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Favorite Renaissance Festival shows

Started by Lady Tess, August 02, 2008, 07:23:38 PM

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scittle

I agree that KOI doesn't change venues, but i am sure many who are posting to this site have seen their show or the videos on the internet. it seems pretty cool to me that they all have 9 to 5 jobs and school and put on a great show too.

I also agree with dale, "real sword fighters"? don't take this as an insult but are you kidding me?! define "real". people who can do all the moves and have enough self control to make it look real? the sportsman who fence but have rules but are kind or boring to watch. or those guys who where armor and whomp on each other all willy-nilly until someone gets hurt. to me, they are no better than children with wooden swords. anyone can pick up a sword and hit someone with it, but a skilled professional can do it well make it look good and be safe.

rhetorical question: bruce lee was a martial arts master, but he changed moves and used wires and camera angles to make it look good. does the fact that he cheated make him any less of a master? answer: no it doesn't. not that KOI is bruce lee but you get my drift.

dbaldock

Queen Anne's Lace
Cantiga / New World Renaissance Band when performing with Owain Phyfe
Gypsy Guerrilla Band
Cast in Bronze
Zilch the Tory Stellar
Donal Hinely
Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people... -anonymous

Gauwyn of Bracknell

Arsene
Totruga Twins
Ded Bob
Tartanic
Wind & Alchemy
Zilch the Torystellar

actually I like all the performers I see
Born 500 years late

Gauwyn of Bracknell

Captain Cornelius Howard Duckman

Well the problem I always find with knights of Iron is it feels like they go at about 3/4 speed. You can always tell where the blow is going, and how it's going to be blocked. Wereas groups like Her Majestys Royal guard, or even the Rogue Blades go at it full speed, and add that much more excitement to the show.

Katie Bookwench

Quote from: sealclubber on August 26, 2009, 10:37:00 AM
Well the problem I always find with knights of Iron is it feels like they go at about 3/4 speed. You can always tell where the blow is going, and how it's going to be blocked. Wereas groups like Her Majestys Royal guard, or even the Rogue Blades go at it full speed, and add that much more excitement to the show.

I have to confess that I don't generally watch stage combat shows, so I'm not in a position to be able to compare one act to another.

Is HMRG an outside performance group or is that an in-house (i.e. Cast) group? For what Faire do they perform? 



Katie O'Connell - Hollygrove Library
(aka The Bookwench)
Licensed Wench - IWG Local 57

Captain Cornelius Howard Duckman

They're a full contact group, I've seen them at both mayfaire and derbyshire, full armor and all. They don't do nearly as much plot based stuff, but they do go full bore.

Lady L

I have never even heard of most of the acts that have been listed here. I have been attending MNRF since 1973. I have had a shop for 12 years.  ???

The show I like is the armored jousting. It seems like the epitome of a renaissance faire to me.
Former Shop Owner at MNRF

L Dale Walter

Quote from: scittle on August 25, 2009, 03:25:53 PM
I agree that KOI doesn't change venues, but i am sure many who are posting to this site have seen their show or the videos on the internet.

Actually this is untrue.  Over the past ten years you may have seen us many different places, and just not realized it was us.  Knights of Iron have performed at Michigan Renaissance Festival, Silver Leaf Renaissance Faire, Charlevoix Renaissance Faire, Kansas City Renaissance Festival, Sarasota Renaissance Festival, as well as The Realm of Darkness haunted attraction, Scaregrounds at the Fairgrounds at the State Fair, and the Haunt and Attractions convention in Chicago.  In addition we have done numerous shows for organizations such as Entrepreneurs Organization, Rochester Older Persons Commission, Boy Scouts, RGIS Corporation, and many more.

Quote from: sealclubber on August 26, 2009, 10:37:00 AM
Well the problem I always find with knights of Iron is it feels like they go at about 3/4 speed. You can always tell where the blow is going, and how it's going to be blocked. Wereas groups like Her Majestys Royal guard, or even the Rogue Blades go at it full speed, and add that much more excitement to the show.

What you are seeing is the difference between a character based fight, designed to tell a story, and a fight done for other purposes.   I often tell my fighters to slow down, as the audience has to follow the progression the characters make throughout the fight, or it becomes "fight porn" meaning they would be fighting for no reason as in "I have a sword, you have one too, let's fight!" .

Look at it as the difference between boxing, and a Rocky film.  There are some good boxing matches, but most aren't very interesting all in all.  Every match in the Rocky films is DESIGNED to tell a story, and that adds interest.   In Rocky I Rocky goes into the ring believing he is going to get killed by Apollo Creed, but somehow, he manages to hang on, against all odds, and prove to himself he is a champion.  THAT is drama.

It's similar in a Knights of Iron sword fight.  Characters all have signature moves, and a fighting style designed for their character.  From the Mop Girls insanity, to Will Scarlett's taunting, lighthearted rapier style, to the Sheriff's brutal "blade beat head cut" one shot kill he tries on Robin, the moves fit the character, and the story.

I, and the rest of us, can fight like quicksilver lighting, and, sometimes we do IF it fits the plot.  Examples are the Athos/Pride fight from The Three Musketeer's –vs- The Pirate King, or Grisandole –vs- Chiyome from Legend of King Arthur.  But if the story is lost in the blade play, or if it becomes "actorbation" where we are just demonstrating how much skill with a weapon we have and not engaging the audience, then we are not doing our jobs, which I see as telling a story, not showing off. 

One thing I have learned in my 28+ years of doing this is that amazing sword fights do not a show make.  If the audience doesn't care about who and why they characters are fighting, the show will not grab and hold them.

Knights of Iron tell stories.  If anyone would really like a 'realistic" sword fighting demo, we could definitely do it.  If that is what people wanted then we would get hired to do sword fighting demos. 

So far, our clients, and our audiences, want stories.

L. Dale Walter
Director
Knights of Iron
www.knightsofiron.com

Captain Cornelius Howard Duckman

And you tell stories well. It's just for me, personally, the slow down pulls me out of the story, makes me realize that it's all scripted, y'know? Personal preference,  not personal attack.

Poldugarian Warrior

I believe too that the slow down is a good idea, we don't want to see anyone get hurt. I mean, I'm no sword fighter or anything, but I would figure even someone that is a trained professional could mess up and then the show would definitely be ruined. But, as I've stated before in another thread  I've seen L. Dale's musketeer show and the slow downs weren't really slow as they looked as very pre-calculated moves as a true sword fighter would make in a real fight. I mean if you've watched a WW2 or Vietnam movie, they always show a soldier shooting away willy nilly, and that's not the truth of it, they would take quick yet careful aim, and the action would slow only a fraction and yes we'd know it, but the real life outcome would be more effective. Just like a sword fight. And you know what I've never noticed whom the fight group was a MiRF, but I always knew the theme and whether it was a good show or not, and not one has let me down. So I'd have to add Knights of Iron to my list of favorite shows.

L Dale Walter

Quote from: sealclubber on August 28, 2009, 01:20:02 AM
And you tell stories well. It's just for me, personally, the slow down pulls me out of the story, makes me realize that it's all scripted, y'know? Personal preference,  not personal attack.

And that is why there are multiple acts, and types of acts, at Ren Faires.  Something for everyone.

LDW

Shadbolt8

I can't add much to what Dale has stated really, except a few observations

Knights of Iron generally is not viewed as an "Act" per se, more often than not KOI is viewed by the general patron as part of the overall Cast as opposed to a seperate show. This is due to the simple fact that when not performing in a scene the characters are in the lanes performing as their characters from the show in an effort to provide the immersion into the story, in effect stepping off the screen.

On the "speed" thing, as Dale mentioned, we can be lighting when required, in point of fact many of us have belts in various martial arts or combat training of some form or another. What you don't get to see is the two weeks that I generally struggle with trying to "remeber" that my goal is not actual knife/sword play (not that I'm an expert here, but I have a tendancy to try and use moves I normally would instead of whats written ask Little John how many times I tried to catch him in the kidneys with the dagger) but theatrical choreographed knife/sword play.

The fights are for the stage, designed to draw focus onto the characters and play out the story, pauses or "beats" are placed into the fights to allow for dramatic enhancement and for the photo ops which generally occur.

Done and told, when you think about it without the "Oh my gosh" moment right before that punch, jab, stab or slice the story loses some drama.

Stephen B. Conrad
"Specialist"

Emerald Shaunassey

Quote from: L Dale Walter on August 27, 2009, 11:14:11 PM

Actually this is untrue.  Over the past ten years you may have seen us many different places, and just not realized it was us.  Knights of Iron have performed at Michigan Renaissance Festival, Silver Leaf Renaissance Faire, Charlevoix Renaissance Faire, Kansas City Renaissance Festival, Sarasota Renaissance Festival, as well as The Realm of Darkness haunted attraction, Scaregrounds at the Fairgrounds at the State Fair, and the Haunt and Attractions convention in Chicago.  In addition we have done numerous shows for organizations such as Entrepreneurs Organization, Rochester Older Persons Commission, Boy Scouts, RGIS Corporation, and many more.


A curiosity question for you Mr. Walter ... what year(s) have you/your group been at KCRF and what role?  After all these years working at KCRF I thought I'd met everyone!  Just proves that no matter how much you work a faire, you still manage to miss things/people/shows!

Blessings,
Emerald
IWG #979, IFRP #569, RMG # 614, Bard # 171.
Creator, Owner, & Manager of Williams Entertainment: Home of The Ladies of the Salty Kiss, The Shanty Lasses, Native Souls, & Grand Lake Renaissance Festival.

L Dale Walter

Emerald,

I was there in 2001 with Dr. Todd Huhn, and Alejandra Salinas, and we integrated into the Robin Hood show that was running at the time with Todd taking the role of Allen a Dale, and I playing the Sheriff's brother.  We did a swordfight about mid faire and were bombed by the black walnuts that populate the site.  Those things hurt to fall on!  I can't tell you the exact weekend we were there, but it was the one of your cast party.

In 2005 Jim Stamberger invited us back, and Knights of Iron returned with our characters from the Three Musketeers - Aramis, Athos, and Porthos, played by myself (Porthos) Cal Simmons (Aramis) and Doug McLaren (Athos).  We had a great time as we judged a costume contest, sat on the dias for the joust, co-hosted smoker, and bantered with your "ladies of the evening"...  Just ask Madame Red about the Musketeers.  I am -sure- she remembers us.  Again not sure what weekend it was, but it was the same one as the NASCAR race.  Hotels hard to get, and the ever present sound of giant bees...

KC is a great site and a great show, with a really fun cast.  Jim Stamberger left us with an open invitation to return any time.  If we every aren't working, you may well see us again!

L. Dale Walter
Director
Knights of Iron

Emerald Shaunassey

Dale,
     I actually remember the 2001 "Attack of the Walnuts" incident.  I also do not remember the exact dates of that weekend.  In 05; I was there but my stage show was not.  I remember seeing the 3 Musketeers wandering in the lanes.  Glad to track down the times our paths crossed.  NASCAR is typically 5th weekend of the festival (sadly) and yes, it makes it very difficult to obtain motel or hotel rooms for performers. 

Here's to hoping you all can make it back to Canterbury and that one day, I will get to travel up to Michigan to see your festival!

Be well, safe journeys

Emerald
IWG #979, IFRP #569, RMG # 614, Bard # 171.
Creator, Owner, & Manager of Williams Entertainment: Home of The Ladies of the Salty Kiss, The Shanty Lasses, Native Souls, & Grand Lake Renaissance Festival.