Musical instruments as props for non performers

[stonebiscuit]

Then another part of me says, "If a fake Jack Sparrow can steal the show away from your act...what does that say about your performance?" It's like me wanting the internet to pull all of the blogs off the internet that aren't written by people who do it for a living. I get paid when people read my stuff, so these other bloggers are taking away from my livelihood! No one cares...I just have to write better content.

It's not like that. The internet at large is a public space. Renaissance festivals are by and large private events, and therefore you must have permission to perform there. If you didn't have permission, you wouldn't come to the festival as a patron and then sell things. You wouldn't go to the opera and do your own show in the lobby, or go to someone else's book signing and do a reading from your book. This is no different, and frankly I am a little irritated by this sentiment. If your act is good, great! There's always room for good acts! Get a job at the faire and become the competition. If you can't commit to the whole run (understandable), see about getting a guest performance pass for the weekend (or several weekends). Many faires are very into that sort of thing.

Obviously, patrons can dress however they want (within the boundaries of decency, law, and whatever rules there are re: weapons etc). I personally love seeing people dressed up, whether that be in accurate Flemish garb or as a Storm Trooper, because dressing up is fun. It's when you start to perform that things become a problem.

[Elennare]

Having done shows at a few small fairs, I have a thought to add to this.  If you want to bang on the drum with wild abandon, get to know one of (or several of) the performers and see if they have any interest in help drawing a crowd for their show.  I'd bet at least a few of them would be willing to let you drum up an audience for them (sorry, bad pun, I know  ) before they start doing their thing.  I suppose you could still have issues with the management, if they're the type to do that, but you would legitimately be assisting one of the performers, and not detracting from anything with the crowd you'd be drawing.

[Rowan MacD]

But yes, at some events well-dressed patrons can and have been removed for drawing too much attention away from the performers, especially if -- like most of the very good Jack Sparrows I've seen -- they're in character, too. And this really can be a big deal, because most of the paid performers perform for a living, and the wages they get from the venue alone generally aren't enough for them to live on -- it is absolutely CRUCIAL that they have the opportunity to collect tips, and so patrons attracting too much attention can actually hurt the performers' livelihoods.

Agreed- Sort of a 'why buy the cow when the milk is free?' situation. 
  The distracting Playtron does not ask for tips (and he is not allowed to take tips either; just to be clear).   When he is interacting with other patrons on the street, and he is very good,  then he is giving away a commodity someone else is trying to make a living off of.
  To aggravate matters; when the same patron encounters a real cast member or a professional actor later on who is doing something similar (and is busking for tips), they assume he is just like the last guy that 'played' with them and won't bother to offer any money.   It is an honest mistake, so it's just better just to not to add to the confusion.
   A good example would be a Jazz festival:  We have the paid performers during that time, and there is a small cover charge for the stage/ beer garden area. Musical buskers are common in the area during the rest of the year, but are temporarily banned during this time, because they may take some of the  audience away from the paid entertainment. 

[LordSterben]

I can't help but laugh at how the topic went back to me performing. =)
Remember, I don't want to perform. I was only asking about idly tapping on a drum. Although the idea of banging away with reckless abandon to draw a crowd did make for a pretty funny mental image!

and stonebiscuit...I don't have an act. I'm not issuing a challenge to performers. I was just saying that it seems like an odd situation (or a bad performance) that could be damaged by a Jack Sparrow impersonator walking around. Unless he had a whole routine going..in which case that would be an act, which is different. The conversation had moved along to people being kicked out because of their costumes and that's what I was referring to. Sorry if you didn't catch that part.

[LordSterben]

if they don't approve of it, they will stop you at front gate and give you the option of leaving it at the front gate with a staff member

And at first I thought you meant they would give me the option of leaving my costume at the front gate! I was thinking...how in the heck would me walking around in boxer briefs be less of a problem? lol

[stonebiscuit]

So we're clear on the terminology, an impersonation is an act is performing. Ditto "tapping" on a drum. That's what the topic started as, and that's what it's continued to be about, as far as I can tell.

[PollyPoPo]

As someone who is periodically offered money after being asked for a photo, I would say it depends a lot on the faire as to making noise on a drum or having a spectacular garb or persona.  I just tell people I'm a visitor there just like them (well, almost just like them).

I have not been to BARF, so I do not have any idea how big/small/loud/quiet/or period specific it is.  The faires I attend all have some badge or symbol for entertainers, but some are difficult to spot if they are not all required to have them on the same part of clothing.  (I believe Scarborough requires players to put them on upper left of shirt??)

At someplace like TRF a customer/playtron would almost have to be on stage to attract any special attention and tapping a drum would probably not even be heard above the din.  The only playtrons that really attract attention would be something out of the ordinary, such as the blue dice heads a couple years back (like "WOW" to any board role-players).  Jack Sparrows are a dime a dozen; shamans are almost as common.  If someone pulls out a guitar and a tip hat that person will be escorted out in short order.

Scarborough is a bit more period and lower audio volume in some areas, and has more obvious lane players working for tips.  There might be a problem if someone gives even the appearance of trying to attract an audience, such as "teasing" on a drum where players are working.  The only people I've heard of being turned away for garb are those outfits which are deemed too revealing in the eyes of the gate people.

Responses here are giving some very good advice, from asking management for guidance to getting a feel for the individual faire.   You might also (if you have not already done so) ask your question in the forum group for the specific faire(s) you plan to attend.  If you are attending faire(s) with camping, you might try playing your persona on the campgrounds to see what happens. 

Have fun.

[Rowan MacD]

LordSterben-If you wish to show up at the faire, dressed as a witch doctor or shaman, and just walk around seeing and being seen as most Playtrons do, then there really is no issue with whatever you want to do...just keep it low key and you'll be ok.  If the PTB let you in the gate; you are clear.  Worst that can happen is they make you leave the drum in the car.
  While you wear the drum (it sounds interesting, I'd love to see your outfit)  leave it alone, unless someone asks you about it.  I'm sure no one (faire employees) will mind you tapping out a rhythm by way of demonstrating that the drum is real, just restrain yourself from attempting a full scale ritual or something. LOL.

   My Laird and I attend faire in a variety of garb, but the noble outfits will get us stopped for photo ops pretty regularly.  We are not on cast (usually), so we just stroll around looking interesting;  and we do try to stay in character to match the clothes, similar to what the fairy Playtrons do.   
  Outside of an occasional 'Good morrow' , we do not perform in any way; that's not our job.
  As a dressed Playtron, it helps if you know where things are, and it's a bonus if you know when certain popular acts are on stage-it's a guarantee you will be asked that question at least once while in garb-so grab a schedule and keep it handy.
  Ideally, well dressed Playtrons add to the ambiance of the faire, without being a distraction, or interfering with those cast members doing their thing. 

[PollyPoPo]

Oh, my goodness, Rowen,  :)your comment about being asked if you know where things are just reminded me of a week or so ago at Sherwood.  I was sitting about 3 feet from a large map placed on an outer wall.  People were looking at map and then asking me where were on the map. LOL   

[arbcoind]

I have only attended 2 major RenFaires- Pennsylvania and Maryland, plus quite a few small weekend Faires. Before I go, I email the Faire asking for permission to attend, explaining what I do with the Renaissance Bubble Machine (RBM), documenting that bubbles were made in the time period and that the technology of the machine existed in the era. I further state that I do not bubble near stages or performances, nor near food venues or vendors. Also, I do not accept tips. I am generally welcomed although one Faire did not respond to my email, which I took as a yes. Unfortunately, after only 20 minutes on the grounds, a delegation escorted me to the Gate. They did acknowledge it was their bad form for not replying to my email.

I totally understand a Faire wanting to have creative control over the entertainment presented at their Faire, which is why I seek permission to bring the RBM.

Felix, I thought you worked for PARF!  I'm a perfect example of someone who would think LordSterben works for the faire.  So take the drum as part of your garb, but don't "play" it.  The Jack Sparrow pirate was asked to leave my local faire, he was too much in character.

Gina

[BubbleWright]

Although I am merely a playtron, the street cast always interacted with the bubbles throughout the day. Kelly Morris as Queen Elizabeth was so enamored of the bubbles that she would send the Queen's Guards to play in them.

[Rowan MacD]

Although I am merely a playtron, the street cast always interacted with the bubbles throughout the day. Kelly Morris as Queen Elizabeth was so enamored of the bubbles that she would send the Queen's Guards to play in them.

That's the kind of thing every Playtron dreams of; feeling like you're part of the fun!
The best faires I have been to are the ones where the cast actively engages patrons in garb; either in play or in conversation.
  There is no greater pity than to have a truly gloriously dressed and well rehearsed cast... that speak to no one but their fellows.
    They may as well be on a stage
   

[LordSterben]

Thanks for the continuing responses! Sadly my girlfriend has been very sick and we couldn't make it last weekend. She's still not doing too well, but it should clear up in time for next weekend.

Fingers crossed!

[LordSterben]

We finally made it. Hope has been sick for two weeks and now I have it, but we went anyway because time is running out. No one said anything about the drum. I did play it at one point during the obscene torrential downpour because some guy and his kids were splashing in the foot-deep puddle while hundreds of other people just crammed under shelter and watched. It was crowded and I was already wet so when the guy asked me to play the drum for his kids while they danced, I ran out into the puddle and splashed around with them.

I did get hassled about two things, which actually ticked me off a little bit. First off, I checked the BARF site a dozen times to make sure, and I've asked around. Nothing that I've seen said shoes were required. So I decided rather than carry around shoes, I would just not wear them and left them in the car. At the gate, they told me I couldn't go in. Okay...not the end of the world. So I go all the way back out, get the shoes, come back, and then the woman standing NEXT TO the one who told me about the shoes told me I had to put on a shirt because you could see my nipples. That angered me because they made me go back twice. Why not tell me these rules at the same time...unless you're just making them up? I dunno...even half the cast beyond the gate acted like they hadn't heard about this "no nip" rule. Some of them said it was new this year. If so...why is it not on your website where I can prepare for it, ya know? 

I didn't want to put on a shirt so I painted over my chest with the rest of my paint. Ironically, when it started raining, my chest washed off AND my shoes got sucked down into two feet of mud where I decided to let them rest. Oh well!

None of it ruined my day, I'm just recounting the events. =)

[Rowan MacD]

  Never heard of no shirts/no shoes rule at any faire before.
  Other than safety reasons(for the shoes) this may be a 'Patrons only' rule.

  In hot weather here in the Midwest- I have seen plenty of (male) cast members stripping down to breeches and sandals to do heavy work and many walk around like that most of the day unless they want to avoid sunburn.
   Most belly dancers I know perform without shoes, then walk around barefoot.     
   It is pretty normal to see Pirates doing so.

Sorry about your shoes, hopefully they weren't something you valued