A kiss is just a kiss for Gen Xers looking to feel like giggly teenagers again at the Ristra’s "Spin the Bottle" fundraiser on April 6. It’s true – bottles will be spun throughout the night, according to the organizers, but any kissing is optional (and encouraged).
Hosted by Laine Doss, a professional entertainer living in Jersey City, the event is an opportunity to "feel like a kid again" and play childhood games while meeting new people. Tagged as a benefit for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Doss expects more than 60 free-spirited folks to come out Sunday night to the popular downtown mile-square bar on Washington Street.
"Everyone wants to be a kid again. There’s no pressure, and you’ll get to meet new people," she said. "Remember when you were a kid and you spent hours in your friends’s basements playing spin the bottle? Well, we’re bringing back those sweet times for one night only."
When patrons show up at Ristra at 7 p.m., they will be escorted by Doss to the downstairs lounge where DJ Clawed will spin favorite party songs. The evening’s icebreaker is a "lock and key" game where every woman will get a key and the men will get a lock. The object is to find one’s match among the crowd, enabling people to meet each other. Afterward, they can play spin the bottle, Twister, or sex trivia. New York entertainment firm Safina, Inc. will provide the sex trivia portion of the party.
"Contestants are given blowhorns and asked sex-ed trivia questions and given prizes for participating and the winner gets a big prize," said Shannon Mullen, Safina’s event coordinator. "It’s a lot of fun, funny and very informative."
Doss, a professional actress with Off-Broadway and Hollywood film credits, will liven up the crowd during the night by playing her popular character "Sylvia Goldfarb." The character is a professional matchmaking overbearing yenta, said Doss.
"It’s a fun character that will get people laughing," Doss said. "I act silly, and people react to that."
Ivy Giacchino, Ristra’s event coordinator, teamed up with Doss several months ago for another fundraiser. Since then, Giacchino has been impressed with Doss’s entertainment tactics and matchmaking ability.
"I think it’s an interesting concept for a benefit party," Giacchino said. "It’s the first time I have heard of a party with this kind of theme. I have worked with Laine. She is always professional and great at getting the community involved. I think curiosity will kill the cat and they’ll have to see what it’s all about."
When asked about the possibility of people kissing each other during spin the bottle, Giacchino put it this way: "I hope so!"
Spin the Bottle tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. All the proceeds will benefit the Northern New Jersey Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
"This will be the party that all of Hoboken will be talking about," Doss said. "By popular demand, we’re putting the fun back into parties."
HobokenCafe.com’s Michael Stenzler is co-sponsoring "Spin the Bottle." He met Doss at a social event hosted by his web service last year, and since then their professional partnership has been successful. Stenzler heard about Doss’s fundraiser idea a few months ago and decided to support it.
"It’s different from a lot of the social events out there," he said. "Single people can get out there and meet. It will be lots of fun. You can sit and watch and laugh or spin the bottle."
HobokenCafe.com, started three years ago, and it is designed to connect Hobokenites through chat rooms and social events. According to Doss, Hoboken is an ideal town for social events because many new residents seek venues to interact and meet people.
"It’s a small town with a growing sense of community," she said. "People want to know their neighbor."
Also at Ristra are the photographs of Roy Thomas. His collection, titled "Hoboken Girls," features a dozen mile-square beauties bearing it all in black and white.
"I have a knock for making women feel beautiful," Thomas said.
Personal connection
Doss is the president and founder of Fastlaine Productions, a New Jersey theatrical production company with an emphasis on fundraising work. She has extensive experience in event management, after serving as conference manager for Chemical Week magazine and working at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Doss saw a need to combine producing exiting events and giving back to the community, she said. Her production company has organized a couple of successful benefit productions. Most recently, they hosted the Vagina Monologues in Hoboken, and a Mardi Gras evening for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Doss chose that charity after her father was diagnosed with cancer.
"It’s a personal challenge, and I can understand the pain a lot of families feel," she said.
In addition to acting, Doss is training for the San Diego Rock and Roll marathon on June 1. She is part of Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
"I have committed to raise $4,000 for the society. I am running on behalf of two children with leukemia," she said.
For information on "Spin the Bottle" visit www.fastlaineproductions.com or call (201) 216-1550. Ristra is at 230 Washington St. in Hoboken. Spin the Bottle will be held April 6 at 7 p.m. q