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The Edwardian Ball, San Francisco

The 17th Edwardian Ball returns to the Regency Ballroom Saturday, January 21st, 2017. This year the living interpretation and celebration of the stories of the late-great macabre cult author, comic artist, illustrator and cartoonist Edward Gorey revel in even darker black comedy and ominous gothic intrigue, suspense and mystery with the theme of “murder,” as illustrated by this year’s featured Gorey tale, “The Deadly Blotter.” Unconventional and unusual, eccentric and esoteric, and peculiar and particular in this intriguing and raucous whodunit, the guidelines are defined and redefined by the attendees, all of whom are either sleuths or suspects in hilarious homicidal hijinks.

For the uninitiated, The Edwardian Ball presents a unique blend of live music, theatre, fashion, circus, fine art, riveting stage shows, literature, ballroom dancing, DJs, and character play into a whirlwind, enticing extravaganza. Set in a romanticized, gilded and gentile Neo-Victorian and Edwardian-era, a gothic and steampunk-tinged distant past intertwines with an elegantly imagined future. Other darkly decadent and delightful attractions include our award-winning Vendor Bazaar, Portrait Booth, Museum of Wonders, locally distilled absinthe cocktails, parlour games, alluring sideshows, and much more. All ages are welcome in this kindly interactive environment.

Ballroom dancing leads way to stunning performances both on and offstage in a collage of fashion, theatre, music, circus performance, and dance. Each year, The Edwardian Ball presents a featured Edward Gorey tale in an original stage performance by co-hosts Rosin Coven and Vau de Vire Society, this year taking an ominous twist with “The Deadly Blotter,” an alphabetical journey into classic murder-mystery whodunit, blending music, stage, and film in a unique presentation of a tale that only Gorey can tell…