Equinox 57

Equinox 57 took place on September 21, 2013, in Berkeley.

Theme: condiments

Name Tags

What kind of pickle are  you? by Ann Daniels and Jon Zingman (Iolanthe and Plaid)

Wall Games

Bun and Bun by Myles Nye (Owler)
57 Varieties by NeilFred Picciotto (Renfield)
alphA Blocker by Leon Marzillier (Elfman)
Cryptic crosswords from The Nation, by Kosman and Picciotto (Trazom and Hot)

Mixer

Top This! by Tyler Hinman (Mosayc)

Creative Game

Heinzsight by Jill Tallmer

Pencil and Paper Game

Catch Up! by Andrew Chaikin (Murdoch)

Performance Game

Once More With Relish by Rick Rubenstein (Rubrick)

Megagame

A Case of Condiments: A Professor Hines Mystery by Dwight Freund (Dandr)

Top This!

A mixer from Equinox 57 by Tyler Hinman (Mosayc).

The cards.

Print out two-sided, flipping on the long edge like a book. Cut carefully between the pairs of pluses and equals signs. Cut all slips in half with a vertical cut to handle up to 66 people; 33 otherwise. Shuffle and distribute.

Catch Up!

 A pencil and paper game from Equinox 57, by Kid Beyond (Murdoch).

At each table, 3 people each come up with a 6-word clue for something easy, like so:

A: What big ape terrorized New York?
B: What mouse food has many holes?
C: What explosive display honors July Fourth?

They write these on special sheets I have designed (to make the following process very straightforward).

Then they stand up and read out their clues to the room, round-robin style, one word each, staggered, like so:

ROUND 1:
A: What
B: mouse
C: display
A: terrorized
B: many
C: Fourth?

The rest of the room all write down their guesses for the 3 clues -- each worth 4 points.

ROUND 2:
B: What
C: explosive
A: ape
B: has
C: July
A: York?

Rest of room writes their guesses -- each worth 2 points.

ROUND 3:
C: What
A: big
B: food
C: honors
A: New
B: holes?

Rest of room writes their guesses -- each worth 1 point.

The 3 cluers each reveal their clues as written, and the answers. Then the next team begins.

Note: Guessers are not allowed to write down the words as they hear them (that would make it too easy!). Instead, they use these sheets to keep a record of their guesses.

Heinzsight

A creative game from Equinox 57, by Jill Tallmer.

Players sit at tables of approximately eight. Each person has a paper, accordion-folded in 8 and then unfolded (or a paper printed with seven equidistant lines) Each person writes a dramatic last line of a story at the bottom and passes to the left. Second person writes a dramatic and entirely unrelated first line of a story at the top and passes to the left. After last and first lines are filled in, subsequent writers can choose to fill in any intervening line, so as to get the story to make sense. When all 8 lines are written, the person who started by finishing the story gets it back, and slaps on an appropriate title to the story.

Note that everyone can see the whole story as far as it has been written up to that point. This is not a "pass and fold" game.

For this Equinox, there was an additional requirement that every story plus title add up to 57 words, which meant that the person writing the title had to count the words, and edit as needed. It was helpful that each person indicated how many words they used in their line.

When stories are complete, go around the table declaiming them. Share the best/worst with the whole assembly if there's time.

Tables with a number of players other than 8 can easily adapt.

Three stories written this way:

THE CHURL FROM IPANEMA
When he staggered into the bar, all conversation stopped.
"Please, a drink," the burned man gasped.
But the bartender ignored him.
Suddenly, the man burst into a song:
"Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. Tequlia!"
Best. Song. Ever!
But inside, he was deeply concerned about the devastating earthquake in Brazil.
"Someone's got to rebuild Rio," he muttered.

CEDRIC AND LUCY
What happens in the dirt stays in the dirt
"I hate parties" Cedric grumbled
But then he saw her in the blooming daffodils
Daffodils never party
They just lie around
"You call that a garden?" She sneered
"No, I call that a--hey, will you marry me?"
She turned to him and said "Yes."


The next one rhymes:

CRAP!
the princess awoke to sun streaming in
and a funny feeling at her chin
she said "Oh crap--not again!"
she plugged in the electric razor--but then...
footsteps approaching. "here comes the queen!"
"but my thin beard remains unclean!"
"Oh crap" she said as she went to the can
and that's when the problems began

Once More With Relish

Once More With Relish, a performance game from Equinox 57, by Rick Rubenstein (Rubrick)

Familiar phrases were charaded by a team of volunteers, with each actor receiving only *one* word of the phrase. The charaders lined up on the stage in the correct order (as seen by the audience). On cue, each began simultaneously acting out their single word as best they could, over and over, until most audience members (by show of hands) had figured out the phrase.

The phrases were chosen randomly from this list:

SHE SELLS SEASHELLS BY THE SEASHORE
HAPPY BIRTH DAY TO YOU
FLY ME TO THE MOON
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY 
BABY YOU CAN DRIVE MY CAR
TO BE OR NOT TO BE
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

alphA Blocker

A wall game from Equinox 57, by Leon Marzillier (Elfman)

Bun and Bun

A wall game from Equinox 57, by Myles Nye (Owler).

A group solved this puzzle without these instructions.

57 Varieties

57 Varieties, a wall game from Equinox 57, by NeilFred Picciotto (Renfield)

zero garbage

IMPORTANT NOTE

Our party venue has gone green.  Trash is separated into three categories:

  - Compost: food and food-soiled paper (they have containers)
  - Recycling: paper, cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles, aluminum foil (they have containers)
  - Garbage: everything else, including Styrofoam and plastic food tubs, cups, plates, and utensils  (we have to haul away our own garbage!)

Please help us achieve zero garbage by bringing compostable paper plates, cups, and utensils.  If, for example though, you can't help bringing chips in a non-compostable, non-recyclable bag, please take the bag home with you after the party. Sort of like backpacking. Otherwise someone else will have to.

A lot of volunteer work goes into making the Equinox party happen. If you can help, please step forward and join the team. Food and/or trash coordination especially welcome!

Thanks.

Dates

Equinox 57 will be on 21 September 2013.

Equinox 58 will be on 15 March 2014.

Mark your calendars!

Upcoming Dates

Mark your calendars for 2013:

Equinox 56: March 23 -- eLVIs-themed

Equinox 57: September 21

6-11pm, in Berkeley.

See you then!

--Henri