There are about two weeks to go on sign-ups for "Mad About the Boy" (deadline is September 8), and they're still looking for players! This is the all-female Nordic larp based loosely on the popular graphic novel
Y: The Last Man which we
posted about previously. It's running Friday, October 5 through Sunday, October 7 at Camp Cedarcrest in Orange, Connecticut. It looks like ridesharing and so on is being coordinated through the
Facebook group.
From
http://lizziestark.com/2012/07/26/mad-about-the-boy-sign-up/:
The Plot
Mad About the Boy is a larp about survivors of a global disaster that killed more than half of humanity; an inexplicable disease killed all the men in mere minutes. The surviving women face not only the enormous task of rebuilding society, but also the possible extinction of humanity.
While the graphic novel Y the Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra inspired the world of the larp, the game does not use any characters or storylines from the graphic novel. Our story follows a group of women who have applied to an insemination program initiated three years after the disaster. As sperm has become a very precious resource, only a few women will be given this privilege.
Players will portray women applying to the insemination program in familial groups of three. For video about the game, check out this Nordic Larp Talk, by one of the creators, Tor Kjetil Edland.
The Style
This game is a particular sort of larp, a Nordic larp. Rather than winning epic battles, participants will portray flawed human characters living in a reality that is very similar to our own, save for the absence of men. The aim of this larp is for each participant to portray a satisfying story within the game framework. This may mean portraying characters open to tragedy and suffering as well as open to happiness.
Read a primer on Nordic larp here.
Think of it as an interactive theatrical production rather than as a game — you can “win” only by telling a satisfying complex story that supports the experience of your fellow-players.
This larp does not rely on secrecy; participants are encouraged to read the original game libretto if desired, keeping in mind that it will be updated to reflect the US setting.
In keeping with the Nordic larp tradition, the first part of the game, on Friday night, will consist of workshops designed to foster community among the players and help them develop and deepen their characters.
Gender
Earlier runs of Mad About the Boy in Norway featured both all-women casts and mixed-gender casts, all playing women. Our US run will be all-women, with trans women and genderqueer people welcome. We’ve chosen an all-women run of the game in consultation with the Norwegian authors of the larp, who noticed that the mixed-gender run ended up being about the experience of men playing female characters rather than living in a society in which only women are left.
The game is open to everyone who identifies as female in one form or another. And that the people who sign-up may self-select whether this applies to them.
The Sort of Players We Want
Women open to roleplay about serious themes, older than 18 only. This game is for larpers interested in emotional plotlines, as well as non-gamers interested in the game’s theme, or people who loved interactive theatrical productions like Sleep No More, but wanted to get more involved in the plot.
The game is written for 30-40 players.
Got questions about whether this game is for you? Email lizzie.stark@gmail.com. Or ask on the Facebook group.
Discussion with Lizzie Stark by e-mail clarifies for me that, although this is a Nordic game, it is
not a Jeepform game, which I was unclear on. It will bear a much closer resemblance to the larps that we're used to in the US than some of the other highly-symbolic Nordic games I've heard about.
Lizzie says, "Mad About the Boy is a larp, not a jeep. It features high immersion, set, costuming, continuous play (as opposed to sharply cut scenes) and real props instead of symbolic props. It's also for about 30 players, whereas most jeepform games are for 2-8." (Although it does sound like they'll be using a jeepy technique or two for certain parts of game.)
or