Fanime 2010: I Performed in Masquerade

It is the Saturday night of the 2010 Memorial Holiday weekend and I am standing on the stage of the San Jose Civic Auditorium. Pretty much all of the 3,000 concert style seats are filled as the attendees of Fanime-Con-the largest anime convention of the Bay Area-stares at the dark stage while I assist my fellow performers quickly set things up for the live performance we are set to do. My wig itches... I never thought I looked good blond. As I drop a trampoline at hopefully the right place where it should be before running to the center stage to dramatically hold the hand of a lady performer I have held for the past few months, I begin to wonder how the heck I managed to find myself here.

It is November 2009 at a miniature golf course. A few friends and I leave during a mutual acquaintance's birthday party to meet with a group of fellow anime convention attendees. This group of fans formed Project Victory Cosplay (PVC), a costuming group known for performing during the conventions. The costumed performances-often called Masquerade-are usually the highlights of any given anime or sci-fi convention that allow fans to show off their costuming and performing talents. I had often seen their performances during Fanime as an audience member and occasionally encountered individual members during any given convention. During the 2009 convention season, I befriended one of the PVC members who in turn introduced me to the group. They needed a male performer for their 2010 Fanime sketch and I happened to be both male and a performer. I usually watch Masquerades as an audience member of the convention press and I have not set foot on a Fanime stage since 2001. So getting back into performing and potentially making a giant fool of myself was a tempting venture.

We spent a lot of time rehearsing and costume construction during the months before Fanime adding or subtracting choreography, slowly building the costumes, scavenging for props, and just trying to see if we could successfully translate an anime into a live performance. I kept mum about what the anime was less out of secrecy and more out of being unable to pronounce it: Kaleido Star. But it was not the rehearsals or the performance that really stuck out to my memory. It was the time spent becoming friends with with this cosplay group. I learned sewing and costume construction-the devil is still getting the materials and patterns-that helped me better appreciate the cosplayers swarming the halls. We bonded well as we became friends. They were definitely a great set of ears when personal issues came to light between rehearsals. It kept me sane as I needed people to bounce ideas off.

As we rehearsed and hung out together, the convention camaraderie showed itself well. Despite our different backgrounds and real life personalities, we shared a common goal and common interests. It was an honor to work with them throughout the months. It is a pity that Murphy's Law kind of reared its head during the actual performance. WE did manage a Judge's Award, which was nice.