MDRF Cast interaction

[LadyHelenofCarvylle]

MDRF is my families home faire and we've attended a good 8 or 9 years. One thing we've noticed that has changed drastically is the cast involvement/visibility. It seems like when we first went we'd always see at least one or two members of the court, usually their majesties and various other members, but the past few years we haven't seen anyone at all. Are we going on the wrong weekends or is the cast involvement/visibility less than it has been in years past?

[Norfolk]

I have not been to Maryland, and therefore cannot say for sure.  But I know first hand that the casts of the Colorado, Kansas and Minnesota festivals have been shrinking in recent years.  I suspect that the same may apply to MD.

[Rowan MacD]

  Ditto. I haven't been to MDRF either, (though it looks like fun!) but the courts do seem to be getting smaller everywhere, even at the large faires.
   I expect they are relying even more on volunteers rather than paid cast,  and many of those have to work and/or can't show up for every weekend.

  After taking a look at the MDRF site-it looks like the faire has a 'story' (love that) the cast is well rehearsed, and has set scenarios they enact here and there.
   Perhaps you just had the bad luck to be elsewhere at that time.   I have had weekends where I managed to be everywhere the Queen was not, and all the gigs centered around her.  I even missed the parade. 
  The only court I saw were either at the food vendors or hurrying off to the next location. 

[LadyHelenofCarvylle]

Now that it's mentioned it does seem like our cast has shrunk a bit of late, which would explain the lack of sightings. Coming from a family of Tudor historians we all enjoyed interacting with the cast members (perhaps it's time for the Carvylles to join the cast as we've been threatening to do for years!). MDRF is our favourite faire thus far but we find we very much enjoy the immersion of the smaller VARF. I'm dying to attend Bristol and the faire in Pennsylvania as everyone here has said such wonderful things about them.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

According to what a Bristol performer told me, so it's not my firsthand knowledge, but it comes from someone I trust, there are only 2 paid positions on the Bristol Court - the Queen and Robert Dudley.  The rest are volunteer positions that involve a lot.  Absolutely H/A garb that has to be approved, and many, many weeks of BAPA, Bristol Academy of Performing Arts.  They have to know their history inside out, perfect the accents as well as they can, and it is really very hard work.

However, it's akin to performing in an Oscar-winning movie for the actors on the Court.  They love it!  So, this particular court has grown since we started going to Bristol almost 18 years ago.  When the nobles march in a parade, they go by, and by, and by, and by.......

Maybe that is what is the difference with MD's court, paid vs. volunteer.  I haven't been, someplace on my faire bucket list, because it looks beautiful.