Arisia '05 Events

Arisia '05 will have many terrific Events. Check back here as we add more!

For a full Schedule grid of Arisia events, click here.

The Arisia Masquerade with take place on the beautiful stage at the Boston Park Plaza. This years MC is Master Costumer "Ricky Dick". He was Costume Guest of Honor at Lunacon 2004 and MC'd their masquerade. He is the only living person to ever MC a Balticon Masquerade. (There has been a vampire doing it for centuries)

Masquerade Registration will be on the mezzanine level, between 10am and 3pm on Saturday. Rehearsal tentatively Schedule only if needed from 3pm till 5pm on Saturday. Greenroom opens at 6pm. The Masquerade itself will start at 8pm. The "International Costumers Guild" guidelines will be used.

HERE IS A CHANCE FOR KIDS TO SHOW OFF THEIR COSTUMES!

The Fast Track Kamikaze Costuming panel (Saturday 2-4 pm) will be followed up by a parade across the Stage as the first entry in the Arisia Masqueradeon Saturday night.

All children who are not otherwise entered as Masquerade contestants are welcome to participate in the Masquerade as part of the Kamikaze Entry. Ideally they will wear costumes made in Fast Track.

A parent or guardian must sign the entrance paperwork in advance and accompany the child to the Masquerade Green Room (Terrace room) at 7:00 pm for an 8 pm stage appearance. Talk with Persis in Fast Track to learn more and get the paperwork.

As he announced on AintItCoolNews.com, Harry Knowles will be swimming the Charles River Naked! Unfortunately for us (and fortunately for him!), the Charles is frozen solid so he will be doing a Q & A session down in the Terrace Room at 10am to noon Sunday instead. Come see and hear the man behind the website and find out what he really thinks about running such a popular site, movies, DVDs, geek culture and perhaps even John Carter of Mars!

angst boy It may be kind of odd to have a Goth Beachwear Fashion Show in January, in a hotel with no pool, but then Goth Beachwear is a kind of odd concept! Join us at 10pm Friday in the Terrace Room for the fun.
The Filkado: Space Opera ... Complete with Music!
Arthur Sullivan's tunes are put to frightening new uses and puns fly when music pirates from MARS invade the planet Nesfan. Check it out at 3pm Saturday in the Terrace Room.
The Teseracte Players of Boston, New England's Premiere Traveling Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast, will be strutting their stuff on stage in the Grand Ballroom Friday at approximately 11:59:59 PM. Please join them for a "jump to the left."
Bal Des Vampyres ... Are you one of Those Who Hunt the Night - for dance partners? Why settle for Traveling with the Dead when you can dance with them? The vampires and vampire hunters of Edwardian England invite you to an evening of dances from the opening decade of the 20th century. Dress in whatever you have laying about - even if it has been out of fashion for centuries. No experience is needed - all dances will be taught. Be there from 8:30pm to 11pm in the Grand Ballroom.
Interested in taking a more active part in your science fiction? Arisia's LARPs (Live Action Role Playing games) give players a chance to take on the parts of heroes and villains in a more dynamic story than a simple book, or even a tabletop role playing game can provide. Whether you are interested in acting out heroic combats with NERO, or want to try immerse yourself in a character in one of the Theater Style games, Arisia has something that will suit your fancy. Come to the Grand Ballroom from 8am to 10:30am on Saturday and 8am to 11:30am on Sunday. For game details, see LARPs at Arisia 05.
Higgins Armory Demonstrations ... Science fiction and fantasy literature enthusiasts will have the opportunity to witness actual combat techniques that have not been employed in over 400 years. (For more information on this fascinating guild dedicated to presenting a scholarly and historically accurate interpretation of medieval and Renaissance combat see www.higgins.org) See and hear the clash of steel in the Terrace Room at 10am on Saturday! First off will be "Medieval Dagger", followed by "Renaissance Rapier and Dagger", "Medieval Combat (falchion, dagger, halberd, sword and buckler)", "Swordplay through the Ages (unarmored longsword, late rapier, smallsword, saber)" and last, but not least, "Armored Combat (longsword)"! Each demonstration will be about 1/2 hour with commentary from the experts.
Reincarnating his previous role as Arisia DJ, Johnny Zed will be spinning tunes in the Grand Ballroom from midnight until the last dancer drops or the hotel shuts him down. Come shuffle your mortal coil to everything from favorites returned from beyond the grave to futuristic waves of dark sound from another dimension. With a wide-ranging musical selection sure to have something to keep everyone's toes twitching, we invite you to enjoy yourself at our all night celebration, and remember... you can dance if you want to. Want to add your own favorites to the mix? Requests can be made prior to the convention here.
A live-action Jeopardy game, where you can demonstrate your superiority in the arena of nerd trivia. Think you know your stuff about SF? Care to prove it and win fabulous prizes in the bargain? Be sure to phrase your response in the form of a question... There will be two sessions, one at 7pm on Friday night and one at 2pm Sunday, both in the Grand Ballroom.

Example: She was the Jetson's robotic maid.

Note: Contestants will be selected for this event *before* the con. We may need a qualification test in order to find the best contestants, taken a couple of days before the con. Click here for more information.
Dr. Who Alien Challenge ... For most SF+F television programs and movies, the budgets have been astounding, the resulting effects the same. For some, the budgets are ridiculous, the resulting effects the same. And, once in awhile, there was a program or film where the budget was ridiculous, and the effects astounding. Doctor Who was such a great program, and in our Alien Challenge, you have the opportunity to join a group and create a new Dr. Who alien race, from top to bottom. Much like Scrapheap Challenge/Junkyard Wars, bring whatever materials you feel might contribute to the creation of a unique Dr. Who Alien within a set time limit. You will have an opportunity to put the aliens through their paces in the fashion show, the threatening posture, the attempted menace, and the all important "Running Through Corridors."
Costume-friendly Tech ... One of the least understood aspects of costuming is the presentation, and the least understood aspect of the presentation is the use of technology. Every presentation requires light to be seen, and nearly every presentation has some sort of sound track, but how can someone get the best result from that effort?

The Lighting Designer and the Sound Designer from Noreason 4, along with the rest of Arisia's technical crew, discuss and demonstrate how to use theatrical technology to your advantage. Included will be a discussion of Noreascon 4's Masquerade, what went well and what didn't.

Costumers and Masquerade Tech are highly encouraged to attend, and anyone who is interested in what goes in to making a Masquerade happen is certainly welcome to join as well

Earth Girls/Boys Are [Not] Easy - How to go to Arisia and both survive and have fun!  Learn about the 5-2-1 rule and gain insight into how to interact with members of the appropriate gender. We'll have panelists from each gender who will share their knowledge of people, relationships, flirting, dating, and safe sex.  8pm Friday in White Hill

Do you, like Todd Rundgren, want to bang on the drum all day? Indulge yourself by joining the Drum Circle at 8pm Friday in the Terrace Room and celebrate the wonder of percussion! Alas, it only lasts for about an hour, though.
It's Friday night and you're having too much fun to sleep, right? Head on down to the Terrace Room at midnight for Late Night Fun 'N' Games featuring such intellectual diversions as Duck...Duck...Goose.
Captions: "A play exploring the eternal triangle: A boy, a girl, a computer. Sunday at 1pm in the Terrace Room
Join us for the Opening Parade featuring our Fan GoH on the bagpipes! 6:30pm on the Mezzanine ending in the Grand Ballroom.
See John Picacio's work on the big screen in the Grand Ballroom at 1pm Saturday! Join him for a slide presentation of various illustrations.
Two GoHs in one place! Our Fan GoH, Victor Raymond, will interview our Writer GoH, Barbara Hambly in an informal setting on stage in the Grand Ballroom at 2pm on Saturday. Join them for what promises to be a lively chat exploring Barbara's work.
Perpetually Poly - Primarily for those in established poly relationships, this panel will try to get in depth about such poly complications as: connecting with your S.O.'s other S.O.s, when not to start something new, even spending holiday times with your more traditional family members.  Come join us for a frank discussion on making it work and keeping it working.  Terrace, 4pm, Saturday.
Come visit the Arlington Street Church conveniently located near the Boston Park Plaza hotel and see our Special Filk Guest Ed Stauff discuss and perform on the pipe organ! The show starts at 4:30pm on Saturday and will be open to the public. We hope to have maps and guides available. Please check the newsletter (Clear Ether) on Saturday morning for more information.
Our Special Filk Guests, Mary Ellen Wessels and Ed Stauff, will treat your ears and brain to their filking magic with a concert in the Grand Ballroom at noon on Sunday. You don't want to miss this!"
Sunday. Sunday! Sundae!! Come and be served a selection of gourmet ice creams and toppings in the Terrace Room at 3pm on, well, Sunday. Tickets are $4 each and limited in number. They go fast, so be sure to get yours at the Arisia Sales table on the Mezzanine"
Are you interested in the Tech aspects of a con? Do you want to know how to wrap a cable and pack a light? A few pointers on how to do a tech tear down (coincidentally during tear down). Starting at 3pm Sunday in the Grand Ballroom.

Do you like sending/receiving email? Can you talk on the phone? Did you ever wonder how an Arisia Event happens? Here's your chance to find out by becoming an Event Liaison! You'll contact those doing an event, get their requirements and information and pass that along to the folks who can get those requirements met.

Most of the work is pre-con, perhaps a couple hours a week coordinating the needs of Your Event with the rest of the staff. You will, however, be required to attend your event at con in case your Liaisoning skills are needed. Other than that, you are free to do what you will. So, if you'd like a Dr. Who Alien Challenge, a musical, Adult games, or many of the other Events currently scheduled, contact us at Events@Arisia.org!