#ExperienceIMade

I’m not going to say too much about this one because it might actually happen. We had had the meetings, worked on ideas, written the script, practiced the parts, made the props, and nearly finished it. Then some people moved away for a year. When they came back, the pandemic started. It has been on hiatus for 2 years. I have a room full of props but I’m not sure it will ever happen. I even made the videos for it. We had about 12 people working on it now.

Here’s the teaser:

This one really will be spectacular if it happens. But I think it’s a 50/50 chance of it happening. Things change and I’m not sure how many people would be up for that amount of work. Scheduling is usually months out. Oh.. and we’re still in the pandemic. Ugh.

Fingers crossed that we can do it again someday. If not, I’ve learned a lot for them and had a lot of fun with a great group of friends. It will forever be one of my most favorite projects.

There are too many details of the dinners to write out in one post. These seasons were a monster of a masterpiece and was far and away the most work we had done for a show – even though we reused a lot of the skits and ideas from previous seasons. There were many witty lines, clever timing of lights and sound effects, and great background sounds and music. We had ten different people creating this one – for just 12 lucky guests. It was monumentous in so many ways. 

This show was super high energy from front to back and it was great that we worked out so many smaller issues we’d have over the course of the other dinners. The food was great and timed well, we didn’t run out of alcohol, we had some awesome guests, too.

Hosts: Mike, Vianca, Matt, Kate, Iain, Dan, Rebecca, Emily, Mark, and Kevin.

Planning and Logistics

There were lots of meetings for this one. Some people were tired of them but I thought they were necessary. The dinners had evolved from a “wing it” to a much bigger production. Not everyone liked the new bigger awesomer monster we were creating but fortunately everyone stuck with it.

At one point, Vianca and I made a timeline to show what happens when. Instead of bringing clarity to the team, many people started thinking it was all “too much”. (Note to self: some people don’t like looking at the big picture and prefer to look only at their part.) 

The videos were well received. Fun fact: I was not supposed to be the newscaster. It was supposed to be Kate (thus the KATE news channel) but she no-showed on the film date so I had to hustle up an outfit and fill in. Now I live in infamy. 

Here’s the “quick view” of the evening we had posted in the kitchen. It was posted in two other places in the house so that we could always see what was supposed to happen next:

Tech

Here’s a list of the tech equipment that was involved.

• Candle remote 
• Strobe lights ready to go
• Spotlight clamped to bookshelf
• TV cabled to control room
• Sound on videos set to go through TV, not laptop
• Computer 1 – (Note must have libre office installed)
• Computer 1 has slideshow queded up on Mikes Mac in correct order
• Computer 1 has been set to “”no screensaver”” and “”never sleep””
• Computer 2 (Rebecca’s)
• Computer 3 logged into youtube Red in incognito window
• Computer 4 with sound links up
• Disco light in clamp light
• Wavy light
• Color strobe
• TV remote
• Big disco ball set to white/blue
• Small disco ball in clamplight
• LED lights under table and remote
• LED crystal ball and remote
• Motion-activated dolphin
• Piano floor mat
• Living room lights wired together
• On/Off power strip for faster changes

The Curious Skits

The ghosts were extremely tricky to put on and take off because they were just sheets with holes cut in them. We had to hide sheets to “turn” people into ghosts in the dark and finding our way around them was near impossible. Hopefully charming. 

The logic of the show was a bit janky but no one seemed to care much.

One of the show nights, people didn’t know they were supposed to come out of the desert dungeon so just hung out in there eating their desert with their hands.  We were so busy in the front of house that we didn’t notice they hadn’t come out yet. That was kind of funny. Overall the dungeon was a big success because no one was expecting such a ridiculous thing in a whole other room.

Blocking

Blocking was super tricky and required a lot of changes and practice so that everything and everyone was where it needed to be at the right time. Putting on ghost outfits quickly in the dark was a constant challenge. Finding the eye holes before the lights came back on was near impossible and often we just left them wherever they lay and walked around blindly.

The Props

That sequined saw was amazing, but the sequins were constantly falling off. Three years later I am still finding sequins in my house.

The Food

Master chef Iain was cook again and worked incredibly hard on an amazing vegan dinner.

More Photos

Seasons 3 and 4 are essentially the same as each other, just done at different times and with a few changes. I’ll just describe them as one show here.

I’m assuming that you have read about Season 1(#post) and Season 2(#post), so I won’t go into great detail on the parts that were re-used.

The Invitation

You receive an email from me saying:

Hi there!
You are invited to our limited-seating “Dinner and Curious Entertainment #3”. 

When:ONE WEEK from this weekend!
What is it: The less you know ahead of time the better.
Hosted by:Mike StefanikVianca StanfordMatt StanfordKate NicholsDan SmithEmily SummerfieldRebecca RamirezKevin PopeIain Gray

Here’s the details
Please do not share this. We have sold out the limited seating in our past dinners and want our friends to be able to attend. If you have friends you’d like to add, contact one of us hosts directly.

Thanks!

Mike, Vianca, Matt, Kate, Dan, Emily, Rebecca, Kevin and Iain

(Note: you can still click on that link to see the actual invite now in 2021).

You see this video in the invite:

Arriving at Curious Dinner

The robot was replaced for these dinners. Instead you are met mid-driveway by a stoic, mute, and mostly unresponsive silverware person. When all the guests have arrived, the front door opens and a woman in a gypy costume exits. She lights some sage and walks out to greet the guests.

The gypsy does some a ritual and entertains. (I honestly don’t think I ever saw this part of the show or the script for it since I was hustling inside. I heard it was great.)  People in the neighborhood walk by and have no idea what is happening.

When finished, the gypsy sends people in the house one at a time.

Entering The Curious Dinner

You enter the house and a ghost wearing a homemade UPS hat quickly forces a box into your arms and then pushes you in front of a mountain scene where your picture is taken by a silverware person. The box starts shaking and screaming. This is your first five seconds in the house.

You are shown to your seat and the box is taken from you. You notice a nametag in front of you with your name on it. It turns out your name is written on the back of the nametag. You flip it over to reveal a name tag sticker saying “Astronaut Parts” or some other curious name. Other people just have a photo of Nyan Cat or New Kids on the Block.

You put the sticker on as the next person enters and receives the box from the UPS ghost.

While this is all happening, drink orders are taken and someone wearing a labcoat and carrying a clipboard comes in and sits in the corner on a stool. He looks at the guests and writes notes. After a while, he leaves.

Two hosts come out and indentify themselves and Lena Baron and Jules Wayne Bates. They announce to everyone this is actually a Multi-Level Marketing campaign pitch. The way you participate in the MLM is that you murder your friends and then get them to murder other people. You are intrigued.

Before people can ask questions, it segues into a much more refined version of the small talk cards from previous seasons.

The service bell comes out with two waitstaff. One of the waitstaff notes on the typewriter. The other just dusts the typewriter.

The guests are then given a few minutes to talk amongst themselves as the background sounds from the bridge of the USS Enterprise are piped into the room.

The first course is served. The scientist comes out and adjusts the antennae on the television (which are made of tin foil and coathanger). As he does so a video comes on the screen:

The table is cleared and guests are left to mingle some more.

After a while, the “Lettuce Pray” skit from Season 2 begins.

The second course (salad) is served.

The scientist comes out and takes more note as another video comes on the TV:

The table is cleared and with some intro music an actor comes out announcing herself as “The Great Splendini”. She does a couple of magic tricks that fail. Then, unexpectedly, she does a couple that fool everyone. 

She then announces she will need a silverware person to do her final greatest trick. A very reluctant and scared silverware girl comes out. Meanwhile two people carry out a table covered in a shiny cloth with a box on top of it. 

She announces that she will saw the silverware girl in half. The box is lowered to reveal the table, which has a large red stain across the middle of it. Silverware girl looks more reluctant than before.

Silverware girl gets into the box and is covered with another shiny cloth. The lights dim and a giant handsaw covered in sequins appears. Dramatic music and the sound of sawing wood fills the room. 

The magician begins to saw silverware girl in half, but then panics. The lights go out. When they come back on there are two ghosts still trying to fit a ghost sheet over silverware girl. She’s dead.

All the ghosts include silverware ghost leave the room. The magician moves on to her holding her breath underwater trick. She accidentally drowns herself and falls to the floor. The lights go out and back on and she is now a ghost. 

One of the MLM hosts comes out and awards the magician ribbons for managing to murder people. The lights go off. Then back on and all the actors are gone.

The guests have a lot more to talk about now.

The entree is served. The scientist comes out to adjust the TV again and another video comes on:

The guests may or may not have surmised that they are the hostages. Guests finish their entrees as the lights dim, disco lights come on and gameshow music begins to blare.

An actor comes out with a prize wheel and announces that everyone will have a chance to win or be sent to the “desert dungeon”. She calls out her assistant, “Moisty the Clown”. Moisty is a very sketchy looking shirtless clown who honks a colored horn. Then some ghosts come out and grab him and pull him into what is presumed to be the desert dungeon. You hear the furious honking of moisty’s horn. Then nothing.

The gameshow host calls individuals up to spin the wheel. As they spin the wheel, the TV pops on and plays this:

All the possibilities on the wheel say “desert dungeon” but the game show host tries her best to remain optimistic for contestants.

Guests enter the desert dungeon which is a dark maze of black plastic covered in pictures of deserts cut from 1970’s cookbooks. They are frightening. Eventually guests frind their way to a barely open window also covered in black plastic. A mysterious hand pushes out a small plate holding a desert. One by one, guests find the exit and return to the table.

While guests are finding their way out of the dungeon, the gameshow host is asking contestants trivia questions like “What’s your social security number?” and “Where do you like to bank?”

When all guests are back in the dining room, the MLM hosts come out and sing the duet that was sung in Season #2, the saxplayer comes in on cue, and things go as they did before.

But this time, at the end of the song a new video comes on the TV:

During the video, the MLM hosts are panicking. One of them peeks through the blinds to look outside as the reporter says “there’s someone looking out right now”.

The music grows louder and louder. At the climax, the SWAT team bursts through the front door and yells for everyone to get out right away. The house lights have gone out and only the flashing disco lights are on. The MLM hosts run to the kitchen while the SWAT team shuffles all the guests out the front door, slamming it shut. 

Only the guests are outside. The lights in the house go off and the sounds and music go silent. It’s over. No bows, no encore, no further appearances from the hosts or cast. Everyone must go home now.

Coda

That night you receive an email with a photo of yourself that looks like this, but perhaps more blurry:

For “Season 2”(#post) we added more details and learned some more lessons. As with each dinner, there was way more learned and experienced that I can write about in a post. Here’s a few highlights and memories.

The Props

Tech

The addition of the TV was easy in theory but turned out to have a few annoying hiccups. One of the hardest ones was how to make the TV look “off” and the suddenly show a program and then go back to off. I didn’t want to show start up screens, screen savers, play/ff/rw buttons, mouse pointers, etc. Youtube was out because it always has their logo at the beginning and the mouse would show. Just playing from a laptop shows the laptop program. Using a chromecast would do similarly. Eventually I used a slideshow from LibreOffice and dedicated a whole mac to the solution. The “off” was a black slide and the videos were put on individual slides. That was years ago and I still don’t have a better solution. The TV also required another cable running through the room.

There were a lot more lighting changes with these new skits. This required there to be two people in the control room most times. 

Logistics

A lot of things happened right after each other. The Chuckle hut went right into Oprah and then alost immediately into the final number. Despite having lots of hosts, we all had to hustle on the blocking. I had to change and run around the side of the house with the saxophone. Getting the timing right on the entrance was tricky but worth it.

Costumes and props had to be kept in various locations since actors could enter the dining room from 4 different locations, 3 of which weren’t connected backstage.

Other

The duet was a hit every time we did it. Ending on a big musical number would be something we’d do from here on out.

The “kitchen cam” videos took longer to make than I anticipated. The plots weren’t super thought out and I cringe at parts. Despite the faults, this helped me understand how we could better integrate video on the TV into the dinners and helped lead the way to much better videos in following seasons.

Some people did not like the confetti being thrown in their face. I think it was too aggressive but the rest of the entrance was well received.

We might have had too much content. Guests would sometimes continue to talk after a new “thing” had started. I think we could have made less and let the guests talk more. If the goal was to have them enjoy their evening the most possible, we might have achieved this with less effort on our part. We gave them a lot to talk about for sure. We could have given them more time to do that talking. This is something to consider for future experiences I create. “Just get the energy going and then back off” might provide the highest ROI in many cases.

During one of the nights we asked our friend Graham to video tape the performance. While Graham tried to remain in the background as much as possible, we had a few issues. First, we didn’t tell guests we were going to do this until they showed up. Not a good idea. Second, due to the absurdist nature of the show, they were never sure if Graham really was recording or was going to be a part of the show somehow. I was surprised to get a request afterward from one of the guests to never share the videos. In the future we did not videotape but if we do again everyone will know this going in.

The Food

I haven’t spoken much about the food prep. Mainly because I played very little role in it. The first season Vianca cooked and the second Iain cooked. Much of it was done in advance of the dinners so that we didn’t have to do much work in my little terribly ill-equiped kitchen.

The food of all the dinners was usually well-received. Even from people who were very non-vegan.