Occasionally, as I’m searching for news to bring to you, I come across something that just tickles me. Such was the case as I read Graffitiheart’s LiveJournal post “Only in the gehh-toe” about the auto repair/costume rental shop that fixed her vehicle’s air conditioner for $20. There was only one stipulation, she had to “do a scene from Our Town from memory.”
I hope you’ll enjoy the story as much as I did. Thanks, GraffitiHeart, for sharing it. It’s a great example of what my friend, Jezzy the Pirate, asked me to try to share with my readers; one connection can lead to another and common interests can work to the good of all involved in the most unexpected ways.
May 11th, 2008
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The Travel Advocate, an online magazine dedicated to help travelers take better vacations and get great deals, posted an article recommending “Five Renaissance Faires You Don’t Want to Miss.”
The Colorado Renaissance Festival, Massachusetts’ King Richard’s Faire, Missouri’s Kansas City Renaissance Festival, and Florida’s Camelot Days were described as good bets for interesting adventures as you travel. CongaRats to each of these faires for making the list.
The author admitted that the fifth event, the Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco, isn’t really a Renaissance faire but said that it’s really beautiful re-imagining of the past.
May 10th, 2008
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The Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, is planning a Family Renaissance Faire for June 28, noon until 8pm at Jack Townsend Point on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.
They’ve put out a call for merchants, performers, and volunteers. Call the theatre at 907-457-7638 or e-mail Claudia Lively, production manager, for more information.
May 9th, 2008
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I found, as I researched today’s post, that I missed quite a few of the smaller college faires this past week. It’s spring and there may be more that I’ve not found reference to. If you know of one that I miss, please leave a comment with the information.
California
Auburn, California, will see Cain’s Crossing Renaissance Faire open the gates to the shire this weekend in the large, oak studded meadow of the Auburn Regional Park. Visitors will find enough activity to ensure a good time with a great variety of amusement, food for feasting, swordsmen fighting for the prize, a bevy of bellydancers and a children’s glen for the little ones. Proceeds will benefit the Auburn Education Foundation.
Koroneburg European Old World Festival opens this weekend, running til Father’s Day weekend and all three days of Memorial Day weekend. They’ve got a $3 discount coupon available. The joust, starring Imperial Knights, is full contact jousting with no breakaway lances. Wolgemut takes the stage during for four weekends. I’ve heard great things about them and hope to catch a live performance one of these days.
Ojai Renaissance and Pirate Faire is this coming weekend on the shores of Lake Casitas, north of Ventura, California. Patrons are encouraged to dress for Elizabethan court or to mingle with pirates in the 16th century village.
Queen Bess and the Pyrates in Fresno, California, will bring a new prospective to Queen Elizabeth’s story. Now in her later years, Queen Elizabeth I is creating wealth for England by providing the Privateers with letters of Marque. Tickets are $6 and you can get $1 off with a food donation.
Only two weekends left for the Renaissance Pleasure Faire of Southern California at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale. The Faire is still offering advance purchase discount tickets.
Georgia
Rain this past weekend brought out the best of the Georgia Renaissance Faire for one family. Read their trip report and tips for having a great time. Mothers will be celebrated this coming weekend with discount tickets are available for printing at home.
Idaho
The Moscow Renaissance Fair, a two-day celebration of spring, had near perfect weather this past weekend. Dennis Brady, a merchant at the faire, spoke highly of his time there and the Profound Experience he had.
Iowa
Iowa City Press-News reporter, Rachel Gallegos, interviewed several partivipnts and patrons at the 17th Annual Iowa Renaissance Festival and Gathering o’ Celts this past weekend and found that all had a good time. Read her whole story at “Say good knight sir”
Minnesota
Nick Haasch of New Ulm College reported that, though the forecast looked dismal, the weather ended up being wonderful and attendance was up from last year. Patrons could choose to interact with royalty, watch a mercenary group performing demonstration with medieval weaponry, or laugh along with skits about butchered fairy tales, skewed ways to woo wenches, and even a take on Abbot and Costello’s “Who’s on first.” He said “All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better day to hold a faire, nor with finer people.”
Mississippi
The 2008 “Faire Sur La Mer” or “Faire By The Sea”, the Ocean Springs Renaissance Faire, started out very wet, with rain still falling on Saturday morning. By 1pm, the weather had cleared and the show continued. WLOX, a local TV station sent a reporter out to capture some of Saturday’s events. Due to the weather, only one jousting event occurred on Saturday but Sunday’s schedule went off without a hitch. According to Frank Stumbo’s article, “Renaissance Festival crowd doubles on second day” published April 5th in The Mississippi Press, faire management was very pleased with the turnout, the weather, and the funds raised for the sponsoring church’s charities.
Nebraska
It’s time for the Renaissance Faire of Nebraska and, this year, the faire has a new site at the Bellevue Berry and Pumpkin Ranch near Papillion. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids, and under 8 free.
New Jersey
A teaser showed up in the Healing Fireball blog about the theme for this coming year’s New Jersey Renaissance Kingdom and Faire. The Healer’s post, “Arrr! It’s a Pirate Year” and the New Jersey Renaissance Pirate Kingdom website agree, the Kingdom of Camelot will be taken over by pyrates this year.
New York
It was wet cold weather this past Saturday for the opening of the Hudson Valley MayFaire but that didn’t stop paytrons from showing up and enjoying the day. Peter D Kramer reporting in “Frozen “Shrew,” anyone?” told of a bleacher full laughing and applauding to for The Rogue Players rendition of “Taming of the Shrew.” Video and comments from attendees are being posted on the faire website.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Renaissance Festival opened this past weekend and runs through May 26th. Early Friday morning saw pingpong sized hail but the weather cleared for Saturday’s opening though it stayed cool. There was a Masked Ball Saturday evening with 18 musicians providing the tunes for much dancing and merriment. Information about ticket prices, and how to get a discount, are available on the Hours & Prices page. You can also pick up a “$2.00 Off” coupon at Wendy’s.
Pennsylvania
Last weekend’s Spoutwood Farm’s Fairie Festival has concluded successfully. Several performers and patrons have posted blogs saying how much fun they had. Lisa Lynne included a video in her Harpgirl’s Journal post that includes beautiful music and fun commentary.
The first New Hope Renaissance Festival takes place on Mechanic Street in New Hope, Pennsylvania, this weekend. It’s a free show.
Tennessee
In spite of four inches of rain Friday night before opening, the gates of Covington Glen swung open as a young Queen Elizabeth I welcomed all to the shire. Improvements on the grounds include some new tall tables added in the Red Hook pub area and upgrades to the privies. The Tennessee Renaissance Festival celebrates Romance weekend with vow renewals for married couples. I received a recommendation from my friend, Lady Nicolette, to be sure to see the Royal Improv Show when we are there in a couple of weeks.
Texas
Scarborough Renaissance Festival, who had approximately 20,000 visitors for their Cinco de Mayo celebration last weekend, presents a weekend of Renaissance Romance. The King will lead renewal-of-vows ceremonies on May 10 and 11 at noon in the Wedding Garden. The History, Customs, and Manners class, held each week by the tree near the front gate just before morning court dance, will provide instruction on Love and Sex and is the adults only class.
The Texas Renaissance Festival will hold the second of their yearly cast auditions this Saturday, May 10th, on the festival grounds at 21778 FM 1774 in Plantersville, Texas. Appointments are required for auditions; call the Festival office at 800-458-3435, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information visit the Texas Renaissance Festival Auditions Page.
Utah
The 3rd annual Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire starts this weekend in Marriott-Slaterville, Utah. There will be jousting, magic, belly dancers, Celtic music, puppets, and lots of other entertainment. They’re offering tickets at half-price if you attend in Renaissance garb.
Around the World
As Paolo Garbanzo told me a couple of weeks ago during our interview, faires and festivals take place all over Europe also. This week I found references to events taking place in France.
Jenny, an American living in France, added a post with video about the Andilly Medieval Faire, May 17 & 18 and May 24 & 25, that she plans to attend
Deb, an Austrailian living in France, added a post with pictures and video about the Beziers Medieval Faire that she attended on May 6th.
May 8th, 2008
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Faire Celebrations and Anticipations |
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photo credit: fiona goodnight collum
I just came across information for the Phoenix Faerie Festival at the Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear, Arizona. It’s not til November 15th, so you’ve got plenty of time to get your wings set straight and plan for the Ball.
There are actually two parts to the festival, the daylight event and the Unseelie Masquerade Ball which begins at sunset. General admission tickets (the only kind) are $10, covers everything except parking, and can be purchased at the gate. Oh, and children 5 and under free. The Park charges a $6 per car for fee parking. Ticket sales end at 6pm, though, and no one will be allowed in after 7pm, so if the Ball interests you, get there early for your tickets.
May 7th, 2008
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Bouncy and vivacious, her blond hair up in artful wisps and tails with feathers and tassels woven in, her features accented by the swirls of color, it’s easy to fall under her spell. No matter which faire she’s at, years of experience have helped hone her knowledge of the perfect location to draw the attention of young and old alike. With a few touches of the brush, she draws you in to the fantasy, starting the day off by bringing out the beauty that hides in us all. Let me introduce you to Susan Griffin, proprietor of Face Paint Emporium.
Background
Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Susan’s family moved to California when she was just three years old, first to San Diego and later to the heart of the Silicon Valley. Her mother, inherently artistic, kept the child entertained by teaching her to make most anything with whatever was on hand. With glue, paper, paste, and paint, they would create the most incredible things. Her father, on the other hand, was mechanically inclined and, as Susan got older, taught her to use power tools and allowed her to help him with various projects. The things they taught her have come in handy through the years as she lives the life of a traveling artist.
At nine, Susan started doing theatre and it has led to wonderful things in her life. She attended Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California, finishing with a degree in theatre dance and design. After a brief stint at Stanford University, Marriott’s Great America Parks hired her to sing and dance as Yosemite Sam in one of their shows at the Santa Clara, California, site. Following recovery from a back injury, she spent several years with Ringling Circus as an aerialist, then a couple of years performing at Equity Dinner Theatres. Eventually she came to Houston, Texas, to teach dance—ballet, tap, and jazz—for the City Ballet of Houston as well as classes at the YMCA.
Finding that she wasn’t enjoying teaching, she left it and started doing various temporary jobs. She chuckled as she told me she was looking for what she wanted to do when she grew up. With her theatre background, she began doing odd jobs that centered on the theatre or some type of performance. Even her work as a very successful outside sales person for a fragrance company, a job Susan held for years before she went full time with the body art, was a type of performing.
Faire History
It was during this exploration period that she started doing makeup and costuming for feature films and TV, as well as working for the Houston Grand Opera as a costumer. In 1978, a friend invited her to attend the Texas Renaissance Festival where the Esoteric Philosophy Center had a fundraising booth. When someone from the Center recognized Susan, they asked if she would consider doing face painting for them and she agreed to work the next year. The first thing she learned to paint was an armadillo—kidney bean body, add tail and legs, head and great big ears, stripes and an eyeball. She worked with the Center for years, both as a face painter and as the costume consultant, writing a handbook on costume design and having responsibility for approving all the costumes worn by the group. When the Center closed, she contracted directly with Texas Renaissance Festival to have Face Painting Emporium on site.
She has continued to develop the business, expanding her schedule to eight shows per year, with four of those being eight-week runs and the other three being one to two week shows. Consequently, she spends little time in her Houston townhome and has little opportunity to date. It’s hard, she told me, to be home only four months of the year. You miss your “stuff” and you are not home enough to have a relationship. “Stuff” in Susan’s case includes her home office, design and sewing studio, and 1500 piece frog collection.
The relationship part is difficult because, unlike the circus or carnival, merchants and performers are not employees of the independent producing corporations and do not move en masse to the next stop. Each is an independent business owner, contracted to the faire and, depending on the circuit chosen, possibly only seeing friends once or twice a year. Besides, she said, “Dating someone on the faire circuit is difficult because everyone knows everyone else’s business. And you don’t want to date the locals because you know you’ll be leaving in a couple of months. Having a guy in every port just isn’t cool.”
She hears from people quite often, “I wan’na do what you do.” Her responses flow easily, bringing home the reality of her work with comments like, “Remember last weekend when it was 30 degrees and raining? I was here while you were at home reading a book and drinking tea.” At the end of the year, she clears very little, enough to eat and pay the electric but not a lot more, in the four-figure range. She quickly came back to all the good things about her life, though, telling me that the 35,000 smiles a year that are the result of her work make up for everything. “A lot of my pay is not what they hand me; it is giving those children 100% of my attention and seeing the look on their face when they look in the mirror. That’s a lot of pay.”
Current
Currently at Scarborough Renaissance Festival, Susan will take the month of June off, and then leave for Bristol Renaissance Festival around July 1st. She will be back in Houston for Texas Renaissance Festival and Dickens on the Strand to complete 2008. As the year finishes, she and her cat will hit the road in the motor home, heading for a rent-by-the-month RV Park in Florida. She wishes that festival management would plan their dates to end as the month changes and avoiding overlapping other faire dates. This year, the Bay Area Renaissance Festival extended into the first week of April, both conflicting with Scarborough Renaissance Faire’s opening weekend and potentially necessitating an additional month’s rent on the campsite. Susan made the difficult decision to pull out of BARF one week early to make it home for Scarborough and avoid the extra expense.
With 180 completely different designs on her display board, Susan has one of the most extensive collections of pre-designed art in the industry. Her most complicated is the Druid Mask, which looks like fine made lace all over the face. It is full of spirals and many detailed lines, showing a lot of negative space that gets some iridescent colors. A very precise work of art, it takes a lot of concentration to apply and requires the subject to sit very still for three to five minutes. While that might not sound like much, try sitting perfectly still for three minutes sometime.
Fifty of Susan’s designs cost only $5 and are perfect for the little ones who can’t sit still for more than a few moments. When preparing to paint, she usually asks the child for their favorite color for a base to work with. She will only allow them to choose one color because, she told me with a chuckle, “I never again want to paint a lime green and orange unicorn. I won’t paint something I wouldn’t wear myself.” The myriad of color choices in her paint box can seem daunting so she doesn’t usually let a child see, instead asking them to think of a simple crayon box—red, blue, green, pink, or purple.
Filling that paint box is a weekly task, with an average of $400 worth of paint necessary to keep it fully stocked. Surprising to me, orange is currently the most expensive color to purchase, running $15 per tube. Susan has found vendors all over the country, enabling her to walk in to a shop almost anywhere and find what she needs. These days, however, the internet, laptops, and aircards have made life so much easier on the road. Pulling up an online catalog, ordering the supplies, and having them drop shipped to you at the campground or faire office has streamlined the restocking process, not to mention the banking, taxes, and other everyday necessities of a small business owner.
She’s planning now for retirement, which she expects in thirteen years. In a few years, she’ll return to school, probably online, taking classes for a Master’s Degree in Art History. With that, she will be ready when she comes off the road and retires to docent at art museums.
Final Thoughts
Life on the road can be hard and a good deal of self-sufficiency is necessary in order to thrive. Susan has the tools she needs to do just that. Whether diagnosing and replacing the air-conditioner fan in the motor home, spending time with friends at a potluck dinner, or quietly decompressing at home with a hot meal and her cat at the end of a long day, she finds that it is all worth it. Susan expressed a deep thankfulness that the powers-that-be have brought people in to her life that let this happen for her. Body art and faires have endured everything.
Both photos from Susan Griffin’s collection.
May 6th, 2008
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It’s almost time for the Virginia Renaissance Festival and they’ve made it possible to get a head start on planning when you’ll want to attend and what you’ll want to wear.
Their themed weekends are as follows:
May 17, 18 Pirate Weekend Special Guest: Pyrates Royale
May 24, 25, 26 Military History Weekend
May 31, June 1 Romance Weekend
June 7, 8 Midsummer Night’s Dream
June 14, 15 Celtic Heritage Special Guest: Keltish
May 5th, 2008
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When I did the Anticipation post yesterday, I missed that the Ohio State University Renaissance Faire takes place this Saturday (May 3). I’m giving you a very late heads up, if you’re in the area, don’t you miss it.
From their website:
The 34th annual Renaissance Faire at OSU will be held on Saturday, May 3rd, from 11am-6pm. Admission is free. The Faire will take place, rain or shine, in the humble, yet charming English village of Buck’s Eye Hollow (also referred to as the South Oval of the Ohio State University)
May 3rd, 2008
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Well, we decided that we needed a new vehicle, something that got better gas mileage but still has room for all the things you have to take to Faire! After all, we have armor, swords, wedding dresses, and who knows what else to get in for our Tennessee Renaissance Festival trip. Anyway, I spent the early part of the week shopping, ending up at David Maus Toyota/Scion working with Joe Cioppa, a salesman I’ve known for years. We put together a deal that satisfied us all and *bouncing* we bought a new car.
Sitting in the driveway is a brand new 2008 Scion xb Gold Rush Mica RS 5.0 and it’s a sweet ride. Plenty of headroom for Leinad, lots of little storage cubbies for me, a sunroof, and the stereo plays MP3s. We’ll be traveling in style on the way to Faires this year.
There are some modifications we’re considering but for now it’s stock because there’s not time before the trip.
We’ll see you at Faire!!
May 2nd, 2008
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photo credit: Clevergrrl
Tower at the Georgia Renaissance Festival
This is the first post of the new format. It’s been interesting writing it like this and I hope it makes it easy for you to find the things you’re interested in.
California
The Tulare Advance-Register ran a short article, “Celebrating the Renaissance,” about the Tulare County Renaissance Festival last weekend, including some pictures and comments from those who attended.
Capt Bryan Dunn, the Sage Lion, reviewed The Cutthroats of Corona Pirate Festival in his blog this week. It sounds like they had a good time in spite of the heat.
The Renaissance Pleasure Faire of Southern California is still in full swing at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale. Photographers KellyRy and SpaceLadyDMc spent a day out there and shared their pictures. They went out together, often took pictures of the same objects or people, and presented their results. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. The Faire is still offering advance purchase discount tickets.
Georgia
The Georgia Renaissance Festival is in the middle of their run. The bit of rain last weekend didn’t keep faire enthusiasts away. Tartans will abound throughout the shire as they celebrate Scots & Kilts weekend. Discount tickets are available for printing at home, and much faster than standing in line at the ticket booth.
Idaho
The Moscow Renaissance Fair, a two-day celebration of spring, takes place this weekend. Admission is free and there will be live entertainment, food, and crafts for kids and adults of all ages.
Iowa
The 17th Annual Iowa Renaissance Festival and Gathering o’ Celts takes place this weekend at Amana Colonies, Iowa.
Minnesota
Students present the Martin Luther College Renaissance Faire in New Ulm, Minnesota. It’s a free event.
Mississippi
The 2008 “Faire Sur La Mer” or “Faire By The Sea” will be held Saturday May 3 and Sunday May 4, 2008. The Faire is a fundraising event for the St John’s Church of Ocean Spring, Mississippi. This faire is sometimes referred to as the Ocean Springs Renaissance Faire.
Missouri
Joplin, Missouri, welcomed it’s newest event, the Joplin Renaissance Festival, this past weekend to a decent turn out in spite of cooler weather on Sunday. Butterfly Bill wrote a a comprehensive review of his attendance on Saturday.
New Hampshire
Plymouth State University held their 29th annual Medieval and Renaissance Forum this past weekend. Read more about it in “Once upon a time: Medieval festival is not just a lark for participants” By Geoff Cunningham, Jr.
New York
The Hudson Valley MayFaire is this weekend at the Ulster County Fairgrounds, in New Paltz. Neidfyre will be there, fresh back from Four Winds Renaissance Faire. Tell her we said Hi!
New York Renaissance Faire holds OPEN AUDITIONS on Fri, May 2 & Sat May 3 at Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 8th Ave, 16th floor, NYC. See the auditions page at the New York Renaissance Faire’s website for full details.
Ohio
The Ashville Viking Fest was this past weekend. The weather looked a little iffy, according to some who attended, but cleared off before the end of the day. It was the first time in garb for many in that area and they said they’d had a good time.
Oklahoma
The Castle of Muskogee will host the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival beginning this weekend and running through May 26th. Information about ticket prices, and how to get a discount, are available on the Hours & Prices page. You can also pick up a “$2.00 Off” coupon at Wendy’s.
Oregon
Faire in the Grove, a one day event in Forest Grove, Oregon, took place last weekend. Reports indicate that it was a good time. The Forest Grove News Times published a story about two SCA members who help bring the Faire to life in “The Duke of Yamhill.”
Pennsylvania
Spoutwood Farm’s Fairie Festival will take place this weekend in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania. The Harper and the Minstrel, will be there along with a wide assortment of other musical acts. This year, they are introducing a “Fairie Chautauqua” tent, offering a wide array of learning experiences about such things as fairies, fairie lore, and Celtic life and spirituality.
Tennessee
Covington Glen’s gates swing wide this weekend as the Tennessee Renaissance Festival opens for the first of four weekends. This is Family Celebration weekend with ticket discounts available at the box office only. Paolo Garbanzo, whose interview was posted this week, will be appearing.
Texas
Scarborough Renaissance Festival is in the middle of their run. Every weekend, His Grace, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk is holding his History, Customs, and Manners classes by the tree near the front gate just before morning court dance. Last weekend’s lecture “The Role of Women” included a section on women-in-service-of-other-women that an attendee reported was fascinating. This weekend’s lesson will be “Technology, medicine and pets!”
Washington
CamLann Medieval Village in Carnation, Washington will be celebrate MayDay with A Feast for May
Around the World:
There was a Faerie Folk Festival in Deal, Kent this past weekend and the World Fairy Festival Malaysia is this coming weekend
May 1st, 2008
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Auditions, Faire Celebrations and Anticipations |
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TRF is calling for cast!
Stacy Bakri, Performance Company Assistant Director, posted information regarding auditions on RenaissanceFestival.com yesterday. If you’ve ever wanted to be on cast at the Texas Renaissance Festival, clear your calendar for May 3 or May 10, but make the call to Entertainment Director Jeff Baldwin to schedule your slot, (800) 458-3435 today!
ALL POSITIONS ARE PAID and they are seeking performers to portray the following:
Germans: men and women
Fantasy(fairies): men and women
French: (fop types) men and women
Italians: men
Scots: men and women, bagpipers encouraged to audition
Spaniards: men and women, bilingual men strongly encouraged to audition
English: Men and women
Barbarians: men and women
Puppeteers: men and women
Dwarves or individuals of diminuitive stature: men and women
Halloween characters such as Wolfman, vampire, Frankenstein, etc.: men and women
See Texas Renaissance Festival’s audition page for complete details.
May 1st, 2008
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For anyone who’s tried to contact me in the last 13 days, my sincerest apologies. I was working on a interview and forgot to move the pictures to a different location. This, of course, used up all my file space and has made me unreachable via the email address.
I hadn’t been waiting on anything specific and didn’t realize what had happened. My thanks to Threads of Time for tracking down another way to contact me and letting me know. By the way, they are making Leinad’s upper garments for the handfasting and have been great to work with.
Anyway, the long and short of it is that I’ve moved the pictures, increased my email account quota, and tested receiving email. I should be in business again.
April 30th, 2008
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Italian streams from his lips as he makes dinner plans with Giacomo and, for a moment, you wonder if you’ve been transported to one of the European festivals. Finished, he returns to your conversation, laughing easily as he turns the crab hat, a talisman against rain, repeatedly in his hands. Never still, he seems always to be scanning his surroundings for something to play with and you wonder how long it will be before he reaches in to a pouch and pulls out enough objects to form a pattern. Let me introduce you to Paolo Garbanzo.
Background
photo credit: Leinad Thornwolf
Paul “Paolo Garbanzo” Hudert has always been a performer. According to his theory, it’s because being the youngest of four meant that he was always looking for ways to attract attention. Emulating his brother’s friends provided one way and, when the boy boasted the he too could juggle like one of them, they taunted him to prove it. Never one to back down, the twelve-year-old learned the trick and found he enjoyed it. He continued learning new tricks from the friend, taking on any challenge thrown at him.
Knowing that he wanted a career that let him stay involved in theatrical productions, Paul earned a degree in Set Design from the Virginia Commonwealth University. His classes proved invaluable as he began, even in college, to produce his own shows. He knew what was possible and how to achieve it. He never had to be like a performer he worked with who asked to have a black light put in a certain location so that it would be darker. After graduation, he worked with set design companies, painting sets for plays and movies on both coasts. Working on sets provided the flexibility he needed for performing and is now only an occasional activity for special projects.
The Garbanzo Brothers, the show he directed while in college, performed throughout the east. The move to the West Coast in 2001 precipitated the beginning of his solo career, including busking on the famous Pier 39 stage in San Francisco. He joined the Flying Karamazov Brothers for a time but returned to solo performing in 2003. Paul laughed as he told me, “Jugglers are basically anarchistic and subversive; we don’t take orders very well. That’s why jugglers are generally a solitary act.”
Faire History
Late in his college career, a friend introduced Paul to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. He was stunned; Renaissance Festivals were, at that time, the last bastion of vaudeville style entertainment. Here was a multiple week event with exactly the kind of shows he loved to do. The Garbanzo Brothers were already performing at kids’ parties, corporate picnics, and the occasional art or street festival, but those were one-day gigs. He attended several weekends, and then contacted the Entertainment Director. The Garbanzo Brothers made their first appearance at the Maryland Renaissance Festival in 2000, coming in as guest performers for the last two weekends. Paul was hooked and started sending out promotional tapes to various Renaissance Festivals. It was during this time that he and his partner discovered that their ideas on “touring” did not mesh and the team split up.
Although there have been several characters through the years, Paolo Garbanzo is the one that feels most real to him. Some of Paul’s ancestors were from Italy and he is proud of the authenticity it brings to the character. While spending six months in Italy teaching classes on juggling and comedy, “Paolo” acquired background, accents, and accoutrements true to the character. Paul even built a gypsy wagon (a vardo) to travel in which also serves as a stage backdrop when appropriate to the venue.
He performs at faires on the East and West coasts but, in his case, it is the West Coast of Europe. In the summers, Paolo travels and performs at festivals all over the continent. Festivals in Europe are different he told me, not renaissance or medieval faires, but primarily celebrations of the founding of a town which just happened to take place during the Renaissance or Medieval periods. Other performers that Pual has worked with, both past and present, include Clan Tynker (primarily in Europe), his own Accidental Circus, and with Giacomo the Jester in the “Ooops! Comedy Knife Throwing Show.”
Current
It’s common to see jugglers eating an apple that is one of the objects in the pattern. Paolo adds a few twists to the trick, juggling a knife, a flaming torch, and an onion, all while standing on a large plastic ball. His favorite cute patron story from faires involved this same trick. Typically, he includes youngsters in the setup, calling three volunteers to the stage to hand, toss, or throw the various objects to him. On this day, he looked out at the audience and there was a young girl there dressed in a finely done handmade princess gown. The child was regal and serene when Paolo called her to the stage. The second volunteer was a boy who was just bouncing all over the place. Handing each of them their object, Paolo had them turn toward each other, shake hands, and then bow. Though she appeared reluctant, the girl shook hands and then performed a perfect martial arts bow. The boy responded, but without the finesse. When Paul uttered the word, “Fight,” he got exactly what he had hoped for. The young man didn’t have a clue what to do but the princess went in to a perfect fighting stance; she was calm, cool, and ready to take that boy down. The crowd could tell she was right on and thought she was so cute.
This past year, Paul traveled to England to compete in the International Jester Tournament during Muncaster Castle’s Festivale of Fools. Since 2005, the event has selected the best juggler to fill the role of Fool of Muncaster, a lifetime title that honors Tom Skelton, the original Foole of Muncaster. Paul competed against five others during the 2007 Festival and was the first American to win the prestigious award. He will attend the Festival again this year, first performing for the crowd as the out-going Fool, and then emcee the competition to choose the 2008 Fool of Muncaster. While he did tell me that he’s hard at work on several new bits for his performance, he wouldn’t reveal more than that.
This year’s schedule includes several events in Germany and one in the Czech Republic, in addition to his US tour of Tennessee Renaissance Festival, Sterling Renaissance Festival, Pennsic War, and King Richard’s Faire. He also took some time off in the spring to attend a juggling photo credit: Garbanzo Juggling convention and workshops on the art of buffoonery in Boston, Massachusetts, before going to Muncaster Castle for April Fools’ Day. Paul told me that he makes time for the classes and competitions to keep him fresh. “When you’re performing full time, you lose time to practice new things; it’s the curse of the full time performer because there is so much traveling it’s hard to find time to learn new things and practice them to a level that can be presented to the public.”
Final Thoughts
photo credit: Garbanzo Juggling
Paul told me he is the luckiest person in the world, making a living by doing what he loves. People come to see the faire and tell him that he lives the dream and he agrees. “We may not have much money but I wouldn’t trade it.” Some of his best times are in the evening when he gets to relax, sometimes juggling with those in the campgrounds around him. Faire is a whole community that encourages each other. Being on the road with Renaissance festivals is not a popular lifestyle choice with jugglers, “It’s not considered making the big time like working a Vegas show.” But he’s doing OK and likes faires because the events are multiple weekends; when you get in you’ve got a good chance of being there again the next year; and it’s not an intense requirement to always be searching for the next gig. Maybe fifteen years or so from now he’ll be ready to quit juggling flaming death sticks or mostly razor sharp knives. When he is, he may go back to painting sets, but for now, he has no regrets.
In closing, Paul encouraged everyone never to give up on your dreams. If you feel like you should be doing something else, do it. Do what you feel like you should be doing and don’t let anyone tell you what that should be. Then the subversive anarchist popped up and told me, “Say what you mean and mean what you say. Just because someone’s feelings may be hurt, it is not a reason not to say something that needs to be said. There’s too much political correctness these days.”
Websites of Performers and Venues included in this article:
Garbanzo Juggling
Paolo on MySpace
Paolo at the International Jester Tournament
Paolo on YouTube
Flying Karamazov Brothers
Clan Tynker
The Accidental Circus
Giacomo the Jester
Maryland Renaissance Festival
Pier 39, San Francisco
Muncaster Castle, Cumbria England
Tennessee Renaissance Festival
Sterling Renaissance Festival
Pennsic War
King Richard’s Faire
Thomas Skelton – Tom Foole, Jester of Muncaster
April 29th, 2008
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The Tennessee Renaissance Festival is just around the corner and they’ve announced a very special ticket discount.
*****Our Special Savings Offers*****
May 3 & 4 First Weekend Family Celebration Discount
2 Regular Adult Tickets for $36.00 entitles you to 2 Additional Grandparent tickets free, and all the children in your family free. This discount is only available at our Festival Grounds Ticket Sales Booth on May 3rd or May 4th 2008. Sorry, No On-Line Sales or Pre-Sales Tickets are available for this offer. Please Request this Discount before purchasing your tickets at the Festival Grounds Sales Booth
April 29th, 2008
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photo credit: mfshadow
If you’ve ever wanted to work at faire, here’s your chance to hit the mark. The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is looking for their 2008 season staff. They posted the following on their MySpace blog today.
The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is looking for people to fill a various amount of job positions. This is a list of current openings.
2008 MN RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL POSITIONS AVAILABLE AND BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS
AREA SUPERVISOR 8 POSITIONS
Responsible for the successful operation of an entire food area.
INVENTORY SPECIALIST 8 POSITIONS
Responsible for entire area’s product placement, inventory, and supervises runners.
PAL 8 POSITIONS
Responsible for all personnel aspects of an area, including time sheets and employee matters.
BOOTH SUPERVISOR 105 POSITIONS
Responsible for the successful operation of a booth’s sales, customer service, and booth accounting.
RUNNERS 25 POSITIONS
Responsible for timely delivery of product to the booths and general clean-up of area.
FOOD WORKER 250 POSITIONS
Responsible for correctly preparing and enthusiastically selling the products sold in their booth.
SOUVENIR SALES (TRAVELER) 50 POSITIONS
Responsible for enthusiastically selling pottery, t-shirts, and other novelties.
FEAST COOKS 4 POSITIONS
Create and prepare meals for the Feast of Fantasy and weddings. Includes chef and kitchen manager.
POFESSIONAL SERVERS 22 POSITIONS
Food server for the Special Events & Feast of Fantasy.
MAINTENANCE 6 POSITIONS
Responsible for basic building maintenance, firing up all food equipment, receiving deliveries, assist with inventory, general inspections, open & closing facilities.
GATE GUARD 6 POSITIONS
Responsible for securing entrances and exits. Request and verify identification.
SITE SECURITY 20 POSITIONS
Responsible for customer and participant safety and security.
FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES
The MN Renaissance Festival has fundraising opportunities, which enable you to earn thousands for tuition, trips, costumes, competitions; you name it we help you pay for it.
Stop in for one of our open house interviews, or contact us for more information.
Here is a list of our upcoming interview dates.
May 7 - Management Interviews
May 14 - Open House Interviews
May 17 - Open House Interviews
May 21 - Open House Interviews
May 28 - Open House Interviews
June 4 - Open House Interviews
June 11 - Open House Interviews
June 14 - Open House Interviews
June 18 - Open House Interviews
June 21 - Open House Interviews
July 20 - Open Interviews at the Mall Of America
For times and directions please call 952-496-9232, email Personnel, or visit the website.
April 28th, 2008
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