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Renaissance Festival War Stories 2021. The Lost Scrolls.

Because some stories don't make the original cut.

By Tinka Boudit She/HerPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 4 min read
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Photo by John Solberg

When you're a cast member at the renaissance festival, you make the show for people. But sometimes, you meet rock stars.

It was early in the season, second weekend I think. I was taking a break and I go to my friend Tara's shop. She makes and sells reasonably priced jewelry and accessories. There's a man in there who looks familiar, we walk out around the same time and I say something like, "I know you. Musical Blades, right?"

He holds up his mug that is etched with his likeness playing his wooden box drum, one that he's known for playing with the band. This man is Mike Collier aka Pappy McBeard of The Musical Blades. He says, "I'm usually shorter on stage." He's taller than me and his wife who is with him is shorter than me.

We take a few minutes to talk about the two times his band has come to play at MNRF in 2012 and 2018. How they were so well received. How the band's music helped me get through the pandemic. I don't fan girl and squee, but I take the time to be grateful. It meant a lot to me to have a pleasant conversation about the community, the craft, family, health, and more with a literal rock star of the renaissance festival world and his wife. I thank them again for their time and we go on our separate ways.

...

Sometimes mistakes happen. Sometimes it gets noticed sometimes it doesn't. This is one of those times.

I am in the riddle booth and we are riddling. I take the opportunity to do the 'bagpipe' riddle. Someone answers with 'hot air balloon.' Willona replies with, "Oh, what would that be?" Playing clueless to the post-renaissance invention. In these situations when someone mentions something post-renaissance, I like to change the definition and make it something era-appropriate. (My favorite is 'Internet. You know, the inner-netting inside a boat that holds all the fish after they're caught. Internet.') So I describe a hot air balloon as "It's that thing of when you plug up a sheep's bladder and blow it up like a balloon. You know, filling it with hot air." Which is oddly enough a great clue for bagpipes anyways. Willona and Bertram go on to talk about instruments and music while the audience is still mulling over the riddle.

I chime in to their conversation with, "They even have a variation of bagpipes in Belarus." Bertram and Willona don't notice me saying the answer. The audience doesn't notice me saying the answer. I don't notice me saying the answer. But Nestor, standing on his rock outside his booth does. He gives me a pointed look and it takes me more than a couple seconds to realize what I have done. Nestor warns me of my upcoming punishment. I am still waiting for it.

...

The festival goes on rain or shine. We had almost all days of shine, almost.

Closing Saturday from about 2PM to 6PM, the sky darkened and the rain came. Sometimes it was lighter, sometimes it was buckets. This is when you learn who your hardcore fans are. Some people stand under their umbrellas or in their rain gear listening. Many people scatter to shops and pubs for shelter. There are many who just go home. Then there are the hard core people who stand there soaked taking the show in. Even in the pouring rain, we do not stop riddling. Our show does not stop. Our show is the only show that goes from 9AM to 7PM without stopping. Some shows have to cancel due to safety (makes 100% sense), but not us. We thank you, the 'consternation of answerers' and our Irregulars for sticking around.

...

Sometimes the stars align in the most hysterical and perfect way. This was the way.

A pair of young women were among the audience answering riddles. I suggest we do a riddle where the answer is 'key.' We have had several readings of the riddle and given out many clues. These two women have a third friend who comes up, asks for something from one of them; she hands them a wallet with keys attached then walks away. I say, "Aww, your friend took the answer away."

The young woman, with no clue the answer is keys says, "Yeah, she came up, and took the answer then said she had to go."

My knees buckle and I laugh uncontrollably. Thank you young woman for being LITERALLY clueless.

...

Riddlers assemble!

One of my favorite riddles that Willona performs is 'black widow spider.' As far as I know, it's only in her book, and she's the only one who does it.

After she reads it several times, and there are no correct guesses. I say, "After the next reading, I am going to assume the position." Bertram gets a worried look on his face. I say, "I promise, it's clean. It will work." I'm about to do something that hasn't been done with the riddle before.

Willona reads the riddle again and I hop in front of the booth and land in the 'super hero pose.' Bertram laughs hysterically and a patron immediately, and correctly answers, "Oh, Black Widow!"

...

For more Renaissance Festival War Stories: Closing Weekend 2021, The Lost Scrolls of Nestor & Tinka, Weekend 2 2021

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About the Creator

Tinka Boudit She/Her

contact on FB & IG

linktr.ee/tinkaboudit

The Soundtrack BOI: WA

FP

Bette On It: Puddle, Desks, Door, Gym, Condoms, Couch, Dancers, Graduate.

Purveyor of Metaphorical Hyperbole, Boundless, Ridiculous, Amazing...and Humble.

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