Play CITY

Yay come and play! Don't know the game? Doesn't matter! No idea what's going on? Unimportant! Forgotten your name? Make up a new one! And dancing is always a good option.

Dance

About once a month Elsewherians play CITY.
This is a performative game that, in the words of the director's at a recent conference in Toronto "allows players to collaboratively participate in the simultaneous conception and production of an alternative social imaginary based on fictional exchange, play, and pretend." In other words let's dress up and play around with the things we've built.
The game is open to the public so there are people who've played before, people who haven't played but know what Elsewhere is about, and people who think they've just landed in an insane asylum and are nervously looking for the way out - or fully participating and having a great time despite not having a clue. Which is fine, you don't need a clue, there aren't rules, no script, no overall plan.
Here's how it panned out on Friday night. These photos are all courtesy of Elsewherian intern Katie Minton.

New immigrants are processed at the station and welcomed to Elsewhere. Citizens present claims for buttons  - you can claim for anything - I got some buttons for "Bein' mighty nice" and some for plantin the tomaters.

Station

New citizens quickly become valuable members of the society.

Rescue

Others, sadly, sicken. However luckily Wendy had set up the hospital for just such emergencies.

Hosp city1

Many citizens came by TNT and booked a pleasant holiday

TNT city3

TNT City2

Citizens Mr Andrews and Mr Barclay wanted to go to Egypt.

TNT city5

Nurse Cow was yearning for greener pastures.

Unfortunately some well known troublemakers decided to protest the setting up of TNT and the disestablishment of the psychiatrist's office. Guess some folks don't like a change as much as a holiday.

Protest1

They called themselves "The apparatus for the perpetual promotion of public and private paranoia", but really, we think they're just larrikins. sniff.

Protest2

And of course they were such media hungry exhibitionists. TNT hired private protection, who were not very effective, and sought help from Madame Goggles of the Eh-pistolary which helped a bit. Eventually the protesters were pacified and slunk away. TNT was able to resume its peaceable and fabulous business, sending folks to far flung corners of the world (well, ok, to the avaiary) for just a few buttons. It was lots of work of course, especially endless paperwork,

Paperwork

but worth it to see all those happy holidaymakers romping around.

TNT City1