CHARACTER PERFORMERS

The Fear/Money Catchers (characters) are responsible for catching community fears during the procession from onlookers with your fear catcher nets and placing the fears into the Beast! The Fear Catcher Beast is a mobile puppet that will be animated by one of our Clay and Paper theatre puppeteers. Once you return to the park after the procession you will exchange your fear catching nets for Money Catching Hats. You will watch the pageant scenario and near the beginning of the scenario, the MC’s will make a pitch for greatly needed donations to pay for the event. You will then run around the scenario with your money catching hats gathering money from the audience members. After the pageant, we also ask that you continue to follow the audience to the concert where we will make another appeal for donations. We need charismatic and confident people for this crucially, DREADFULLY important and incredibly FUN job. We’ll need you at Christie Pits for 3:30 PM on Sat., Oct. 28th, 2023 where you will get your costume (a white jumpsuit you can wear over your outdoor clothes and a net) and some coaching around the character and their role in the pageant.

The Bride and Groom of Death** (characters) is a great volunteer opportunity for a couple. You, the Bride and Groom of Death will animate Christie Pits park with your presence, reminding everyone of your eternal, deathless wedded bliss – or not… We will provide your mask and costume. We’ll need you at Christie Pits between 4:00 PM on Sat., Oct. 28th, 2023.

**A Bride and Groom costume fitting must take place before the event day to make sure we have options in our costume kit for the Bride and Groom. This can be arranged via email with Clay and Paper Theatre producers. Once your fitting is done beforehand, your call-time can be 4:30 PM

The Doom Cheerleading Squad (characters) is a squad of four fearleaders. It’s a great opportunity for you and three friends to get together to help to spread doom and gloom to the gathering audience at Christie Pits park. You’ll be cheering, dancing, and having loads of dreadful laughs during the scenario. We will provide your costume for the night as you become one of our leading cheer-ers of doom, dread, and fright. We’ll need you at Christie Pits for 3:30 PM on Sat,, Oct. 28th, 2023 to pick up your cheerleader pom-poms, pinnie and cheerleader skirt (These are sewn to be put on like aprons and so they can fit over outdoor clothing and be adjusted.). You’ll also get a chance to practice some dreadful cheers.

The Death Dancers (characters) are a group of dancers, who offer members of the public a dance with Death Itself. Before the Procession begins, Death Dancers will dance in the wading pool area where the Magpie stilters keep watch. There will be live music as you offer audience members a dance. The Death Dancer group will then join the procession and when you return to the park will also watch the pageant together. At the scenario’s conclusion, the Death Dancers will gather the Fears from the Cemetery of Fears (cardboard signs/tombstones) and join the Fear Keeper at the Fire Pit. You’ll be helping to keep onlookers a safe-distance from the fire while the Fear Keeper ritualistically names and burns the collected fears. We’ll need you at Christie Pits for 3:30 PM on Sat., Oct. 28th, 2023 to pick up your masks and costume (which can fit over outdoor clothing) and to get some dancing practice in.

A Flag Bearer (character) to carry the Night of Dread standard into the pageant scenario circle in Christie Pits Park. You will lead all of the puppets around the scenario circle until they arrive at their staging location in the performance space. During the scenario you will stand beside the MCs. We will provide the flag. We’ll need you at Christie Pits for 4:30 PM on Sat., Oct. 28th, 2023.

FOR ALL VOLUNTEER CHARACTER PERFORMERS - When you arrive at Puppet Central (Christie Pits), Puppet-Masters or the Park Manager will help retrieve masks, costumes and props for Volunteer Character Performers. They will help you get dressed into your character costume, as well as provide you with basic coaching around your character's pageant role.

You will then be shown to your assigned place for the procession by the Stage Manager or Event Manager, unless you have another role/task as per your description above. Once the procession has begun, follow along in your assigned spot and make sure to listen to any park/procession guides and bike marshals (they’ll have high visibility vests on). You’ll return to Christie Pits as the procession comes to an end and the pageant is about to begin. You will watch the pageant scenario and if you have an appearance during the pageant, the Stage Manager and/or the Pageant MCs will help coordinate and cue your entrance. After the pageant, please take up your respective assigned roles (e.g. at the concert or fire pit). At the end of your role/performance, you will drop off your character costume, prop or money catching hat at Puppet Central to one of the Event Managers or Park Managers. After this, your role for the evening will have come to an end. Thank you for your help during the pageant!