On Wednesday night, I attended the launch party for Performance Lab’s Black Box Pizza Box. The Performance Lab (formerly Black Box) students created a box of “jollification essentials” inspired by Victorian era parlour games. Participants could pick up a pre-made Pizza Box at SFU, or they could print the game instructions at home, order a pizza, eat it, then put the papers in the box. My partner and I chose the latter, more delicious option.
We signed on, uncertain what to expect. The promotion for “Black Box Pizza Box” focused on the box itself, not the event. I wasn’t sure who we would be interacting with, or what we would be doing, but the idea of playing ridiculous, artsy games sounded like fun.
The event turned out to be a zoom pizza party, complete with individual and group challenges. One game consisted of the group giving storytelling prompts to one player, then booing them when they made a mistake. Another gave us five minutes to invent a cocktail based on the recipe for haggis. We poured gin (potatoes) in a plastic bag (sheep’s stomach) with a dash of hot sauce and salted rim (herbs and spices).
As tasty as the pizza was, my partner and I wished we had an official Pizza Box—they came with props such as tin foil to wear as a costume, and clothes-pins for building a fort. We didn’t use our home-printed package, as the games were run by the students, and they told us what to do and when. It would have been nice to know that we’d need space to move around in, and certain materials nearby.
The first challenge seemed like it was designed for me. “Off-Sync” saw us breakout into groups to make post-apocalyptic disco outfits and choreograph a lip-sync routine to “I Will Survive”. I felt like I was cheating, with my degree in dance and closet full of costumes. And, as a reviewer, wasn’t I there to observe the action, not be it? I decided to abandon any hesitation and throw myself into the party! I was sure my small, four person team would win, with our well-rehearsed choreography and fabulous costumes, but the voting was anonymous—of course the biggest team won if everyone could vote for themselves (I know I did)!
One player forgot to mute themselves during the lip-sync battles and kept yelling “Yeah!”, causing the music to skip each time, but overall everything went smoothly tech-wise. At this point in the pandemic everyone knows how to use zoom.
After two hours the final challenge was a wind-down that required us to create cozy forts. Although our set up was extremely comfy, the time it took for every individual to present their creation was a bit long and slow. At this point some participants were away from their computers, no longer engaged.
I really enjoyed playing these games, and recommend using them to “alleviate perpetual boredom.” This event broke my routine and allowed me to meet new people, something that’s been difficult during this pandemic. I laughed and sang and had a great time. Whether in your bubbles or online, you can have a ton of fun with the “Black Box Pizza Box”—you just have to be willing to be ridiculous!
This event has concluded but you can download the printable version here.
– Kristen Lawson