Mini-Interviews

[Var Greyshadow]

1. Do you work at Renaissance Festivals or attend as a guest? -- Attend as a guest

2. What do you do all day at Renaissance Festivals as an employee? -- Not applicable

3. Do you stay in the same Renaissance Festival all season or do you travel? -- I travel - all of the TX faires, sometimes Louisiana, and if I can swing it, far-off places for each year's Rendezvous.

4. How does one get a job at a Renaissance Festival?

5. How do you come up with characters/acts? -- I based my persona on the Rangers of the North in "Lord of the Rings".  I've always loved the book and wanted a chance to live out my favorite characters.  After I got recruited into the Scarborough Royal Guard, I adapted the persona to be a huntswoman instead.  At faires with more of fantasy element, I'm the Ranger.

6. What are the hours?

7. Pay?

8. What do you do during the rest of the year?

9. What is your home faire? -- I have two.  TRF is closest to home, but I tend to think of Scarborough as home because I'm more a part of that faire.

10. Some Rennies know skills such as sword-fighting, jousting, belly-dancing, fire-breathing, glass-blowing, or playing medieval-styled instruments. Are you one of them? and Where/how does one acquire these skills?  -- I can make decorative (not functional) chain maille and I do some leatherwork (made pouches, sword rigging, dagger frog, etc.).  The chain maille I learned to make by looking at a necklace I had bought.  The leatherworking came by buying and making a few kits from Tandy Leather and seeing how they went together.

11. What/who introduced you to Renaissance Festivals? -- I went to my first as a little girl with my Mom, but I really discovered them after moving to Texas.  New to the area and looking for something to do, I saw a listing for TRF and decided to check it out. I was hooked instantly.  By the following year, I had the beginnings of garb.

12. Tell about the people you've met there/worked with.


13. Costumes? -- I started out with a Xena-ish Amazon character for which I made my own garb by adapting an off-the-rack halter top and miniskirt to go with a pair of Minnetonka boots.  When I changed to my Ranger persona, I began buying garb at faire.  I can't sew, and I found everything I needed over the course of a year or so.  My leather tunic was custom made by Ravenswood Leather, but everything else was stock.

14. What is the best Renaissance Festival you've ever been to? And how do state Renaissance Festivals compare to local ones? -- "Best" is a bad word.  I've enjoyed every ren fest I've gone to, though some more than others.  Scarborough is my favorite.  Around here, we have the big festivals like TRF and Scarby, and a bunch of smaller ones.  Each has its own character, but on the whole, the smaller ones seem to be more made up of other rennies and less of "mundane" patrons.  There's a real sense of community there (though I feel like part of a family at Scarby, and the camping culture at TRF is very closely knit).

15. any other stories you'd like to tell:

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

1. Do you work at Renaissance Festivals or attend as a guest? As a Guest or Playtron



2. What do you do all day at Renaissance Festivals as an employee? Since I'm not an employee I wonder about people watching, taking photos of other people and get my photo taken... a lot


3. Do you stay in the same Renaissance Festival all season or do you travel? Just CoRF and CMF so far but I want... no NEED to visit others


4. How does one get a job at a Renaissance Festival? I guess apply and audition


5. How do you come up with characters/acts? Just being myself... some think me a queen, which I am Others a princess... which I am and other just a noble lady... which I am


6. What are the hours? When I get there and when I feel like leaving... usually 9 to 7

7. Pay? They pay to be a quest


8. What do you do during the rest of the year? I am a Desktop Support Specialist, and freelance photographer


9. What is your home faire? CRF or as some of you call it CoRF (Colorado)


10. Some Rennies know skills such as sword-fighting, jousting, belly-dancing, fire-breathing, glass-blowing, or playing medieval-styled instruments. Are you one of them? and Where/how does one acquire these skills?
Believe it ow not Sword fighting/fencing. I took fencing in high school and sword fighting picked it up in a group I used to belong to. Instrument... well I played guitar for many years and want to pick up the lute. I am 50% self taught and the other 50% I took lessons from a wonderful instructor who is a GOD on guitar. I could say horseback riding as I grew up on the Quarter Horse track as my dad was a trainer. My grandfather raised horses so I rode on every visit to them (usually twice a month) and I did rodeo for a number of years, so riding a h orse came pretty natural. Sadly I have not been on a horse for many years.


11. What/who introduced you to Renaissance Festivals?
Henry the VII and his 6 wives... i.e. reading and watching historical movies and documentories


12. Tell about the people you've met there/worked with.
All very wonderful people, all very intelligent, and all open minded


13. Costumes?
It's called garb not a "costume"... Always. I have many and it's growing. My latest is an Elizabethan gown with over 1000 pearls on it that is 5 dresses in 1. Last year I bought a dress styled after Katheryn Parr with french hood and all.I even have some wench wear but it's not very good quality.


14. What is the best Renaissance Festival you've ever been to? And how do state Renaissance Festivals compare to local ones?
Only been to CoRF and the Colorado Medieval Festival and Scottish Highland Festival all in Colorado. CoRF is the best and largest. It is one of the most beautiful and is the ONLY faire in the mountains, so it is up hill every where you go.I plan on visiting Scarby, TRF, ARF, MRF and KCRF in the future


15. any other stories you'd like to tell?
I've been going to the faire for about 20 years now. Always in garb except once and that year it was freezing rain. I always have a ton of fun and enjoy people watching more than anything... that and doing photography of which 20 from last year appeared in the premier issue of Faire Magazine. Such a great way to get a name going in photography and to meet faire owners as CoRF has invited me to take photos for me this year. You never know where this adventure will take you, but the most important thing is to let that adventure be filled with fun and happiness.