Renaissance Festival War Stories

Weekend 1

Opening Sunday I do some walking around the festival grounds with the riddles sign and my book. A trio of adults in their mid-20s stop me for a riddle and one of them says, "Should we sit?" Going with the premise of 'yes and...' we sat down right in the middle of the path. I read some riddles and they each answer one correctly. I eventually extend my legs out and am lying down on my side. I'm holding the riddle book with one hand and gesturing with the other. And like a beacon, a dragonfly lands on my right pinky and stays there for about 45 seconds. One of the ladies was kind enough to snap a few pictures and send them to me. She said, "It's your spirit animal," Then the dragonfly flew off. I said, "It probably would have stuck around longer, but you insulted it by saying I was it's spirit animal."

Weekend 2

A little boy, 9-11ish years old is holding a quarter with both hands and looking at the cauldron. He's clearly about to make a wish. Normally we would direct any tips into the basket, but boys at that age don't always have that level of whimsy. He did. And there was no way I was going to stop that.

Weekend 3

Saturday night, I stayed at the KOA near the festival grounds. I arrive and head right to the restroom to wash my face. Right before I go in, I see a gentleman in a pirate outfit, I am still in my garb too. I ask him, "Did you have a good day?" He turns and indicates he did not hear me, so I asked again. He steps towards me and he indicates he is hard of hearing. I know a some sign language and asked if he had a good day. He asked if I signed, I told him a little. I know from some songs and friends. I signed the basics: mom, dad, boy, girl, beer...you know, the important ones. For my lack of communication, instead of trying to explain I did riddles/entertainment I told him I hawked/sold beer. He showed me the sign for 'sell' and the nice bottle of mead he had for the evening. I let him know my name and he told me his name was Greg. He gave me a great big hug and signed that it was nice to meet him.

Weekend 4

I head out to do the Sunday parade. I get to the start point and learn it's been cancelled: too much rain and muddy streets. I let another cast member know, Sean, Don Quixote. We did the most obvious thing we could think of: Do the full parade route and announce that there is no parade; we are a parade announcing there is no parade, and that they should not expect to see a parade besides this parade. We chanted, "No Parade, too much rain." I walked the full route, including going through the egress of people who just left the Danger Committee show which is usually the end spot of the parade.

After the parade I walked the Special events field. My fellow rookie classmate Cora was running the cupcake competition. I learned afterwards that pretty much everyone in the audience were entrants in the contest. Cora was doing her hosting thing and I approached the side of the stage and yelled some words of encouragement. Whether Cora let me on or I just came on the stage is up for some debate. I did a 'commercial break' to plug the riddle booth, told a riddle and got off the stage. It felt like one of those 1960s talk shows that look like they take place in someone's home; that whole there's-a-knock-at-my-door-who-could-it-be---oh-look,-it's my-famous-friend--What-a-coincidence! After the contest was over, I went to her and asked if what I did was okay with her. She approved and liked the quick extra energy. It was taking a quick risk like that to let me know I am doing okay out here for my rookie year.

Weekend 5

Wake up early Saturday Morning, as usual. I see a Facebook message from Cora about nominations for fest cast performance awards. I didn't give it another thought. I get ready, get to fest, and go get some hot water for my breakfast and apple cider. I'm in the glade when my friend Ducky says, "Congratulations!"

I say,"Thank you...What did I do?"

He tells me I got nominated for Cracked Cup (Outstanding Street performance by an actor in their first year) and the Riddle Booth was nominated for Best Group. We look up the post on Facebook and there it is, with my names spelled wrong and everything. (EVERYONE gets their names spelled wrong, it made me feel included). There are five other nominees from all over the fest grounds from our class of about 35. They are a fab bunch.

What bowled me over even further were the people coming up to congratulate me. I am a long time fest patron, and to me the cast are rock stars. So when these rock stars come up to me an congratulate me, acknowledge me, and SEE me, it's pretty fucking incredible. Some of these performers are people whose work I have admired for years, some I had seen, but not really noticed before. There are those whose performances I never truly appreciated until I saw them on this side of the looking glass. And then there are my academy class mates.

My academy classmates: I saw them grow through out the weeks of the summer through heat and rain. I saw some come out of their shells and others burst out. I see every single one of them genuinely give a shit about what they do and how well they do it. I was up against some seriously amazing talent.

I called my parents. I called my husband. They are proud of me. I was never a good student in school. I was never a student athlete. I've won a workplace trophy, for something I was good at, but not truly passionate about. This is something I am passionate about. When my alarm goes off on Sunday morning at 5:30 AM after maybe 6 hours of sleep and my body is aching and the sun hasn't even considered rising yet, I smile and say to myself, "I get to do it all again today."

Going to fest as a patron for years has felt like...being a regular at a hotel or restaurant. People get to know you, you have your usual items on the menu. You know you're going to be comfortable and enjoy it.

Being on cast and embracing being a part of it is like being a part of a new family. You have your immediate family who help support you (The Riddle Booth). You have your neighborhood: booths and nearby entertainers. You have your daily commute (the parade) where you see your other friends and neighbors (Ducky, Matthias, The High Court, the Royal Navy, The Body Puppets, More than I could possibly name here). Now that I am on this side, the patrons are a whole different experience. I hear it a lot: Fest is Family, and I did not expect that to feel so true so quickly.

I really wanted the nomination leading up to it. I got the nomination and I feel really good about it. The Riddle Booth was nominated for best group. I want the team win. And yet, if I don't win, it can't take away this feeling.

Weekend 6

Being a quasi-deer/satyr/faun-type being has been fun and makes for nice bits. On this particularly muddy weekend, there were lots of people. I will march proudly through mucky mud puddles and say things like "I care not about mud. I was born in mud. This is fun for me. No one is in my way this way." It helps having rubber boots, faux-fur gators, and not too long skirts I can wash every weekend.

Another is while trying to cross through crowds I frantically say, "I don't know how to merge! Deer in traffic! Aaah! Deer crossing!"

I also will spot someone who is watching me, pause like a deer in the road, then frantically run in the opposite direction.

I enjoy looking at other fauns and bleating at them like a goat like we are talking, imagining they know what I am saying. I end it with squeaking my ear.

Weekend 7. Final weekend.

I am so tired. Between fest and my regular job, I have worked nearly 50 straight days in a row. I am starting to loose my mind. My energy is waning quickly. I am not as spry as I was 1st weekend. 1st weekend I could go the whole day without an energy drink. I now need four V8 energy drinks to get through Saturday cast party/awards. As much as I love all this, I am ready to be done. I miss my husband.

It's Saturday night. I'm at the award ceremony. Ducky/Don my long time friend and fellow rookie is nominated for Cracked Cup too. Ducky is sitting right in front of me and to my left. We are holding hands like a couple of pageant girls. My leg is bobbing; his hand is shaking. Cracked Cup is about to be announced. The name is called: Don Espe as Howard the Privy Fowl. I say, "YEAH!" He goes up says a few funny words and when he comes back down I'm the first to give him a big hug. I'm crying tears of joy. He worked hard; 10 years hard, and he 100% deserved it.

After packing up the stage for the last time on Sunday the cast heads over to the pavilion and we sing a couple songs and say goodbye for the season. I end up arm-in-arm with Sean (Don Quixote) as we sing The Parting Glass. I'm not crying, you're crying. These are songs about saying goodbye; this is a group gathered now, and if we never all meet again, we have this moment. I am able to see at various times fellow cast members and let them know something that has meant a lot to me: I have been a long time patron and for about eight of those years, I have attended fest alone. Granted, I meet up with my friends, but I come and go alone. But it has become lonely in the recent couple years. I have started to feel invisible. And now that I am on cast. I feel seen; I don't feel invisible anymore. And each of them has contributed to that. Each time I said 'I don't feel invisible anymore' more tears fell from my eyes.

2019 was my rookie year as a Renaissance Festival street entertainer. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

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