Competitions are perhaps the most important events that allow club members to practice their skills, enhance their performances, and earn recognition from their colleagues. Every year, Ring 216 hosts each of the three competitions described below. Dates for the competitions are set and announced at the beginning of each new year, and the contests generally occur in the same order as listed. Guests are encouraged to attend and often allowed to vote on the performances. The rules for each contest provide more information about guest attendance and participation in the judging.
The Walk-Around Competition
The goal is to create an atmosphere as close as possible to a real walk-around environment. Some attendees will be standing in small groups, while others will be seated at tables, seated without tables, or standing at tables. Read the rules for the Walk-Around Competition.
A competitor will be disqualified for either of the following reasons:
The Walk-Around Competition
The goal is to create an atmosphere as close as possible to a real walk-around environment. Some attendees will be standing in small groups, while others will be seated at tables, seated without tables, or standing at tables. Read the rules for the Walk-Around Competition.The Close-up Competition
The goal is to create an atmosphere as close to a formal close-up environment as possible. If you've visited the Magic Castle, picture its close-up room. Guests will join together in groups of about 20 and will be seated typically in 2-3 rows arranged in a semicircle. The last row will likely be standing to allow all to view the table. Read rules for the Close-Up Competition.Parlor / Stage Competition
This is the most formal of the three contests and is as close as possible to a real stage or parlor environment. The audience will be seated at least 6 feet from the performer, who typically will be on a raised platform with a formal curtain as the backdrop. Read the rules for the Parlor/Stage Competition here.Competition Requirements & Administration
To have a competition, there must be at least three competitors. Generally the, the top three presentations will be recognized as the First Place, Second Place, and Third Place winners, subject to the following exceptions:- With just three competitors, only First Place will be awarded
- With four competitors, only First Place and Second Place will be awarded
- With five or more competitors, First, Second, and Third Place will be awarded
Ballot Tallys
The event coordinator will assign two club members to tally the ballots. The raw scores recorded for each competitor on a ballot will be entered into the club's Excel Scoring spreadsheet, which uses simple addition to calculate each competitor's individual score.Ballot Scoring Policies
- No ballot will be made available to a late visitor unless he/she arrives in time to see and score all of the individual performances.
- No ballot that does not contain a score in each of the judging categories for each competitor will be counted.
- No ballot will be counted if it reveals a clear and unmistakable bias in favor of or against any competitor.
- All ballot scoring should be done with whole numbers (integers for you mathematicians). Any score containing a fraction or decimal will always be rounded down to its nearest integer value.
Competition Exclusions and Disqualification Policies
The first-place winner of any competition may not enter that same competition in the year immediately following the year in which he won first place. For example, if competitor A wins the Close Up Competition in 2010, the earliest date that he may enter that competition again will be in 2012.A competitor will be disqualified for either of the following reasons:
- if fire is used in his act, or;
- if inappropriate adult (R rated) material is used in his act.
