beautifully wrought document - just 1 page (2 at most) of information that better informs the judges as to what you've done. This can be particularly handy if you're re-creating something that isn't common knowledge (ask the director about her Rebecca Fogg costume, some time)
• If possible, bring 2 copies - one for the presentation judges and one for the workmanship judges.
• Bring your documentation to the pre-masquerade meeting and hand it in with your entry form. Documentation will not be accepted in the green room.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact the Masquerade director at the email address above or the general convention address. We look forward to seeing you at the 2010 Masquerade!