Do Faires need Rennies?

[Capt Robertsgrave Thighbiter]

As a member of the Rennie community, do you think that Faires need Rennies? 

conversely;

As a GM, ED or AD, do you think Faires need Rennies?

What part do Rennies play in staging a successful Renn Faire?

[Adriana Rose]

In what way?

The playtrons?

Local Rennies?

The Road Rennies?

Because there are three very different groups that are called Rennies.

[Noble Dreg]

Have to say...We (forum members) are not "true Rennies".  ***Ducks tomatoes***

Before this forum we (myself and other "playtrons") took "Rennie" to mean a subset of "Carnie".  A person who travelled from Faire to Faire taking the less desireable work (construction, clean-up, Cabriolet, etc).  Often a "Rennie" made barely enough to survive and pay for travel to the next festival.  So in this view...No, Faires cannot exist without Rennies.

The forum views the term in a differing way, Rennie = Playtron.  I believe Faire could exist without the Playtron, but the garb shop could not.  Fact is fact, I've been to a lot of Faires and while the Playtron is important, they are well outnumbered by the "Danes".

Hey, that last tomato was an apple!

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

I, as a "playtron" believe that we add color that wouldn't be there...

[Merlin]

Yes...they do.

They make the atmosphere one that urges danes to return. They also help the performers so they can make more tips. If everyone sat on their hands and made the shows dull... danes would be less likely to enjoy the shows and get up off their wallets.

We also enjoy going to faire to see other rennies which makes us return more often...ergo faires make more money.

[arbcoind]

Oh yes, we rennies/playtrons add alot to faire.   Many, many mundanes come up to me to ask questions on where they can find a certain show or stage or just want to know if there is an ATM on site or where to buy a certain flavor of beer.  I think the rennies are very helpful to faire in this aspect.  We know the place and have the time and interest to help out new people.

Additionally, I agree that we add color and fun to the faire.  We are not tied to a booth or a stage.  We are free to wander and talk to anyone at anytime.  We can help with audience participation where it might not happen otherwise.  And the mundanes are quite amazed that we do this for the love of it, not for $.  

And lastly faire management loves us.  Rennies/playtrons attend the full run of faire, pay gate, show up for opening cannon, drink and eat until closing cannon.  I do nothing else during the run of PRF so I can afford to go all six weekends.


Gina

[Noble Dreg]

I, as a "playtron" believe that we add color that wouldn't be there...

Yep, "Playtrons" are a vital organ to the Faire body.  Free "labor" and they tend to spend considerable dollars over time.  Faire would survive without them, but be poorer in coin and "soul".

[Zardoz]

What part do Rennies play in staging a successful Renn Faire?

Like everyone's said; Playtrons are a vital part of the Faire atmosphere, they're a big part of the show to the mundane patrons, without us most faires would just look like a weird shopping mall.

[DonaCatalina]

Yes from all perspectives.

A) Rennies who are vendors at several faires are often the only source for certain 'Ren' themed merchandise that diferentiates a fair from a shopping mall and attracts the buying public.

B) Many fairs connect afford to pay enough cast members to provide lane entertainment for their paying attendees. Rennie volunteer cast members put a lot of work into their roles and help keep the fair going.

C) Rennies who are playtrons, pay their own way in and provide additional background for the tapestry that is fair. Many of them also back up the cast and are knowleadgeable enough about fair to give directions and answer questions for mundane visitors.

[Rowan MacD]

   Every last one of the above posts is soooo true.
   I have no problems volunteering to be the fair version of the Walmart greeter for the price of admission whenever possible   Heck, I do it even when I pay to get in, it's just too much fun to resist.
   Frequently Playtrons are the only 'street characters' you will see at the smaller faires that can't afford to pay for anyone other than stage acts to entertain the masses.
  We most certainly contribute greatly to the atmosphere and color of any faire, no matter how large.   For my hometown faires (there are two)  I also distribute flyers, put up posters, setup/cleanup and direct traffic for the price of admission.
 
   
   
   
   
   
   

[Merlin the Elder]

I certainly hope the faires need us. I should imagine that the local economies benefit from the faires, although it's rather curious that so many of the locals are somewhat oblivious to what's going on in their own town. So many of the locals (in Waxahachie) we talk to have never been to the faire, young and old alike. I think that's pretty nuts, myself.

For Nim and me, Scarby is our annual vacation destination. (yeah, ok...nerds...get a life and all that...) We'll spend 3 nights in Waxahachie with the friends we bring along. By the time the 4 of us are done, I'm guessing that we're dropping $4-5k into the local and faire economies. We're probably not the norm, but considering the number of R/Fers that I'm coming to realize are part of that faire, we have got to have a significant impact.

The last RenDezvous at Scarby was before we found this community, but from what I understand, the folks there really made the R/F community feel welcome. I really don't think that would have been the case had they thought that the Rennies were unimportant.

[robert of armstrong]

I think there is a definite sybiotic relationship here.  As a Playtron Rennie, I absolutely need Faire.  Does Faire need me?  It would survive without me, but I like to think that, in conjunction with all my fellow Playtrons, that we add to the ambience of the town or village with our presence and our "good morrow to thee"s and "faire thee well"s.  We sing along with the performers when appropriate, we buy, buy, buy from the vendors, we eat and drink to our hearts content.

I think that we are a vital part of the Faire, something that the organizers have come to count on, although they won't admit it, and may not realize it until the impact made one weekend the Playtrons don't show up for some reason, like the invasion of another Faire.

The emptier streets and pups, some of the laughter, some of the feeling, and some of the spirit are missing when you take the people who come out and add to the place, without asking for money in return.

We just ask for a place to that will let us be Rennies.

[Rowan MacD]

We just ask for a place to that will let us be Rennies.

Amen!

[Capt Robertsgrave Thighbiter]

My opinion - Faires absolutely need Rennies, of all types.  For all the reasons that have been stated above.
Rennies give each Faire its flavor and in truth, it's heart. 

1) Without Rennies, garb merchants could pretty much stay home and sell on the internet. Not only garb merchants, but
    folks who sell swords,  boots, hair thingy's, leather work and all of the acilliary accoutraments that go into making a well
    dressed Rennie.  That's a huge chunk of the merchant class. With less merchants, less vendor fee's and I think Faires depend on that to pay the fixed costs.  With no Rennies to show off the garb etc, how many Danes are going to spring for that $200 bodice or $300 sword?

2) Without Rennies, the Faires have to pay staff to do things like trash policing ( rat catchers, at some faires) and things of that nature.

3) Rennies do a good bit of advertising, either overtly like showing up for a parade or other event or subtly - because every Rennie I know always tells thier friends and family and co-workes about Faire. And are so enthusiastic about it!  This is advertising that Faires could not possibly hope to pay for.  I feel that each Rennie brings at least 5 folks to faire. 5 people that likely have never even heard of  a Renn Faire before.

4) Rennies give a Faire its sense of community. I;ve seen Rennies pitch in and help merchants who are in a hurtin way,  organize monetary help for folks who get hit by illness. Heck one Faire we performed at, they helped us drag all of our equipment from stage to stage.  They are the heart of Faire.

5) Bands like ours owe a great deal to the Rennie community. I know our CD sales are like 5 Rennies to one Dane.

So, a big Huzzay to all of the Rennie community. The Brigands drink to you 3 times 3! 
With out you, Renn Faires would be little more then a local carnival. 

[arbcoind]

I am a walking, talking, screaming advertisement for PRF.  My friends are quite tired of me.

Gina