Human chess?

[Capt Spleen]

Insurance and liability could be a factor in doing Human Chess.

Best Human Chess I have ever seen was at BARF (Physicality, then theme) 2005
One male character of peasant status altough he did not look the type could contort hos body in all matter of twisting oddity. He was fighting a noble that just could not make contact with him. He frustratingly walked back to his side and loudly commented to another, "I can't fight a man without a spine!!"

Next would be a tie between MNRF (2003) storyline written by an operatic voiced blonde woman who wore a Viking helm w/horns, and PARF whose chess matches continue into the final joust and almost Broadway like Grand Finale at the end of faire, (pick a year), (both faires, having very excellent themes and then physicality)

[groomporter]

I liked it at MNRF many years ago when there was an on-going Robin Hood-like figure's men vs the Sheriff's men storyline all day with various staged fights on the street during the day all climaxing at the human combat chess match so that it wasn't just a mini play on the chess board, but tied in to things all day with the entire site as a backdrop to the story line.

[Sitara]

Next would be a tie between MNRF (2003) storyline written by an operatic voiced blonde woman who wore a Viking helm w/horns,

Sniff, sniff...I miss Dayna!   

[Nixie]

So all in all:

Step one: get a good team together and make it a show
Step two:contact entertainment
Step 3: Hope to use stage or joust (when no joust is going on)


or did I get this plan mixed up with hamster tossing?

[Zoë]

They're easily confused.

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

So all in all:

Step one: get a good team together and make it a show
Step two:contact entertainment
Step 3: Hope to use stage or joust (when no joust is going on)


or did I get this plan mixed up with hamster tossing?

Hamster Tossing? I thought it was Dwarf Toss. Do we have any Dwarves we can toss... grab them by the beard and heave away. He who tosses the dwarf the furthest gets 10 points, Make him land on his noggin 25 points, On his face 30 points, On his Bum 10 points, On his feet 5 points. Make him do a Double Half Gainer with a full twist Jack Knife and land on his nose... Priceless

Oh and I don't mean midgets I mean Dwarfs all Dwarfs MUST have beards to be considered to be used... and have been drinking beer all day.

[Zoë]

Toss a dwarf and hit a small child and you get 100 points.

[Moldy Forest]

Toss a dwarf and hit a small child and you get 100 points.

Extra points if the child hit is also a dwarf who is riding on a hamster

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

Ah but you lose points if you hit the King and even more if you hit the queen. Yet you get a Bonus prize if you can hit one of the French court members... and even bigger bonus if they are holding a hamster.

Tell them what they've won Leonardo
Yes Good King Henry for Hitting the pretty French princess holding the small teddy bear hamster... you've won an all expence paid trip to the PRIVY'S along with enough Turkey legs to make you sick of Turkey. And a nonstop ride on the Di Vinci Flying Machine. All worth a total price of a Fun filled day of the Plague

[pktaxwench]

Well, back on the topic of Human Chess....

Last weekend was the opening weekend of BARF here in Tampa.  My little sister came out on opening day and filmed my feature fight on her camera and thoughtfully posted it on YouTube for me.  So, I thought I'd post it here.

Being YouTube and a little digital camera, it's not the best of quality, and you can barely see the painted (dead) grass and the tiny rapier blades, but I still thought I'd post it anyway.  It annoys me that I have to play such a girly character, but no one else was wanting to try to fight in a corset and hoop, and they needed more nobles on that side of the chessboard. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQNtftk9VoI

I'll be wearing that gown out at CRF this year.  It's nowhere as elaborate as my other two Court gowns, but it's the most durable one I've made yet.  Has to be, as I not only fight in it, but have to wash it pretty much every time I wear it.

I wish I had video of the other fights or the melees in their entirety, for they are made of awesomeness. 

[Zoë]

Cool!  That was an impressive fall you took.  (the first one, not the one after he lifted you up on his head, haha.)  Stage combat is hard, I can't imagine the level of intensity that a corset and hoop adds to it!

[CapnJack]

The human chess match is an attraction that has been proposed at our faire time and time again by all manner of people, and has never once been seriously considered, to my understanding.  All the problems mentioned here already are factors.  There is no appropriate space, the training and insurance would be cost prohibitive, and the Powers that Be here at CRF apparently do not believe in villains (which sadly gives the heroes very little to do, on or off the chessboard).

There are other issues as well.  For one, our cast is not nearly big enough to fill a chessboard and not leave the rest of the grounds utterly deserted.  Especially in the past couple years, since budget cuts, voluntary quits, and involuntary layoffs, have caused our numbers to dwindle to a staggeringly small sum.

Another reason is that CRF has a history of being extremely wary of stage combat.  There have been acts with sword fights, staff fights, and other stage combat, but they have been few and far between.  This could be for any number of reasons, but is likely due to insurance and training costs (as mentioned above), and the lack of a cohesive fight troupe with a good track record to take the reins.  Since I've been going, the Jousters and the Legends of Sherwood crew are the only two groups who have been allowed to do combat on a large scale.  Other than them, Charming & Dashing, and Puke & Snot have done sword fights, but nothing on a large scale.

Ultimately, I think our faire is going to have to undergo some major, MAJOR changes, in many areas, before a human chess match can be accomplished.  Still, it's something I'd personally love to see here someday.

[pktaxwench]

Cool!  That was an impressive fall you took.  (the first one, not the one after he lifted you up on his head, haha.)  Stage combat is hard, I can't imagine the level of intensity that a corset and hoop adds to it!

Thanks Zoe!  The fall is even more impressive when I don't slip in the sand when starting the roll, which caused it to not only become a sideroll, but for me to drop my sword so I don't hurt myself in the roll.  And the dirt that makes it down my dress.  Ugh.  I get mud in my chemise when it mixes with sweat. 

Honestly, the worst part of the whole thing is the Florida heat and humidity.  I grew up here, but I've grown used to the dry thin air of Colorado Springs.  I swear, breathing here is akin to swimming through the air of a sauna.  Although, since FL has twice the air density of Colorado, being sea level and all, I get enough oxygen even with the corset being restrictive.  I'm probably going to die of oxygen deprivation when I go back to Colorado in April.

[Mistress Charlotte]

It annoys me that I have to play such a girly character

But your such a bad*ss girly character!