a tails from a different ren fair
I'm placing the 1000 words on hold, so i can create art work for ConQuest. Will get back to them as soon as i can. I did not do eith art this past week end. Instead i went to OKRF and enjoyed the hell out of it. Here is my tails.....
Let me take you by the hand,
And lead you through the streets of London;
I will show you something to make you change your mind.
Those are a few lines from a song that I use to hear when I was on my way in to KCRF, way back at the beginning of my festival career. It was usually the last thing i heard, right before it was time to work. After a few years things changed and I would no longer hear it. things changed. So did KCRF. The old feeling was gone, tho i still enjoy the fair, I just didn't feel like I use to. I tend to not leave my booth these days. My friends stop by when they can and I am happy. I had forgotten what the old days was like.
Friends had told me that I should go down to OKRF, that I would enjoy it. My Parents went down last year, and they come back telling me that I should go down. This year I went. I stood back and was trying to absorb it all in. I got to see a few people that i knew out side of the gates and talked to them. A old high school friend and Kent, part of the Lord Mayors Company. He was telling me a little about the people that run the place and who some of the people are that was around. I was amazed to see that the actors coordinator was actually a performer. A shock to me. I liked this. the Beginning of the opening ceremonies started so I went back to where I had been standing to watch. The actor playing the King of the fair (and a very good Henry the 8th i might add) stepped on a step and it broke apart. He was ok, but it was a little dangerous for any one to walk up or down. May be a minute or 2 went by and a gentleman man walks past me and my parents. They point him out to me as the owner. I watched in amazement as he got another board and placed it on the step for the actors to walk on. Very impressed with this. They also gave the first 1000 mothers a flower for mothers day. (did this both days)
I get through the front gate and i first meet Yosa and Jason (more friends from KC) and they mention the morning meeting they went to for the actors (they was visiting royalty) a lot of positive stuff was said. This was another impressive thing to me. positive reinforcement is always a good thing in my book. I got to see a few more friends and they all told me other things about the fair that made me smile. I was still a little stand offish. I am at a ren fair and out of the booth. Not some thing I am comfortable with. But I was starting to get a vibe from the place.
We stopped at Marla's booth and she laughed at me, because she could tell I was on overload. She mentioned other stuff about the fair. With each item I found out the more I liked it. Actors are encouraged to talk with the vendors, to mingle with them. The vendors pay a set amount for the booth and can fix it to there liking. The owner of the fair takes care of the building. He had just went through this year and re roofed the buildings.
My parents and I wondered the fair. Finally ending up at the Castle. Kent had pointed out that the place had been a Old Elks lodge that had a fake facade built over it. I walked around the castle and ended up in the large Castle Garden Cafe area. There was a stage where the Lord Mayors Company would do their plays. It was a rather nice stage and was in a very good area. The family and I went to see Queens Gambit play, and then to eat. We went to see the Lord Mayors Company do the scottish play. A very funny version of MacBeth. I got to talk to Jana before the show and she mentioned the room where the cafe is, was the pool area. Which makes since. As they had 3 oubliettes in the floor and skeletons under the openings. Jana and I talked a little bit more about the place and she said one thing that made so much since. The place had the feeling of old KCRF. The one I remember from when I started doing fair.
This was what I could not grasp at the beginning of the day. That feeling I had not been able to grasp. The owner had been trying to make it where people are able to work in a fun family environment. It has so much the feeling i had those many years ago when i started. And funny enough there is a lot of people I know from fair down their working. Stopped by Marla's and listened to the Musical Blades play in front of her booth. She showed me her booths back rest area. It was a rather nice place for the actors and booth owners. We wondered around the fair, me trying to stay out of the sun as much as possible. Had a great time. Went out to eat after fair, and then back to the hotel to pass out.
We woke up ate breakfast and headed out to the fair again. This time we did not have the sun as we had the day before. (which 2 people had pointed out to me :) it looked like it was going to rain. But it never did. We went out and about around the fair. Ended up at the castle where I had wanted to look at some art that was fascinating to me. Sculptures of the human face. I liked them. The gentlemen there was talking about his work and I looked up at one sculpture. It was a face that looked like puzzle pieces and part of them coming off. It was a piece that took my breath away. after contemplating it, I bought it. While I was doing the exchange of money for art, the king of the fair come up and waited. He asked for me to stay there and for another couple to wait so he could do some thing. He gave the artist a banner that the artist was the kings choice for artist of the day. He gave a reason why he had chosen the artist and I could actually see a tear in the corner of his eye. He was being very sincere.
The rest of the day was nothing but good, even tho the threat of rain was always looming about. It did not stop the people from having a fun time. The venders all seemed in good spirits, as well as the actors. Got to see a very good magic act. (he had freaked a few people out) Got to stand around and talk to some of the other KC actors that was down there, all had nothing but good to say about the fair. Got to see Another of the Lord Mayors Company acts, this time the lost musical. (oh so wrong, on many levels. But in a good way) It was good to see my friends enjoying the work they was doing.
All in all the place was a fun time. Good to see old friends, make new ones, and see some familiar faces. I did enjoy my self. If I could figure out how to do it, I would work down there, in a heart beat. If you get the chance to go down there, I highly recommend it. OKRF is a fun time, one that I know, I will return to...
Let me take you by the hand,
And lead you through the streets of London;
I will show you something to make you change your mind.
Those are a few lines from a song that I use to hear when I was on my way in to KCRF, way back at the beginning of my festival career. It was usually the last thing i heard, right before it was time to work. After a few years things changed and I would no longer hear it. things changed. So did KCRF. The old feeling was gone, tho i still enjoy the fair, I just didn't feel like I use to. I tend to not leave my booth these days. My friends stop by when they can and I am happy. I had forgotten what the old days was like.
Friends had told me that I should go down to OKRF, that I would enjoy it. My Parents went down last year, and they come back telling me that I should go down. This year I went. I stood back and was trying to absorb it all in. I got to see a few people that i knew out side of the gates and talked to them. A old high school friend and Kent, part of the Lord Mayors Company. He was telling me a little about the people that run the place and who some of the people are that was around. I was amazed to see that the actors coordinator was actually a performer. A shock to me. I liked this. the Beginning of the opening ceremonies started so I went back to where I had been standing to watch. The actor playing the King of the fair (and a very good Henry the 8th i might add) stepped on a step and it broke apart. He was ok, but it was a little dangerous for any one to walk up or down. May be a minute or 2 went by and a gentleman man walks past me and my parents. They point him out to me as the owner. I watched in amazement as he got another board and placed it on the step for the actors to walk on. Very impressed with this. They also gave the first 1000 mothers a flower for mothers day. (did this both days)
I get through the front gate and i first meet Yosa and Jason (more friends from KC) and they mention the morning meeting they went to for the actors (they was visiting royalty) a lot of positive stuff was said. This was another impressive thing to me. positive reinforcement is always a good thing in my book. I got to see a few more friends and they all told me other things about the fair that made me smile. I was still a little stand offish. I am at a ren fair and out of the booth. Not some thing I am comfortable with. But I was starting to get a vibe from the place.
We stopped at Marla's booth and she laughed at me, because she could tell I was on overload. She mentioned other stuff about the fair. With each item I found out the more I liked it. Actors are encouraged to talk with the vendors, to mingle with them. The vendors pay a set amount for the booth and can fix it to there liking. The owner of the fair takes care of the building. He had just went through this year and re roofed the buildings.
My parents and I wondered the fair. Finally ending up at the Castle. Kent had pointed out that the place had been a Old Elks lodge that had a fake facade built over it. I walked around the castle and ended up in the large Castle Garden Cafe area. There was a stage where the Lord Mayors Company would do their plays. It was a rather nice stage and was in a very good area. The family and I went to see Queens Gambit play, and then to eat. We went to see the Lord Mayors Company do the scottish play. A very funny version of MacBeth. I got to talk to Jana before the show and she mentioned the room where the cafe is, was the pool area. Which makes since. As they had 3 oubliettes in the floor and skeletons under the openings. Jana and I talked a little bit more about the place and she said one thing that made so much since. The place had the feeling of old KCRF. The one I remember from when I started doing fair.
This was what I could not grasp at the beginning of the day. That feeling I had not been able to grasp. The owner had been trying to make it where people are able to work in a fun family environment. It has so much the feeling i had those many years ago when i started. And funny enough there is a lot of people I know from fair down their working. Stopped by Marla's and listened to the Musical Blades play in front of her booth. She showed me her booths back rest area. It was a rather nice place for the actors and booth owners. We wondered around the fair, me trying to stay out of the sun as much as possible. Had a great time. Went out to eat after fair, and then back to the hotel to pass out.
We woke up ate breakfast and headed out to the fair again. This time we did not have the sun as we had the day before. (which 2 people had pointed out to me :) it looked like it was going to rain. But it never did. We went out and about around the fair. Ended up at the castle where I had wanted to look at some art that was fascinating to me. Sculptures of the human face. I liked them. The gentlemen there was talking about his work and I looked up at one sculpture. It was a face that looked like puzzle pieces and part of them coming off. It was a piece that took my breath away. after contemplating it, I bought it. While I was doing the exchange of money for art, the king of the fair come up and waited. He asked for me to stay there and for another couple to wait so he could do some thing. He gave the artist a banner that the artist was the kings choice for artist of the day. He gave a reason why he had chosen the artist and I could actually see a tear in the corner of his eye. He was being very sincere.
The rest of the day was nothing but good, even tho the threat of rain was always looming about. It did not stop the people from having a fun time. The venders all seemed in good spirits, as well as the actors. Got to see a very good magic act. (he had freaked a few people out) Got to stand around and talk to some of the other KC actors that was down there, all had nothing but good to say about the fair. Got to see Another of the Lord Mayors Company acts, this time the lost musical. (oh so wrong, on many levels. But in a good way) It was good to see my friends enjoying the work they was doing.
All in all the place was a fun time. Good to see old friends, make new ones, and see some familiar faces. I did enjoy my self. If I could figure out how to do it, I would work down there, in a heart beat. If you get the chance to go down there, I highly recommend it. OKRF is a fun time, one that I know, I will return to...