oakenguy

So on Monday I got together with andsonosin to talk about what she wants me to do for my performance this weekend. She's co-ordinating a big ol' fundraising event at Mobius, Boston's biggest (not that this is saying too much) performance art space.

Now, I love Alisia. The last time we worked together she crawled around in a dog costume in front of City Hall while I tried to train her, as a big metaphor for artists' relationships with local bureaucracy. That fact, added to the fact that the Big Concept of the weekend is For the Win! Adventures in Game-Based Performance Art, and I knew she'd reached out to local LARPers and other gamers, and let's just say my curiosity was running high.

This is how it went:

A: You're going to be manning the second installation people see. That doesn't count the boffer LARPers outside having their tournament.

Me: A weekend-long tournament?

A: Well, they'll also be interacting all up and down the street. But their fights will all take place in the ring of fiery demon poo. *off my look* Which is metaphorical.

Me: Gotcha.

A: So folks come in. First off they have a game show, 'Free the Artist'. We've got an artist in heavy restraints stuffed in a bag. *off my look* NOT metaphorical. People who want to play get asked questions; if they get them wrong the artist gets ANOTHER restraint. They get it right, they get to choose whether to let the artist get one restraint taken off, or get another one added. So we're testing peoples' altruism, making it part of the piece.

ME: And then there's me?

A: Right! And you'll be at a table, and you'll play this card game with them! *teaches me 'Apples to Apples'. It's VERY simple. No restraints. No LARPing.*

ME: And then I...

A: You let them go to the next installation, where Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam play a game about the electoral process with them!

ME: That's all I do?

A: Uh-huh. You're the relaxing interlude mixed in with all the challenging stuff.

ME: ..........

A: Plus, you get to wear a really cool hat.

ME: I'm in!