As the VARF grows do you think it could happen?

[Mistress Cherry]

I've done a lot of stage theater. I auditioned for VARF back in 2003 because one of my husbands best friends was the Director and I couldn't imagine anything more fun than getting to "act" in the type of Ren faire that I remembered from childhood (Escondido, CA).

I never expected what I got!

Street theater is NOT the same as stage theater, and this wasn't even street theater. It was dressing in costume and playing pretend with all your friends AND every other random person who walked through the gate. You were all striving to imagine and maintain the same world, and interact within it. It was unreal!

It rained EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND for the first six months of the year that year, including all the performances. It was miserable! We were knee deep in mud and bugs, and the hay spread down to try to give the patrons a less squelchy surface molded, and got lots of us sick.

And yet, you've never seen people have the kind of fun we did! We had mud fights that you can still find video of on YouTube. There was one day where only one guys and his girlfriend showed up the whole day! And that guy was ENTERTAINED by golly, because the entire cast followed him around in a huge entourage all day long. We just wanted someone to play with!

The best part? I go 2 to 3 years between visits, and every time I walk through that gate I hear calls of "Cherry!" from across the field. They still remember me. The same folks are still there, making patrons and former cast feel special, and loved.

I wouldn't trade our Faire for any permanent site anywhere. (I've made myself all weepy typing this. How pathetic is that? Still, truer words...)

[Dirtfarmer]

It would take a long time and a lot more growth to even begin to exceed the current personal "interaction".  VARF is based on the style of old "Hard Site" VARF that had somewhere between 45 to 55k patrons the last year it was open and it still had a personal touch and each and every one of us in the cast had the same goal, to touch each and every person that steps in the gate.  This is one of the main goals of the current version of VARF.  I would say, that at this point, we are not even touching the potential of the current cast.  The more people that come through those gates, the more opportunities the cast members have to interact, and the more of them "mobilize" to interact.  I had a talk with Cornie about this vary thing this weekend, and her mind is set firm on making sure that the intimint feeling is maintained though the growth process. 

[Benedict Browne]

With the articles, and lately the Fox News Special last friday, we have always made it a point to let the public know that we are an 'interactive' faire.  And it is a wonderful feeling to see the shy child that hides behind the Mom or Dad or grand parent as they come through the gate and are greeted by a cast member for the first time; later in the day active in a craft, getting knighted, or responding loudly to a "God Save the Queen'. And its not just the children who may at first enter with trepidation.  We also get the occasional "I want to stay in my bubble and observe from afar" adult, who before the end of the day is getting into the feel of the faire, and becoming interactive.

To me, seeing these changes in people who break out of their 'bubbles' is the greatest joy a performer can feel to know that they made a 'connection', and have provided a bit of themselves that the patron will carry with them and tell their friends about how much fun they had at faire.




Scott - aka B. Browne - Sgt. Trumpeter

[Captain Dungcaster]

I for one am not averse to popping by on an off weekend and swinging a hammer to help construct any "permanent structures in the future. I check these message boards from time to time so if a project such as this were to come up I would certainly jump in to help w/ the work. I work with my World War One group to construct trench bays made from rough hewn timbers at the G. W. A. site in Newville Pa twice a year so this type of work is not a big deal.

Frank Blanton