The Player's Handbook of Basics for the Serious Renaissance Faire Playtron

[John]

The Player's Handbook of Basics for the Serious Renaissance Faire Playtron

by Janna Casstevens, Performing Company Director, Scarborough Faire the Renaissance Festival

Do not copy, distribute or sell without the express permission of Janna Casstevens. This document does not reflect the official views of nor is the property of the management of Southwest Festivals, Inc. This document is not to be sold.

Inspired by Sharon Gould, dedicated to Clans M'Crack, McClugh and MacPolk, the Scottish Fencibles, the Gentleman of the Spears at Scarborough Faire the Renaissance Festival, the Texas Musketeers and everyone who has ever been bitten by ye olde faire bug and wants to "take it to the next level"!



This is a work in progress. Last updated May 16, 2005



Preface

This document is meant strictly to educate the avid faire-goer, or "playtron" to the nuances of what it is we performers on cast are trying to do, why we act the way we do, what bends us out of shape or why we sometimes are not 100% historically accurate in our presentation. It is meant to inform, not denigrate.

Our rallying cry of the Scarborough Academy of Performing Arts is this: THEATRE WINS! While we try as often as possible to keep things as historically accurate as possible, a large percentage of the audience to which we cater does not have a clue about the Renaissance. Our job as performers is to make 500 years ago palatable and entertaining to the average human being so that they are entertained, intrigued and want to come back. For as much as we love to idealize (and sometimes vilify) our Renaissance festivals, they are still businesses that need patronage of all kinds to survive.



Performer, Playtron, Ren Faire Enthusiast, Rennie and Masquer: the Differences

A Renaissance Festival Performing Company consists of individual actors who portray historic or historically based characters in the "streets" of the festival site for the enjoyment of paying customers or patrons. Their primary focus is to entertain those patrons who come to the festival in regular, 21st century garb. You know these patrons as "mundanes". We know them as our audience. The "mundanes" are very green to the whole "ren faire" experience. They don't know the difference between a "masquer", "rennie", a "playtron" or a performing company member. But there is a vast difference.



Performing Company Members

The performing company members (also known as "cast") train for approximately six to eight weekends prior to the festival's opening weekend. They give up a vast amount of money, personal time and labor to the process of putting on a show that plays to a large audience. Some get paid for their time, most don't, none get what they are worth. The whole thing is a true work of art and a labor of love.

Cast drop their garb and their personas, or "characters" as they are called by the performing company, as soon as they are backstage (also called "The Keep") at the end of the day. The "characters" also come off backstage during the run, but backstage only. While in the view of the audience, they MUST maintain the ambiance of the 16th century, which means NOT "dropping character" for any reason except issues of life and death. It is extremely irritating and insulting to have someone try to talk 21st century to an actor who is working at trying to maintain the appearance of the 16th century. Generally, an actor will walk away from you as soon as you start talking to the human behind the character while the character is trying to work. Some actors will get a little peeved, if not downright angry at you for doing this to them. This is not snobbery. This is just us trying to do the job we were hired to do.

Performing company members are forbidden to drink alcohol or use illegal drugs during the performance day.

Performing company members seldom, if ever, show up outside the festival grounds in garb.



Playtrons

The playtron is the die-hard fan of a festival and its performing company. They can be the lifesavers of the actors they love so much. Often, they are personal friends of the performers. Playtrons take the time to learn the characters, the etiquette, the garb, the history and all the little nuances of what is going on at their particular venue. They build a persona that is attached to the festival and its characters. They may be future or former cast members. They are just one step away from being a part of the performing company themselves. They abide by the festival rules, including NOT entering the performing company's "keep" for any reason. They know that performers are not allowed to drop character and they play along in the lanes with respect of the actors' constraints. Often, playtrons have better costumes than the performing company! They are generally the first to be mistaken for performing company members by the audience.

Playtrons seldom, if ever, show up outside the festival grounds in garb.



Rennies vs. Ren Faire Enthusiasts

Renaissance festival enthusiasts (ren faire enthusiasts) are often called "rennies". Enthusiasts are generally well-meaning folk. Their garb shows their enthusiasm, even if it is not 100% or even 75% historically accurate, although many have costumes that rival those of the performing company. Almost every playtron and performing company member begins their career as a ren faire enthusiast. Much time is spent in the pubs and the campgrounds of the festival, and they are at the festival strictly to escape the outside world, which, come to think of it is why all of us are there!

Rennie is mostly (but not always) a term used to describe the people who follow the faire circuit and work the vendor booths.



And a nod to the Stage Performers (a.k.a. Masquers)

Stage performers, or Masquers, are made up of musicians and stage or street acts that travel the Renaissance festival circuit. Many have risen from the ranks of performing companies from around the nation. These people are often actors of the first caliber. They know quite a lot about the Stanislavski and Strassberg methods, as well as having studied methods espoused by Gary Izzo (author: The Art of Play). They are not just familiar with Renaissance history, they know volumes about the stage as well. These actors and musicians strive to maintain the period essence of the festival venue, knowing full well that this is what their audience seeks.

For both kinds of masquers, the festival circuit is their livelihood. They work nine to ten months of the year and take most of December and January off to rework their acts. From their ranks have risen performers like Harry Anderson and the illusionists, Penn and Teller (who were turned down as an act by Scarborough Faire many years ago! arrrrrggggghhhh!).



Terms to Know

Patron: the audience; a mundane, 21st century garbed person who paid a lot of money to be entertained by backward people in funny clothes with strange accents.

Lanes: the entire festival site that the general public wanders through.

Bit: a scene or skit enacted in the lanes for the entertainment of the patrons

Show: a scripted, choreographed and rehearsed presentation, usually on a stage, but not always.

Improv: improvisational acting. Scenes conducted without a script and with spontaneous dialogue springing from the brains of the actors performing said scene.

Character: the "persona" actors create to convey a living, breathing person from the 16th century.

Dropping or Breaking Character: going back to being the real, 21st century person who plays the character.

Endow: giving an object attributes that would make sense to someone from the 16th century (ex.: a camera is a "faery box" or "Holbein device", sunglasses are a bandit's mask)

In Faith: when uttered by an actor or playtron, "in faith" means "I'm really all right, do not come to my rescue". or "Keep it up! You're doing great!"

In Sooth: when uttered by an actor or playtron, "in sooth" means "HELP!!!!!!!" or "STOP NOW!"

Garb: your costume

Masturbatory Theatre (aka Acturbation): Playing a part for your own entertainment, rather than that of the audience or playing your part without ANY audience whatsoever. It is a waste of your time and talent.

Focus: attention given to a scene being played or an announcement being made. Stealing focus means to take attention away from where it should be or to whom it should be given. Lending focus means to give attention to where or whom it should be given.

Keep: the backstage area where actors drop their characters. This is where they eat lunch, take a break and stop thinking about the audience for ten to fifteen minutes. It is NOT a place for playtrons or ren faire enthusiasts.

Finding an Out: Ending a scene in a way that is quick, to the point and makes sense!

Inside Jokes: a joke shared within a circle of a very few people. The patron does not understand them so never use them in the lanes. Inside jokes are far too obscure to be entertaining at a festival venue.

Reverance: (rev-ur-ahnse) a bow or curtsey.

Denying: the act of calling obvious attention to a mistake or a misstatement of fact by an actor. If an actor says "The sky is green!" your proper response is to say "And what a lovely shade of green it is!" (This is called playing "yes and" in improvisational acting). And have you noticed all the flying hamburgers in that wonderful green sky? If an actor says "The sky is green!" and you say "No it isn't." you have just "denied" them, and thereby killed the scene.

Denying a Character: the act of extreme disrespect shown a character or a character's status. Ordering around the queen, shoving the king (or shoving the king and then NOT backing down when you are called on this act) or being generally rude to a character/performer is called denying a character and it is in extremely bad taste. Calling an actor by his or her real name in the lanes is also a form of character denial and considered just flat stupid behavior.

Yes And: Agreement; the basis of good improvisational acting. Essentially, you pick up on what your fellow actor is saying, agree with it and take it to the next weird, fun or sensible level. If an actor says "The sky is green!" your proper response is to say "And what a lovely shade of green it is!" That is an example of "yes and."



Good Renaissance Faire Etiquette



1. Never enter the actors' private area (the Keep). This is guarded by security. You must have a performer's pass to enter this area or you will be asked to leave the festival site.



2. Never try to get a performer or playtron to break character. It's just VERY bad manners to do so.



3. Allow the performers to do their jobs by not monopolizing their time in the lanes while they work. If you wish to speak to them, make it a bit that is entertaining to the mundane patrons around you.



4. Always ask permission of a performer before showing up on the stage with them. Ask prior to the scheduled performance (ex.: the Falconry Show, Knighting Ceremony, the Joust, Post-Parade Proclamation) and arrange logistics of your appearance.



5. It is better to be invited than to invite yourself into anything. Wait for the performer to invite you into a lane bit or a show. Never just push your way in.



6. Never smoke in the lanes. It destroys your aura of the 16th century that you are trying to create.



7. Do not drink out of modern vessels, wear sunglasses or wristwatches, wear tennis shoes, high heels or modern footwear that appears to be obviously modern, These also destroy your aura of the 16th century that you are trying to create.



8. When addressing the King, Queen or any other character, do not show your backside or turn your back to the audience! Face the audience and say your peace LOUDLY and CLEARLY! Make your presentation entertaining to the audience, otherwise they will get bored and walk away, and you will have wasted the King and Queen's (or other character's) lane time.



9. When performing a bit, make sure you have a good beginning, middle and end. Find your "out" quickly. Never let a scene drag on and on, because that's just BORING!



10. Never ask a masquer to join you on an inside joke unless it will make them a ton of money. If you do this, pay them extremely well and make the job very quick.



11. Do not drink alcohol if you intend to work with dangerous weapons and with the performing company during the festival day. Drink very little alcohol (better yet, DO NOT DRINK!) if you intend to perform in any lane bits or presentations.



12. Have a change of clothes for after the faire day. Do not show up in town in your garb. It is not professional and it freaks the townies.



Building a Character (Persona)



So ya wanna play? Okay, I mean, alright (don't say OKAY!!! It's supposedly not period!). Here are the down and dirty basics that we use as performers to build a character:



The Shoulds

A character should begin with a name and occupation. The name and occupation should be fairly historically accurate. Your character's name should be a REAL name, not a goofy, cutesy name like Lillian Lottaboobs for a wench or Black N. Decker for a carpenter. Your character's name should be easy to pronounce and easy to remember. Your character's occupation should be immediately identifiable from 40 yards away by a patron (ex.: if you are a hairdresser for the Queen, you should be covered in velvet and carrying a lot of brushes and combs and whatever else a 16th century hairdresser might have!). Your character should have some burning need to interact with patrons (ex.: If you are a pirate, you should be asking patrons to join your crew or tell you where to find Grace O'Malley's treasure. If you are a milkmaid, you should poll patrons for their opinions on what breed of cow gives the best milk). After that, build all the history for the character you want. You'll find this is a real easy way to build a really awesome character.



The Should Nots

Your character should not be something obscure from a cult movie. Fantasy characters like elves, fairies, orcs, dragon catchers and most wizards are just too "out there" to be entertaining to patrons. Mongolian tree druids just don't mean anything to the paying customer. While terribly romantic on the movie screen, queen's paramours, king's mistresses, illegitimate children of royalty, wanton whores and the like are often negative choices for a character in the faire venue. Melancholy runaway orphans are only interesting in novels.

Your character's name should not be yet another Tolkienesque take-off like Livia Stardancer or Silver Feather Moon. It's just goofy. If your name is Gaelic or Welsh, have a pronounceable and memorable nickname.



Titles and Forms of Address

Knights are "Sir". Female knights are "Dame." The wife of a knight is addressed with her first name, then Lady (married name) as in Katherine, Lady Latimer. She is NEVER addressed as Lady Katherine Latimer. That is reserved for the wives and daughters of Barons/Baronesses and above.

Barons/Baronesses and above are "My Lord/Lady." Dukes/Duchesses, Cardinals, Bishops and Archbishops are "Your Grace" or "My Lord/Lady." Princes/princesses are "Your Grace" or "Your Highness." Kings/Queens are "Your Grace", "Your Highness" or "Your Majesty". Majesty is preferable for Kings/Queens for our venue because the patron is not likely to get the subtle nuances of address. Only the King is Sire or Dread Sovereign.



Garb

1. Purple belongs to the King and Queen(s). Do not wear it if you are not royalty.

2. Black, red, vivid jewel-tone colors belong to the nobility and extremely wealthy.

3. Earth tones belong to everyone, most especially peasants.

4. Lace should look period. Battenburg looks fantastic. Polyester bridal lace looks like crap.

5. Your fabrics should be natural, breathable fibers. No synthetics.

7. No velvet or silk for anyone but royalty, nobility and the wealthy commoners.

8. Jewelry, fur and feathers belong to the very rich.

9. Hats finish off the costume. Wear them for sun protection and for authenticity. Without a hat, you look under-dressed.

10. Leather belongs to the lower classes, except for outdoor-wear shoes and gloves. Those leather items may be worn by everyone.

11. Cover up tattoos and any body piercings besides earrings.



On-Line Sources for Everything Else:

A Compendium of Common Knowledge -- Elizabethan, but appropriate for what we do at Scarborough Faire.

http : //renaissance.dm.net/compendium/index.html



Tudor History -- Lara Eakins's marvelous page on general Tudor English history.

http://www.tudorhistory.org/



The Extinct Peerage -- Pick a title, any title

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/History/Barons/extinct1index.html



The Elizabethan Costuming Page -- More in-depth stuff on our period's fashion.

Also has a great deal of stuff on the mid-Henrician period (1520s and 1530s),

which is... well... us, since we're portraying 1533

http : //costume.dm.net/

[John]

A long time ago Janna gave me permission to post her handbook on RenaissanceFestival.com.
That web page went down with the old R/F website.  Here it is again.  Long live Queen Margaret!

[VIII]

Bravo Janna, and thank you John!
Before anyone gets miffed about anything in this handbook, please remember these are suggestions, writ by the hand of she who knoweth and was REQUESTED to write them down for the edification of those who have inquired.
If you disagree, please do so, but respectfully.  Dear, sweet, intelligent, graceful, and quite lovely is the lady who is Janna.

[Dayna]

I would respectfully ask if I might use this as a guide for creating a similar guide for our Friends of Faire members, for use in our class on Playtron Etiquette.  All due credit would be given, and the guide would NOT be presented verbatim nor would it be used for any financial gain.

[VIII]

I will Axe Janna for you this week. 

[SirRichardBear]

Getting an early start are we?  Just like the English to jump the gun

[captmarga]

I would respectfully ask if I might use this as a guide for creating a similar guide for our Friends of Faire members, for use in our class on Playtron Etiquette.  All due credit would be given, and the guide would NOT be presented verbatim nor would it be used for any financial gain.

I would love to help out on this, if possible.  Having been on Cast for Faire(s), and a serious Playtron for over 20 years, I've learned some things that are "all right" and some that are not...

Appreciate any consideration in advance,

Capt Marga, SRG

[Dayna]

I actually teach a class at Bristol, this year I was asked to do it again several times over the first few weekends, and I thought it would be a good idea to create a printed version.  Since this already exists, I'd rather play it safe and ask permission before producing mine, in case anyone sees it here and gets the idea that I lifted mine from it.

I've got the basics "if you can be mistaken for cast, you have the responsibility to behave as if you were", etc. which I give as a lecture.

I'd be happy to compare notes, I've been a playtron/participant from 1975 through present and currently work for Bristol in addition to being on cast at several other faires in the WI/IL/SD area.

[VIII]

The Player's Handbook of Basics for the Serious Renaissance Faire Playtron
by Janna Casstevens Lewis, former Performing Company Director, Scarborough Renaissance Festival

This is a work in progress.

Performer, Playtron, Ren Faire Enthusiast, Rennie and Masquer: the Differences
   A Renaissance Festival Performing Company consists of individual actors who portray historic or historically based characters in the "streets" of the festival site for the enjoyment of paying customers or patrons. Their primary focus is to entertain those patrons who come to the festival in regular, 21st century garb. You know these patrons as "mundanes." We know them as our audience. The "mundanes" are very green to the whole "ren faire" experience. They don't know the difference between a "masquer", "rennie", a"playtron" or a performing company member. But there is a vast difference.

Performing Company Members
   The performing company members (also known as "cast") train for approximately six to eight weekends prior to the festival's opening weekend. They give up a vast amount of money, personal time and labor to the process of putting on a show that plays to a large audience. Some get paid for their time, most don't, none get what they are worth. The whole thing is a true work of art and a labor of love.
   Cast drop their garb and their personas, or "characters" as they are called by the performing company, as soon as they are backstage (also called "The Keep") at the end of the day. The "characters" also come off backstage during the run, but backstage only. While in the view of the audience, they MUST  maintain the ambiance of the 16th century, which means NOT "dropping character" for any reason except issues of life and death. It is extremely irritating and insulting to have someone try to talk 21st century to an actor who is working at trying to maintain the appearance of the 16th century. Generally, an actor will walk away from you as soon as you start talking to the human behind the character while the character is trying to work. Some actors will get a little peeved, if not downright angry at you for doing this to them.
   Performing company members are forbidden to drink alcohol or use illegal drugs during the performance day.
   Performing company members seldom, if ever, show up outside the festival grounds in garb.

Playtrons
   The playtron is the die-hard fan of a festival and its performing company. They can be the lifesavers of the actors they love so much. Often, they are personal friends of the performers. Playtrons take the time to learn the characters, the etiquette, the garb, the history and all the little nuances of what is going on at their particular venue. They build a persona that is attached to the festival and its characters. They may be future or former cast members. They are just one step away from being a part of the performing company themselves. They abide by the festival rules, including NOT entering the performing company's "keep" for any reason. They know that performers are not allowed to drop character and they play along in the lanes with respect of the actors' constraints. Often, playtrons have better costumes than the performing company! They are generally the first to be mistaken for performing company members by the audience.
   Playtrons seldom, if ever, show up outside the festival grounds in garb.

Rennies vs. Ren Faire Enthusiasts
   Renaissance festival enthusiasts (ren faire enthusiasts) are often called "rennies". It can be a derogatory, if not inaccurate term. Enthusiasts are generally well-meaning folk. Their garb shows their enthusiasm, even if it is not 100% or even 75% historically accurate. Purple Spandex velvet tights with lace panels sometimes tend to be the hallmark of these folks, but they can also have costumes that rival those in Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and put the pros to shame. They can either totally ignore the performing company or totally monopolize the time of their favorite character. Almost every playtron and performing company member begins their career as a ren faire enthusiast. Much time is spent in the pubs and the campgrounds of the festival, and they are at the festival strictly to escape the outside world.
   Ren faire enthusiasts have more garb than they have 21st century attire. Some have no problem showing up at a restaurant in town wearing pumpkin pants, which terrifies and alienates the locals who live in the city around the festival. Lately, however, ren-wear has gotten very popular on Madison Avenue as evidenced by the number of pre-pubescent teenaged girls wearing long, almost turn-back sleeves and empire waisted blouses and dresses.
   Rennie is mostly a term used to describe the people who follow the faire circuit and work the vendor booths. True rennies are simply there to work and love the gyspy-esque lifestyle offered by working the circuit. They don't often follow the workings of the performing company, neither do they much care. To them, the performing company, playtrons and enthusiasts are simply "weekenders."

And a nod to the Stage Performers (a.k.a. Masquers)...
   Stage performers, or Masquers, are made up of musicians and stage or street acts that travel the Renaissance festival circuit. They are NOT rennies. There are two varieties of masquers. The first breed are not even familiar with the nuances of festival culture. They just know to show up in a costume and do their act. Some attempt to take their acts to a higher level of entertainment, but fall short by relying on obvious anachronisms to get laughs or reach the audience. While they may be popular with the audience, they do not often further the entertainment goals of the festival. Failing this, they often eventually lose their audience because people can get 21st century jokes anywhere. They came to the festival to visit another time period entirely.
The second breed of masquers have risen from the ranks of performing companies from around the nation. These people are often actors of the first caliber. They know quite a lot about the Stanislavski and Strassberg methods, as well as having studied methods espoused by Gary Izzo (author: The Art of Play). They are not just familiar with Renaissance history, they know volumes about the stage as well. These actors and musicians strive to maintain the period essence of the festival venue, knowing full well that this is what their audience seeks.
For both kinds of masquers, the festival circuit is their livelihood. They work nine to ten months of the year and take most of December and January off to rework their acts. From their ranks have risen performers like Harry Anderson and the illusionists, Penn and Teller.

Terms to Know
Patron: the audience; a mundane, 21st century garbed person who paid a lot of money to be entertained by backward people in funny clothes with strange accents.
Lanes: the entire festival site that the general public wanders through.
Bit: a scene or skit enacted in the lanes for the entertainment of the patrons
Show: a scripted, choreographed and rehearsed presentation, usually on a stage, but not always.
Improv: improvisational acting. Scenes conducted without a script and with spontaneous dialogue springing from the brains of the actors performing said scene.
Character: the "persona" actors create to convey a living, breathing person from the 16th century.
Dropping or Breaking Character: going back to being the real, 21st century person who plays the character.
Endow: giving an object attributes that would make sense to someone from the 16th century (ex.: a camera is a "faery box" or "Holbein device", sunglasses are a bandit's mask)
In Faith: when uttered by an actor or playtron, "in faith" means "I'm really all right, do not come to my rescue." In Sooth: when uttered by an actor or playtron, "in sooth" means "HELP!!!!!!!"
Garb: your costume
Masturbatory Theatre (aka Acturbation): Playing a part for your own entertainment, rather than that of the audience or playing your part without ANY audience whatsoever. It is a waste of your time and talent.
Focus: attention given to a scene being played or an announcement being made. Stealing focus means to take attention away from where it should be or to whom it should be given. Lending focus means to give attention to where or whom it should be given.
Keep: the backstage area where actors drop their characters. This is where they eat lunch, take a break and stop thinking about the audience for ten to fifteen minutes. It is NOT a place for playtrons or ren faire enthusiasts.
Finding an Out: Ending a scene in a way that is quick, to the point and makes sense!
Inside Jokes: a joke shared within a circle of a very few people. The patron does not understand them so never use them in the lanes. Inside jokes are far too obscure to be entertaining at a festival venue.
Reverance: (rev-ur-ahnse) a bow or curtsey.
Denying: the act of calling obvious attention to a mistake or a misstatement of fact by an actor. If an actor says "The sky is green!" your proper response is to say "And what a lovely shade of green it is! And have you noticed all the flying hamburgers in that wonderful green sky?" If an actor says "The sky is green!" and you say "No it isn't." you have just "denied" them, and thereby killed the scene.
Denying a Character: the act of extreme disrespect shown a character or a character's status. Ordering around the queen, shoving the king (or shoving the king and then NOT backing down when you are called on this act) or being generally rude to a character/performer is called denying a character and it is in extremely bad taste. Calling an actor by his or her real name in the lanes is also a form of character denial and considered just flat stupid behavior.

Good Renaissance Faire Etiquette

1. Never enter the actors' private area (the Keep). This is guarded by security. You must have a performer's pass to enter this area or you will be asked to leave the festival site.

2. Never try to get a performer or playtron to break character. It's just bad manners.

3. Allow the performers to do their jobs by not monopolizing their time in the lanes while they work. If you wish to speak to them, make it a bit that is entertaining to the mundane patrons around you.

4. Always ask permission of a performer before showing up on the stage with them. Ask prior to the scheduled performance (ex.: the Falconry Show, Knighting Ceremony, the Joust, Post-Parade Proclamation) and arrange logistics of your appearance.

5. It is better to be invited than to invite yourself into anything. Wait for the performer to invite you into a lane bit or a show. Never just push your way in.

6. Never smoke in the lanes. It destroys your aura of the 16th century that you are trying to create.

7. Do not drink out of modern vessels, wear sunglasses or wristwatches, wear tennis shoes, high heels or modern footwear that appears to be obviously modern, These also destroy your aura of the 16th century that you are trying to create.

8. When addressing the King, Queen or any other character, DO NOT show your backside or turn your back to the audience! Face the AUDIENCE and say your peace LOUDLY and CLEARLY! Make your presentation entertaining to the audience, otherwise they will get bored and walk away, and you will have wasted the King and Queen's (or other character's) lane time.

9. When performing a bit, make sure you have a good beginning, middle and end. Find your "out" quickly. Never let a scene drag on and on, because that's just BORING!

10. Never ask a masquer to join you on an inside joke unless it will make them a ton of money. If you do this, pay them extremely well and make the job very quick.

11. Do not drink alcohol if you intend to work with dangerous weapons and with the performing company during the festival day. Drink very little alcohol (better yet, DO NOT DRINK!) if you intend to perform in any lane bits or presentations.

12. Have a change of clothes for after the faire day. Do not show up in town in your garb. It is not professional and it freaks the townies.

Building a Character (Persona)
The Shoulds
   A character should begin with a name and occupation. The name and occupation should be fairly historically accurate. Your character's name should be a REAL name, not a goofy, cutesy name like Lillian Lottaboobs for a wench or Black N. Decker for a carpenter. Your character's name should be easy to pronounce and easy to remember. Your character's occupation should be immediately identifiable from 40 yards away by a patron (ex.: if you are a hairdresser for the Queen, you should be covered in velvet and carrying a lot of brushes and combs and whatever else a 16th century hairdresser might have!). Your character should have some burning need to interact with patrons (ex.: If you are a pirate, you should be asking patrons to join your crew or tell you where to find Grace O'Malley's treasure. If you are a milkmaid, you should poll patrons for their opinions on what breed of cow gives the best milk).

The Should Nots
   Your character should not be something obscure from a cult movie. Fantasy characters like elves, fairies, orcs, dragon catchers and most wizards are just too "out there" to be entertaining to patrons. Mongolian tree druids just don't mean anything to the paying customer. While terribly romantic on the movie screen, queen's paramours, king's mistresses, illegitimate children of royalty, wanton whores and the like are often negative choices for a character in the faire venue. Melancholy runaway orphans are only interesting in novels.
   Your character's name should not be yet another Tolkienesque take-off like Livia Stardancer or Silver Feather Moon. It's just goofy. If your name is Gaelic or Welsh, have a pronounceable and memorable nickname.

Titles and Forms of Address
Knights are "Sir". Female knights are "Dame." The wife of a knight is addressed with her first name, then Lady (married name) as in Katherine, Lady Latimer. She is NEVER addressed as Lady Katherine Latimer. That is reserved for the wives and daughters of Barons/Baronesses and above.
Barons/Baronesses and above are "My Lord/Lady." Dukes/Duchesses, Cardinals, Bishops and Archbishops are "Your Grace" or "My Lord/Lady." Princes/princesses are "Your Grace" or "Your Highness." Kings/Queens are "Your Grace", "Your Highness" or "Your Majesty". Majesty is preferable for Kings/Queens for our venue because the patron is not likely to get the subtle nuances of address.  Only the King is Sire or Dread Sovereign.

Garb
1. Purple belongs to the King and Queen(s). Do not wear it if you are not royalty.
2. Black, red, vivid jewel-tone colors belong to the nobility and extremely wealthy.
3. Earth tones belong to everyone, most especially peasants.
4. Lace should look period. Battenburg looks fantastic. Polyester bridal lace looks like crap.
5. Your fabrics should be natural, breathable fibers. No synthetics.
7. No velvet or silk for anyone but royalty, nobility and the wealthy commoners.
8. Jewelry, fur and feathers belong to the very rich.
9. Hats finish off the costume. Wear them for sun protection and for authenticity. Without a hat, you look under-dressed.
10. Leather belongs to the lower classes, except for outdoor-wear shoes and gloves. Those leather items may be worn by everyone.
11. Cover up tattoos and any body piercings besides earrings.

On-Line Sources for Everything Else:
A Compendium of Common Knowledge—Elizabethan, but appropriate for what we do at Scarborough Faire.
http://renaissance.dm.net/compendium/index.html

Tudor History – Lara Eakins's marvelous page on general Tudor English history.
   http://www.tudorhistory.org/

The Extinct Peerage – Pick a title, any title...
   http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/History/Barons/extinct1index.html

The Elizabethan Costuming Page -- More in-depth stuff on our period's fashion.
Also has a great deal of stuff on the mid-Henrician period (1520s and 1530s),
which is...well...us, since we're portraying 1533
http://costume.dm.net/.

[Love Good Wood]

The Should Nots
   Your character should not be something obscure from a cult movie. Fantasy characters like elves, fairies, orcs, dragon catchers and most wizards are just too "out there" to be entertaining to patrons. Mongolian tree druids just don't mean anything to the paying customer. While terribly romantic on the movie screen, queen's paramours, king's mistresses, illegitimate children of royalty, wanton whores and the like are often negative choices for a character in the faire venue. Melancholy runaway orphans are only interesting in novels.
   Your character's name should not be yet another Tolkienesque take-off like Livia Stardancer or Silver Feather Moon. It's just goofy. If your name is Gaelic or Welsh, have a pronounceable and memorable nickname.

   NOTE: this is in no way a complaint... just a humorous observation

   Stange that this should be listed, since Scarby has Twig the fairy, Noobler the tinker gnome, a leprechaun, a troll, Magnus the monster hunter... not to mention some of the faire patrons/playtrons.. the centaur (who is now pictured in Wikipedia under Renaissance Faire)... a slew of leather armor clad Dragon knights, the new invasion of the STEAMPUNK (which I admit does look cool) the occasional Darth McVader in kilt or Star Trekker and a guy that dresses like Ash (from Evil Dead... complete with chainsaw arm).

   Also there are a few timelines being crossed... Scarborough Faire is set in 1533... but there are lots of the "small or walking kilts" not around until late 17th century, musketeers created in 1622, a mix of Elizabethan style (50 years ahead of faire) and occasionally a Roman Centurion... and standard peasant faire worker dress is more of a gypsyish baggy pants and vest than English peasant style.

   And all of this is what makes faire so great and interesting to most and drives others insaine (history buffs)... The first year of Scarborough one of the main characters was "Ole King Cole"... so it's never been historically accurate from the beginning... and that's what makes it magical.

   It can also drive one crazy trying to come up with some (character/garb)... what if I like the costumes from Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 version of "Romeo and Juliet" (100 before "faire") or from "Shakespeare in Love" (60 years after "faire") or Richard Lester's "Three Musketeers" (100 years after "faire")... what to choose!!!

   Faire is a melting pot of all the great parts of history that we love and i think/feel that the term Renaissance has come to mean anything from the 18th century back...

   Thanks for listening... I mean reading!

[Carl Heinz]

Interesting reading.

It's difficult to come up with something that would pertain entirely to all Faires since each has its own traditions.

[cyberrennie]

They have flush privies, running water, and a number of other non historical things. I like it just the same.

[Ash]

"and a guy that dresses like Ash (from Evil Dead... complete with chainsaw arm)."

I actually worked really hard on that chainsaw arm. I've had a very few instances of people being upset about the whole Ash and scraborough thing but for the most part everyones got a good sense of humor about it. The king and I actually set each other up for lines from Army of Darkness!

OH! and i have to tell this story!!! Myself and a few friends had just seen the wings of isis show (one of my favorites) and as we were walking away there was a family (dad, mom, young son around 8-10) looking my way and talking excitedly with each other. They stoped me to take a picture, which I am always happy to do, and it turns out they actually named their kid after the character Ash Williams. So they were actually HUGE fans! You should have seen the kid light up when i let him wear the chainsaw hand for a picture... made my entire season!

Good people and good times all around!

[cowgrrl]

Ash:

Completely off-topic but I'm glad to hear the Wings of Isis show is one of your favorites.  My husband performs with them as a drummer & several of my friends are involved in the stage act. 

[DonaCatalina]

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