What makes a good Furry Variety Show act?
Here are some suggestions for your act:
1. Short is good. Funny is good. Short and Funny is better. We will accept other types of acts - live singing, sentimental monologue, experimental, etc, but if in doubt, quick comedy is a consistent winner.
2. Something different happening every 20 seconds. This isn't a firm rule, but you better have a reason if you want to break it.
3. Props are your friends. They keep the audience interested. We have a prop wrangler to help you.
4. PRACTICE! - Practice before the con. Practice at con before the rehearsal. Practice cues. Practice getting to your mark. Practice getting your motions in sync with your sound. Practice your entrance and exit.
5. Pre-recorded audio. Your voice will not carry and only the MC has a radio mike. Create your audio in advance, tweak it to perfection and burn a CD-R for us. [one exception: I look poorly on pre-recorded singing which has pitch problems - it's a pet peeve of mine ] Live mikes on wires will be made available in special cases. Live singing is permitted if you're up to it.
6. Interact with the MC. We love shtick and running gags which interconnect acts.
The Furry Variety Show promise to the Audience:
"Some of these acts may be good and a few may be painful - but we promise the pain will not last very long"
(thus - we reserve the right to shorten acts which threaten to break this promise)
Acts to avoid:
1. Performing to a full length song without choreography or props. Do you know how LONG a three minute song feels to the audience? It can be agony. Only people with incredible stage presence can pull this off. Please don't try to air guitar or freeform dance your way through a full length song. I require anyone planning to do something like this to show proof of choreography and content.
2. Bellydancing or similar specialized dancing must be time limited. Three minutes is a hard cutoff, but I may ask for shorter.
3. "We have this long windy sketch we've not practiced and only one of us knows it" -a guaranteed train wreck.
4. "I'm doing an interpretive dance of MacArthur Park" -- Ask yourself - do you REALLY have the skill to pull this off and not bore everyone to tears?
5. Too much adult content. This IS a midnight show, and we give some leeway, but if your act is intensely and unremittingly adult, we may not allow it. Keep it PG-13 for the most part. If in doubt, ask the director.
1. Short is good. Funny is good. Short and Funny is better. We will accept other types of acts - live singing, sentimental monologue, experimental, etc, but if in doubt, quick comedy is a consistent winner.
2. Something different happening every 20 seconds. This isn't a firm rule, but you better have a reason if you want to break it.
3. Props are your friends. They keep the audience interested. We have a prop wrangler to help you.
4. PRACTICE! - Practice before the con. Practice at con before the rehearsal. Practice cues. Practice getting to your mark. Practice getting your motions in sync with your sound. Practice your entrance and exit.
5. Pre-recorded audio. Your voice will not carry and only the MC has a radio mike. Create your audio in advance, tweak it to perfection and burn a CD-R for us. [one exception: I look poorly on pre-recorded singing which has pitch problems - it's a pet peeve of mine ] Live mikes on wires will be made available in special cases. Live singing is permitted if you're up to it.
6. Interact with the MC. We love shtick and running gags which interconnect acts.
The Furry Variety Show promise to the Audience:
"Some of these acts may be good and a few may be painful - but we promise the pain will not last very long"
(thus - we reserve the right to shorten acts which threaten to break this promise)
Acts to avoid:
1. Performing to a full length song without choreography or props. Do you know how LONG a three minute song feels to the audience? It can be agony. Only people with incredible stage presence can pull this off. Please don't try to air guitar or freeform dance your way through a full length song. I require anyone planning to do something like this to show proof of choreography and content.
2. Bellydancing or similar specialized dancing must be time limited. Three minutes is a hard cutoff, but I may ask for shorter.
3. "We have this long windy sketch we've not practiced and only one of us knows it" -a guaranteed train wreck.
4. "I'm doing an interpretive dance of MacArthur Park" -- Ask yourself - do you REALLY have the skill to pull this off and not bore everyone to tears?
5. Too much adult content. This IS a midnight show, and we give some leeway, but if your act is intensely and unremittingly adult, we may not allow it. Keep it PG-13 for the most part. If in doubt, ask the director.
