Character creation

[LAVAGODDESSSS]

Hi all,

So as we all go through our various stages of "Ren"-ness (yes, akin to Zen-ness). I, for instance, am an overzealous newbie who is at this point excited to play dress up (Shush! I can! It feels akin to the glee I got when I stole my mom's lipstick and found a way to get my 'special dress' out of the closet).

Anyways, I'm pretty intimidated (dunno why...maybe I need Xanax) by the whole 'character' thing. I role play in real life, so you'd think "Girl, what the heck?"
So I am going to try, since now I have a full ensemble, to try to really get into it.


So here are my questions:
-- How did you come up with your character?
-- How much do you 'immerse' yourself?
-- What do you DO at the fair? I mean, I go for the feast and drink and to walk around and see the shops, but I barely ever see the queen or king. This is more of a 'how do you immerse yourself in the full faire' experience?
-- Anything else you want to share to help me get over my look that I've entered the classroom in my underwear?

[isabelladangelo]

You might want to post this in the "Create Your Character" section of the forum. 

[auntiegiggles]

Up until this year I never had a character.  I dressed up but went and had fun.  This year I joined the street performance cast.  My persona is based on me.  Lady Inga "Giggles" Greeves is an upper middle class wife to a jewelry merchant.  The last name is the original English name from my husband's side of the family.  My persona has been married for 10yrs (like me  ) and no kids (like me   ).  The rest of the character came to me when I was thinking about how a woman in that era would react to not having kids of her own after 10 yrs of marriage - and wanted kids.  Hence - she's a little crazy and little eccentric  .  She has furry pets as kids - that she takes everywhere of course- Her "son" is a gray bird (Henry) and her daughter is a cat (Elizabeth).   The jewelry merchant came from two thoughts: 1) I was told I could not be a noble 2) I used to manage a jewelry store.  
My best advice is don't fret over having a character.  Just go out and have fun.    

Hope that helps!  Best of Luck!

[LadyFae]

Up until this year I never had a character.  I dressed up but went and had fun.  This year I joined the street performance cast.  My persona is based on me.  Lady Inga "Giggles" Greeves is an upper middle class wife to a jewelry merchant.  The last name is the original English name from my husband's side of the family.  My persona has been married for 10yrs (like me  ) and no kids (like me   ).  The rest of the character came to me when I was thinking about how a woman in that era would react to not having kids of her own after 10 yrs of marriage - and wanted kids.  Hence - she's a little crazy and little eccentric  .  She has furry pets as kids - that she takes everywhere of course- Her "son" is a gray bird (Henry) and her daughter is a cat (Elizabeth).   The jewelry merchant came from two thoughts: 1) I was told I could not be a noble 2) I used to manage a jewelry store.  
My best advice is don't fret over having a character.  Just go out and have fun.    

Hope that helps!  Best of Luck!

It also came from the one of her real life cats.  Sylvester will let her "wear" him on her shoulders and we always joked about "wearing" him to Fest and also having him on his leash ('cause he thinks that he is a dog) so that he could walk once in a while.  The stuffed Elizabeth will work a little better for her though!  =)

[LAVAGODDESSSS]

Up until this year I never had a character.  I dressed up but went and had fun.  This year I joined the street performance cast.  My persona is based on me.  Lady Inga "Giggles" Greeves is an upper middle class wife to a jewelry merchant.  The last name is the original English name from my husband's side of the family.  My persona has been married for 10yrs (like me  ) and no kids (like me   ).  The rest of the character came to me when I was thinking about how a woman in that era would react to not having kids of her own after 10 yrs of marriage - and wanted kids.  Hence - she's a little crazy and little eccentric  .  She has furry pets as kids - that she takes everywhere of course- Her "son" is a gray bird (Henry) and her daughter is a cat (Elizabeth).   The jewelry merchant came from two thoughts: 1) I was told I could not be a noble 2) I used to manage a jewelry store.  
My best advice is don't fret over having a character.  Just go out and have fun.    

Hope that helps!  Best of Luck!

It also came from the one of her real life cats.  Sylvester will let her "wear" him on her shoulders and we always joked about "wearing" him to Fest and also having him on his leash ('cause he thinks that he is a dog) so that he could walk once in a while.  The stuffed Elizabeth will work a little better for her though!  =)

This is wonderful. I'm trying to bridge the gap between  just dressing up and immersing myself in the experience.

Thank you two for sharing, truly.

[auntiegiggles]

Your welcome! 

I do understand wanting to bridge the gap between the two.  My non-street garb is a viscountess - only because I love fancy gowns and lots of jewels!  But I have no actual persona with her.  I just dress up and be me - it can be a little unnerving when trying to interact with other people.     I think in the future I may take my street character and just make her a viscountess.  Inga is a lot of fun 

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Being that my husband and I have lived in Minnesota for almost 35 years in Rochester, Olmsted County, we donned the titles of Earl and Countess of Olmsted. Olmsted and Rochester are English in origin.

In 2004, then Queen Margaret(Lolly Foy), made our titles official when we presented her with gifts for the special attention she gave our granddaughther the week prior. We were presented before her Court at the Arbor before a crowd and given our titles to thunderous applause.

The motto of the House of Olmsted..."More money than Common Sense."

[crazyrennie]

My character has mutated throught the years-
Currently his name is Angus McGregor a failed falconer from Ireland.
Truth be told-I am the Stage Manager for the Arizona Renaissance Faire's Falconers Heath stage-

[Kate XXXXXX]

Olmstead: There are two, so take you pick!  Olmstead Green, a field near Hellion's Bumpstead in Essex, or Olmstead Hall, Olmstead Green, Castle Camps, in Cambridgeshire, which appears to be a conversion of an old barn into a house rather than a proper old house!

Rochester: There's a great castle and an ancient catedral:

 

 

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Great info, Kate!!!

Rochester. From the 2nd Earl of Rochester. John Wilmont. Who died as a result of Venerial disease and was childless in his marriage. Thus no heir to succeed him.