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Oct. 25th, 2005 11:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oakenguyWell, friends & neighbors, a strange thing has occurred: I was on the front page of a newspaper, and it didn't involve a bank robbery or a car crash! (That grumbling sound you hear is Uncle Billy realizing he's lost his $10 bet.)
This came about because of the New Jersey Family Medieval & Fantasy Festival, held last weekend in the woods up against the Delaware border. I was there with Phoenix Swords, jesting and swordfighting and seeing how many layers I could put on under my tights without looking deformed. (5! and a small furry puppet).
Saturday started out pretty miserable: the rain and wind were so bad before the gate opened that in the morning rehearsal we were given contingency plans for what to do during a scene if there was no audience. Enough patrons *did* show--a surprising number, given the conditions--to make the morning events worth doing, but after noon things got even worse and the Producer shut us down early "before hypothermia sets in". We fled like bunnies, and after a good Chinese buffet and a heated swimming pool at the hotel we went to sleep feeling almost human.
Humans who didn't feel the slightest bit of schadenfreude at the thought of the troupe members who'd decided to camp. Honest.
Even when the lightningstorm began.
Sunday morning the sun came out, things warmed up, and we had a show! We also had me on the front page of the 'New Jersey Sunday Herald' showing very bad form as I parried Fenix's sword. (The caption read 'The Count of Perdonia watches the Knight of the North ((Fenix)) mock a battle with the Knight of the South Wind ((me))'...I think the reporter meant 'do a mock battle', but you know, they both work).
The crowds were good, they seemed to enjoy all the performances, and I'm very proud of this: we met a mom who raved about the faire, and then told us how sad her son was that he'd have to miss the final scene, so we had them come back to our tent and on-the-spot created "The Final Scene You Won't Be Around For (Highly Condensed Version)". It was a thing of beauty--I played the Evil Baron and all the jousters,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
temperlj played all the Good Guys, and it kept snowballing as more troupe members wandered in and saw what we were doing. I'd like to see actors do *that* in 'Hamlet'.
(No, seriously, I would. It'd be hysterical.)
This came about because of the New Jersey Family Medieval & Fantasy Festival, held last weekend in the woods up against the Delaware border. I was there with Phoenix Swords, jesting and swordfighting and seeing how many layers I could put on under my tights without looking deformed. (5! and a small furry puppet).
Saturday started out pretty miserable: the rain and wind were so bad before the gate opened that in the morning rehearsal we were given contingency plans for what to do during a scene if there was no audience. Enough patrons *did* show--a surprising number, given the conditions--to make the morning events worth doing, but after noon things got even worse and the Producer shut us down early "before hypothermia sets in". We fled like bunnies, and after a good Chinese buffet and a heated swimming pool at the hotel we went to sleep feeling almost human.
Humans who didn't feel the slightest bit of schadenfreude at the thought of the troupe members who'd decided to camp. Honest.
Even when the lightningstorm began.
Sunday morning the sun came out, things warmed up, and we had a show! We also had me on the front page of the 'New Jersey Sunday Herald' showing very bad form as I parried Fenix's sword. (The caption read 'The Count of Perdonia watches the Knight of the North ((Fenix)) mock a battle with the Knight of the South Wind ((me))'...I think the reporter meant 'do a mock battle', but you know, they both work).
The crowds were good, they seemed to enjoy all the performances, and I'm very proud of this: we met a mom who raved about the faire, and then told us how sad her son was that he'd have to miss the final scene, so we had them come back to our tent and on-the-spot created "The Final Scene You Won't Be Around For (Highly Condensed Version)". It was a thing of beauty--I played the Evil Baron and all the jousters,
temperlj played all the Good Guys, and it kept snowballing as more troupe members wandered in and saw what we were doing. I'd like to see actors do *that* in 'Hamlet'.(No, seriously, I would. It'd be hysterical.)
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Date: 2005-10-25 09:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-25 09:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-25 11:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-25 11:39 pm (UTC)congrats, oakenguy! I hope they put the picture up on the Phoenix website?
I would have loved to see the condensed version of the Final Act, that must have been histerical
glad you all survived :D
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Date: 2005-10-26 07:45 pm (UTC)It's a yearly event. Next time, I promise. :)
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Date: 2005-10-26 10:12 pm (UTC)