This is the Fifty-First article in a permanent column for Stroud Arts that appears in the Stroud American.
The mission of these articles is to inform, educate and inspire you, the reader, to Make Art Happen in your life and the life of our community.
Three weeks until Stroud Arts 2nd Annual Medieval Arts and Sciences Faire!
This themed event will be held on September 5, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Foster Park. There will be games and activities designed to train guests in the skills, arts and sciences of the Medieval Era.
Admission is free; however, Games and some activities have a $1 fee. Guests can purchase the all SA Game wrist band for $5. The wrist band will not include non-SA Games or activities.
All games and activities are socially distanced and participants are masked. Guests will be encouraged to wear masks unless if the conditions have changed by that date.
For those unaware, since the 1960’s there has been a growing, niche entertainment, known as ‘The Renaissance and/or Medieval Faire.’
A Renaissance Fair or Ren Fair or Med Fair, is an outdoor weekend gathering, open to the public, which purportedly attempts to recreate a historical setting for the amusement of its guests.
Some fortunate ones are in permanent locations while others are set public parks, wineries or fairgrounds.
Ren Fairs include an abundance of costumed entertainers, musical and theatrical acts, art demonstrations and art, handcrafts and food for sale.
Most Ren Fairs are arranged to represent an imagined village in England, usually during the reign of King Henry VIII or Queen Elizabeth I, as these historical people are more familiar to modern Americans and this period has been generally considered to correspond to the flowering of the English Renaissance and the beginning of the Modern Era.
I discovered the Norman Medieval Faire in the mid 1980’s and was immediately enchanted with the entertaining characters of the Kings Court, the variety of Medieval Themed games and activities, the beautiful pavilions and medieval styled tents and the overall sheer size of the event!
On the average, the Norman Medieval Faire, a three-day event, set up in a public park on the Norman Campus, hosts over 136,000 participants and guests!
Once you step on the grounds, you are immersed in a massive pseudo-medieval city, where you can shop, eat and interact with the costumed entertainers to your hearts content!
For me, as an actor, it is an adventure, a time when I can spontaneously improvise scenes with other actors, and as a historian, a time when I can spontaneously interact with Historical Personages.
After all, meeting a King in our modern world is possible. Remote, but possible.
So when you meet King Henry VIII, you have an amazing opportunity to discover the man behind the myth and legend and truly make a connection with one of the greatest figures of history.
Or at least this actor’s interpretation of the real figure based on the available research.
Personally, I found Henry to be a likable, chivalrous, energetic figure who truly loved his country and some of his wives.
Next week, I will provide more information on the 2nd Annual Stroud Arts medieval Faire for those who wish to interact in character so you too can… Make Art Happen!