A Different Perspective

[lys1022]

On a slightly different twist, there are some also participants or fair managers who would prefer that customers did not come in costume at all. Usually they are afraid the audience can't tell who is a participant and who is a patron and are afraid the cast will be blamed for some behavior committed by a playtron. If I'm not mistaken, isn't there a fair or two out there that requires cast members to wear some sort of visible badge/identifying mark?

I don't speak for Scarborough's management, but I can tell you that the participants at Scarborough wear badges to help patrons identify who is an official part of the festival.  I do not believe that the main reason for this is because the management doesn't like people other than participants dressing up.  It is my understanding that it is done partly so that people have a visible sign of who they can turn to if they have questions or an emergency arises, as the people wearing badges will know best how to get help.  If a child is told at the beginning of the day, "If you get lost, look for someone wearing a yellow shirt with "Safety Services" on it or someone wearing one of these *indicating a badge*" then that child knows where to get help if they are separated from their family. 

Also, the badge helps participants recognize each other.  In a festival as large as Scarborough, you don't necessarily KNOW who everyone else is before the festival opens.  You know the people that you associate with (performing company, members of your shop, people in your stage act), but it saves a lot of time when folks are wearing their badges.  When I have one on, the hawkers know that I'm working too and don't waste their time on someone who honestly hasn't got time to stop right now, or the performers know that the person going past them is probably working as well and doesn't necessarily want to be hit up to participate in a bit (though if they make eye contact and show interest, they're more than welcome to play along!).  If there is an emergency and I go to someone with a radio to get help, it goes more smoothly if I'm wearing a badge because they know that I work for the faire too and there is an implicit level of responsibility there.

And yes, there are times when the average patron sees someone in costume doing something inappropriate and assumes that they're part of the festival, but when they are asked if the person had a badge and they reply "no", management can then explain that the person they saw was not representing the faire and bought a ticket just like the average patron did and that security will now take care of the situation. 

So, wearing badges has proven to be a positive thing in my personal experience.  That's my thoughts on it anyway.

[SirRichardBear]

It also helps security know who is allowed back stage

[Prof. John Bull]

Some fairs issue IDs or passes to participants but ask that they be kept concealed except when backstage or on the set after hours.

[groomporter]

Some fairs issue IDs or passes to participants but ask that they be kept concealed except when backstage or on the set after hours.

Like MNRF where we have photo ID's for full-time participants and generic plastic passes or paper day passes for part-time participants. (Except for the year or two when performance cast had leather badges to identify them)

[JJames]

I know this was more asking of "known performer's views"... but..... . I came to faire drawn for the personal interest of medieval and renaissance history. So although I find storm troopers as cliché as three Captain Jack Sparrows (no offense, most of you Sparrows look cool to me) at a faire, it has no ill effect on my experience. I personally feel that if someone has a ruined experience as a first timer to faire because of how some people dressed out of period, then, IMO, they may have really not been interested in the first place and simply found an excuse not to like the faire.
I come to faire because I think its fun and unique and found even more reason to go now that my family chooses to dress in somewhat period clothing (were not exactly H/A). Where else could you do that and have a setting of props, charaters, etc. that is as realistically close to 15th century as one could really get? I can respect one's let down when they see Captain Kirk and the Vulcan crew walking amongst the mundanes, but, how long has this effect been there? Inst there usually a few in the crowd who like to stand out??? -  I have found some of the best witted humor spun out the mouths of performers when you see them interact w/ the likes of such "odd" costumed persons. One day at Bristol, a group had dressed up in robot type costumes walking about the faire. I don't know how it evolved, but one of the vendors were engaged in a "playful battle" with the robots and it was interesting to watch.  The vendor handled the battle and dialog almost as well as you might imagine if it were really happening in the 15th century. And you have to think of the business side as Lord Clisto so suitably pointed out! These people pay to get in, and although they may not be most of the "preferred" attendants by some, they certainly do help the cause, and to me, that is contributing to ticket sales that allow the gates to reopen every year.