As our entertainment director put it to me after closing on Sunday: “It’s all downhill from here.”
We now have more performance days behind us than ahead of us, which is both a relief and somewhat depressing at the same time. As Laura once said, this is “The Festival That Ate My Life”–those of us in scenario/court have been prepping and rehersing since April or so, sometimes as much as 20 or more hours per week, and, given the extent to which that comes to dominate our lives, the actual performances themselves seem to fly by. When it’s all over, the aches and pains will go away, along with the focus of the past 6 months.
4th weekend musings, behind the cut…
Saturday: Temperature in the 70s, almost non-existant humidity, but not much of a breeze to speak of. The weekend began on an annoying note, as a large part of our Royal Court meeting at 8:45 in the morning was given over to yet more drama surrounding individuals who can’t quite understand that: a) they are not the director, and b) their royal titles are a ROLE. I keep telling the folks who are getting the most pissed-off that the entire situation can be diffused if people would just IGNORE the individual in question. If things keep going the way they are, I wouldn’t be surprised if a large chunk of the English court defects to Spain.
Speaking of Spain, those of us on the dias outside closing gate had the second-best seats in the house for radcliffe‘s quickie shimmy to Red’s girls. (The best seats, I suppose, being those of the girls themselves.) It is so nice to see a Queen let loose and play…it gives people the impression that she’s actually ENJOYING herself, and enjoys the other performers as well! Other Queens could take notes….
The Romance Bandit came up to me after the general cast meeting to apologize for posting a nasty at me on the Village of Canterbury website forums. I told him that I appreciated the apology, but that I wouldn’t be reconsidering my decision to drop that site like a bad habit–it has become more and more evident to me that it’s just another facet of whatever problem the folks who run the site have with the Festival management, and the whole place reeks of the agenda, so Not For Me, Thanks. All of the people I want to talk to are on LJ, anyway.
The Powers-That-Be re-scheduled the Feast, which, unfortunately, means that we lose the company of the royal drummer Nicolas Hyde for a few hours….which not only means that he can no longer join thedarkbear and I for lunch, but now we must endure the awful, arrhythmic, just-plain-not-f’ing-good drumming of She Who Shall Be Forever Named The OTHER Drummer. She who never bothered to show up to any court rehersals, disappears for large chunks of the day, generally makes an annoyance of herself, and yet bizarrely still hasn’t been let go. The parade is now the Bataan Death March.
One of the pirates came up to me in the parking lot, with a copy of one of my game books, Skull & Bones, and asked me if I would sign it, along with Laura (who also shares design credit on it). I always get a kick out of attention like that, and I’ve never gotten used to it, which, I suppose, is a good thing. The point at which I expect accolades and requests for autographs is the point where I should be dragged out behind the shed and shot.
Sunday: Same temp, same humidity, but with the added joy of an occasional breeze. Best weather we’ve had yet.
Accompanied the King (as usual) for his “inspection of the trollops” on our way to the Children’s Realm for Story Time. It’s a nice break–a chance to get some of the naughtyness out of our systems for a bit before having to be wholesome and silly for the little rug-monkeys. rougewench and her girls never disappoint, and are a wonderful reminder of the days (gods may they come again) when the Festival was more of the bawdy, “tits and beer” school of entertainment, rather than the Disneyfied Family Entertainment that it tries to be from time to time. I got “blown” (fanned on the back of the neck and…across the tights), which was a heavenly experience, and chernobylred straightend the seams on my tights, which involved lots of tugging, which made me a happy boy. Bit of a shock going from that to the Children’s Realm, but the King commands….
A fellow performer came up to me after closing gate to ask me where I find the energy to MC the Last Huzzah, because he can’t believe that I can get “up” enough to have what he called my “Rock Star Moment.” I hadn’t really thought about it…but that’s a big part of it. The fact that I get to get to interact with the whole crowd and generally pump things up is a BIG source of energy, and often, it ends up being the high point of my day. I’m finding that more and more of my character is leaking into what I’m sure some folks would’ve preferred to have been a glorified announcer’s role, and I’m lovin’ it.
Lots of folks in the cast (and some crafters, interestingly enough) have heard about the plans for the stage show next year, and are telling me that they’re excited about the concept. Unfortunately, I’ve had to turn down several very cool folks who have come to me to express interest in participating, since the show is already cast. Given that we have to audition the complete show when stage show auditions roll around in April or May, we have to actually get the thing put together over the winter. I hate having to tell people that they can’t join us, but the hat is already going to be split 6 ways.
By the end of the weekend, my flat feet and pronated ankles still ached like hell, but things are much better now that I’ve changed boots and am actually trying to take care of myself.
Just 3 more weekends to go, plus the Funky Formal and the Cast Party, which I am SO looking forward to. So many new people to enjoy carousing with!
Back to work.
The parade is now the Bataan Death March.
Hasn’t it always been?
It’s been lovely getting to interact with you more the past couple weekends. I’ll be sure to keep an eye on your seams in the future. It’s shameful that you made it so late in the day with crooked seams!
Hasn’t it always been?
Normally, yes–however this year, the Court actually has a really great drummer. When he was doing it, he was actually able to pick us up a bit…the cadences actually HELPED. Naturally, since he is a good musician, they’ve pulled him to entertain at the Feast. *sigh*
I’ll be sure to keep an eye on your seams in the future.
See, you tell me that, and I’ll be sure to go out of my way to make ’em crooked before I come see you. :)
That’s pretty much the entire point of tights, y’know. It’s why I wore parti-color for so many years. There was always something in need of adjustment.
It’s a small world
Ross Winn says Hello.
I’ll be sure to go out of my way to make ’em crooked before I come see you
Ta-da! And everybody’s happy!
I am now sad that we cannot afford to come see the show this year. You seem to have such charming and in some cases beautiful friends. Plus, there is now a tribal dance costume design I have no where to wear but must have.
Sigh!
I’ll blow while you straighten ;)
Truly the only bad part of our day is that we don’t get to interact with you more often :)
You don’t mind if I friend you, do you?
BTW: I’m the Vanilla Virgin
Mind? Hell no! The more the merrier.
Besides–Vanilla is my favorite flavor! :)
Ah, great, my shimmy is now on record ;) I really do hope that was the impression given to anyone who saw that moment. I feel a bit sheepish about it myself, and am (unsuccessfully) reigning back the Reina ;)
And, I must inform you that when you listed faire as taking up to 20 hours a week I LAUGHED OUT LOUD. Double that. I have put 9,000 miles on the car I bought in late April, and half of the rehearsals I rode with someone else.
The point at which I expect accolades and requests for autographs is the point where I should be dragged out behind the shed and shot.
And that, is *exactly* the attitude we should all have with performing, yes? It is a constant struggle to both put our best, and find our own praise within the role. (and admitedly one of the things I am worst at) Many hard lessons! This thought is going to keep me grounded for a while!
I’m finding that more and more of my character is leaking into what I’m sure some folks would’ve preferred to have been a glorified announcer’s role, and I’m lovin’ it.
Yup, and that is why the QoS gave a hearty shimmy. Was that her outside voice? Whoops! ;)
I don’t even want to think about how much more time the Kings and Queens have spent. (Add that to my list of why I’m not particularly interested in the role of King right now)
I forgot about the mileage—with every damned thing being held in friggin’ Independence, it adds up.