Competitions

Competitions are, perhaps, the most important events that allow club members to practice their skills, enhance their performances and earn recognition from their fellow 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 to a real walk-around environment as possible. Some attendees will be standing in small groups, others will be seated at tables or seated without tables, or standing at tables. Read 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 to a real stage or parlor environment as possible. 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 rules for the Parlor/Stage Competition here.

Competition Requirements & Administration

In order 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 a First Place will be awarded
  • With four competitors, only a First Place and Second Place will be awarded
  • With five or more competitors, a First, Second and Third Place will be awarded

Ballot Tallys

Two club members will be assigned by the Event Coordinator 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 the individual score for each competitor.

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 will be counted that does not contain a score in each of the judging categories for each competitor.
  • 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.

People's Choice Award

During the three club contests, guests are often invited to attend and vote for their favorite contestant. This winner of this popular vote is called the Peoples Choice Award and winners of this award are not always the winner of the competition in which they received the popular vote.