The Do's and Don'ts of Visiting a Renaissance Faire/ Festival

[PollyPoPo]

And just this weekend I sent my 10 year old grand nephew to sit front row, center.

Hey, it's a guy thing.  It was a bit chilly so the mud guys didn't get real sloppy, but Kai had a belly laugh going the whole time anyway.  I think he was actively wishing he would get spotted.

[GryffinSong]

Most faires seem to allow smoking outside the tents. A pet peeve of mine is when smokers smoke just outside a vendor's tent with a breeze blowing it into the tent, or smoking near any fiber items that might soak up the smell. Ditto with smoking near someone's garb, especially with skirts and scarves blowing around.

[Craigmeister]

Don't:  Dress as a science fiction character such as a stormtrooper or Starfleet persona.

Don't:  Stand in plain view and talk on a cell phone if garbed.

Do:  Belt out a hearty "Huzzah" if you appreciate a good performance or act!

Do:  Try to speak w/ an appropriate accent if garbed.

[Rowan MacD]

  #1 used to not really be an issue at the small/medium sized faires.  We never used to see people dressed as sci-fi and video game characters; probably because they knew they would likely be the only ones there in non-ren garb.

  I'm not really sure how renaissance characters are supposed to, or can, interact with them.
  Do we ignore them?  Stop and stare?
  I do know some of our Mudmen and Urchins will interact with them by way of making gentle fun of the costumes.  
  Once, a storm trooper was covertly stalked by fairies-Reminded me of Ewoks spying on offworlders

[iain robb]

  I'm not really sure how renaissance characters are supposed to, or can, interact with them.
  Do we ignore them?  Stop and stare?

Perhaps you could use the "Want to try your fake laser gun against my real sword?" approach.

[Rowan MacD]

  It would be interesting to see one of them get glitter bombed.....   

[daggrim]

As a Norseman, I'd just assume Klingons were trolls, and speak to them that way.  Other humans I would assume were from far Byzantium, or even from distant Muslim lands...the furthest places I could conceive of.

[Rowan MacD]

  I envy your composure  .  I'm usually so dumbfounded I can't think of anything to say until after they they have passed by, LOL.

  To everyone out there:  Any good stories, one liners or amusing approaches to the 'time travelers' would be welcome.  I want something new to try next season!   
  Perhaps a new thread...'Freaking the Storm troopers' or 'Confronting the Away team' perhaps?

[PollyPoPo]

Being part elf, I have heard the stories of how we came to this earth eons ago.  Never could understand why humans believe first contact was with Zefram Cochrane.  Where did they think mitral came from?  Alchemists?

Also, knights in absolutely white armor must be from Italy or Malta; no Englishman would be caught dead in such ostentatious battle armor.  Either that or their armor has been coated in fresh egg shells, though why a knight would do so is beyond me.  Then again, they might just be in cloth garb to which the laundress has added too much starch -- way too much starch so as to turn it as white and hard as a Storm Trooper's uniform.

As for the strange ones in colored shirts and snug leggings.  They have most certainly been in such a rush to get to faire that they actually forgot their outer clothing and are in their underwear!

Why not?  It's all fantasy.

[Rowan MacD]

  Great! ^_^.
 
  I think someone posted a while ago on here that they either did, or wanted to, hiss to the Trekkies in a stage whisper once they are inside the Faire:
  "Star fleet directives specifically state that we blend in with the indigenous cultures...Where are the uniforms you were issued for this planet?"  *pauses to look them over*  "You're lucky the
locals haven't stoned you to death yet!"   
 

   The fairies sneaking up and knocking on Storm Trooper back armor was funny to watch. One mimed that he looked like a strange beetle.  She held out her plastic bug, knocked on it, then knocked on his breast plate, then cocked her head for an explanation. 

[PollyPoPo]

Oh, oh, the Trek away team.

Hiss, whisper, "you do know your cloaking device is malfunctioning, right?"

Wow, just had an image pass through my mind - Sheldon, in uniform with tricorder, at the convention being dropped in the middle of a big faire.  In the center of the arena, full contact joust, pounding hoof-beats and all.

[BubbleWright]

RE: Trekkies & Klingons... I had posted the following in the "Steampunk Crossover" thread...

Arthur Rowan posted a reply to the "Steampunk at Faire" thread I started on the PaRenFaire dot Netters Forum. Arthur has worked as a performer/director at the PaRenFaire for 4 years and is currently a musician/performer with the musical duo "Rowan and the Rose". He mentions that he and Kelly Morris (Queen Elizabeth at PARF 2008-2009) will be performing at the NJ and the PA Faire this year. Below find Arthur's post, used with his permission. I find it great insight from the performer's point of view...

From a former performer standpoint, I LOVED playing with people in out of period costumes. I remember the day a fully-decked Imperial Stormtrooper showed up at opening gate, and within fifteen minutes at least three of us had demanded 'TK-421, wherefore are thou not upon thy post?'

On numerous occasions I've engaged Star Trek Away teams with a 'Good my lords in strange garb, prithee, approach...' then once they were near I'd lower my voice, drop all accent and Elizabethan character entirely, and demand 'What the hell are you doing breaking the Prime Directive by not blending in with this pre-warp culture?! I have been undercover on this research assignment for FOUR YEARS, and so help me God if you blow this assignment for me there will be HELL to pay back at Star Fleet command.'

Klingons are also a favorite... I welcome them openly and publicly as, clearly, Ambassadors from the Dutch, and then I tell the crowd how I'm about to engage them in their native Dutch tongue. Then I would, in hopefully decent Klingon, tell them 'Your father is a coward who died without honor.' One time, the Klingon in question even understood me, and hilarity ensued as he showed his fury, causing me to grovel before him at my poor understanding of the Dutch language.

And as for Doctor Who, well, everyone knows that he actually IS period, as Queen Elizabeth took out a very high bounty on his head for 'reasons unknown...'

The point being, one of the most fun parts of street improv for me is finding new and creative ways to incorporate literally anything that's thrown at me, period or no. That being said, it's understandable if someone wants as close to a specifically Renaissance experience as they can (although it should be said that walking around in a medieval knight outfit circa 1000 AD is as equally out of period as a StarFleet uniform, just in the other direction on the timeline.)

In conclusion, one of the things I love about Renaissance Faires is that every faire has its own personality. Some are wonderfully hyper-historical. The PA Faire is not. They've been taking things in a slightly different direction ever since they paved the roads, amped the stages, and put a soundtrack and fireballs into the Ultimate Joust. I've always enjoyed the more theatrical, 'spirit of the law not the letter' approach to the period that the PA Faire takes, but it's also totally reasonable to dislike it. And the beauty of the Ren Faire world is that there are other Faires that will probably be more to those tastes, frequently within equal driving distance of the PA Faire.

One final thought: please be careful when throwing around the phrase 'They make these decisions because they don't really care about us loyal fans. Anyone who's ever had to plan a party for even a hundred friends, much less ten thousand, knows how INSANELY difficult it is to please everyone, even if (perhaps *especially* if) they're someone you care a lot about.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

Very interesting to hear another performer's point of view, BubbleWright.  Opinions differ with different people.  I personally know (like, they've been to our house) 2 different performers that work at Bristol.  Both of them dislike Klingons, Trekkies, Steampunk, etc.

Their view is that they work very hard to create an Elizabethan atmosphere at a faire in the late 1500's, and they feel that the other costumes diminish the feel that they are trying so hard to provide.

So just as some people like, or at least don't mind, the out of period costumes, and some don't want to see these at faire, it's not just limited to patrons.  Some performers feel the same way, either one or the other.

But since patrons can wear anything they want to faire, I'm sure it will continue.

[Rowan MacD]

  LOL, thanks Bubblewright.   I figured I had the gist of what was said to the Trekies, if not the exact wording 
  We actually see more storm troopers than Trekkies at fair, when we see either group at all.
  I know some folks from the local 501st, and I know how much they pay for their armor. I can't blame them wanting to get out there and show off their investment whenever they can, but most of the members don't do Ren faires. They have their gloves full with comic book store special events and Cons.
   
   
 

[lys1022]

Quite frankly, when I was performing I always enjoyed interacting with the people dressed in Trek or Stormtrooper/SW gear.  At least THEY are usually playful and go along with it when a performer engages them in interaction.  The same can't be said about a lot of other people.  A good improv actor can find a way to incorporate anything into their schtick, because SW or ST costumes are no more period correct than shorts and a t-shirt.

Yes, the participants do work hard to create the atmosphere of whatever time period and geographical location the faire is set in, but I really get more annoyed with the people who only come out to get drunk or the ones who deliberately seek out people playing certain characters to quiz them on how well they know period information in the hopes that they will trip the performer up.  That kind of thing is malicious, not fun, and ruins the atmosphere more than Darth Vader in a kilt as far as I'm concerned.

Fun is the key, and good performers know how to make "out of time" things ranging from cameras to watches to Stormtroopers fun while maintaining their OWN character and sense of time period.